Puppy Crying!

[tlc]

I was lucky with my lot, My oldest slept on the bed till I got my second pup 6 months later and he just took himself off the bed onto his bed on the floor next to the bed, it was just like he was making way for the pup. My 3rd girl 7 months later, I wanted her to sleep on the bed like the other 2 had started out but she took herself straight to the ensuite on the first night and that was where she stayed till the pup came along, now she sleeps under my bed (her choice) they are all so different. I wanted the my youngest to sleep on the bed and we did try him on the bed in the ensuite but to no avail, he just wouldnt settle so thats the main reason we got him the crate, and like I said in my earlier post we havent looked back. I have loved every minute of my lot sleeping on the bed but it is a luxury to them if they much up or we dont want them on the bed, we just tell them to go to thier own beds and they do. We usually only have one on the bed to sleep these days, although they all get on the bed for night time cuddles before departing to thier own beds.

[Christina]

Letting puppy sleep in your bed does not mean it will always want to. My tiny breed cant at first in case they injure themselves but later they can. Once the pup is settled at home he will sleep anywhere in the house without a fuss.

[tlc]

Letting puppy sleep in your bed does not mean it will always want to. My tiny breed cant at first in case they injure themselves but later they can. Once the pup is settled at home he will sleep anywhere in the house without a fuss.

Christina, thats what I was trying to say in 7 lines, you said it in 2 and 1/2

[Joan of Arc]

Just to clarify a crate question for Matthew and others - it is not necessary to buy a metal crate for Labs. We use metal crates and soft crates. All our show crates are soft crates, never had one damaged in any way. But have seen other breeds rolling theirs down the hill - with contents :D

If they are raised with the soft crate they dont paw at them

[Cosmolo]

Just another opinion, I have seen soft crates ripped to bits by puppies (of varying breeds but including labs) so generally don't recommend them for the initial stages of crate training- just in case!

[W Sibs]

Letting puppy sleep in your bed does not mean it will always want to. My tiny breed cant at first in case they injure themselves but later they can. Once the pup is settled at home he will sleep anywhere in the house without a fuss.

That's true.

Charlie is like that. Now, he can jump on and off the bed himself and the weather is getting warmer, he usually likes sleeping on the floor or in the bathroom on the tiles. He is always up on my bed again around 5am for a little extra snooze and our morning cuddles. :D

[joelle]

Letting puppy sleep in your bed does not mean it will always want to. My tiny breed cant at first in case they injure themselves but later they can. Once the pup is settled at home he will sleep anywhere in the house without a fuss.

That's true.

Charlie is like that. Now, he can jump on and off the bed himself and the weather is getting warmer, he usually likes sleeping on the floor or in the bathroom on the tiles. He is always up on my bed again around 5am for a little extra snooze and our morning cuddles.

Slightly off topic but still pertinent to night time training. When I got Jake (now 2) he settled in the crate no bother, toilet trained easy didnt cry - perfect boy

I am getting another pup in 7 weeks and will use the crate method again. The thing is, I cannot remember what else I did in the middle of the night with Jake He got up to toilet but then I think he just went straight back to the crate without fuss. Do any of you play with the pup to tire him out, or deliberately avoid stimulating play in the middle of the night to promote healthy sleep patterns? I can see both sides of it.

[Bubitty]

Slightly off topic but still pertinent to night time training. When I got Jake (now 2) he settled in the crate no bother, toilet trained easy didnt cry - perfect boy

I am getting another pup in 7 weeks and will use the crate method again. The thing is, I cannot remember what else I did in the middle of the night with Jake He got up to toilet but then I think he just went straight back to the crate without fuss. Do any of you play with the pup to tire him out, or deliberately avoid stimulating play in the middle of the night to promote healthy sleep patterns? I can see both sides of it.

I carried mine out to toilet. After she toileted I gave praise (softly), carried her in, a few stokes and into the crate she went. We had the crate in our bedroom though (for the first week) so I think that helped her settle really well.

[Starkehre]

Just to clarify a crate question for Matthew and others - it is not necessary to buy a metal crate for Labs. We use metal crates and soft crates. All our show crates are soft crates, never had one damaged in any way. But have seen other breeds rolling theirs down the hill - with contents

If they are raised with the soft crate they dont paw at them

I have to agree with mercedes here. I have always crate trained my pups (Rotties) straight to soft crates, and never had any issues. I will say that some extra vigilience in initial stages is required, but when puppies are young, if you train quickly and sensibly in the first 2-3 weeks, then they are not likely to damage once they are strong enough to do so. Always set yourself up for a win, and you are less likely to create the pup's mistake.

Also, if training to soft crates, the pup should not be allowed access to the crate. Pup is either locked in or no access to the crate at all. The pup should not be able to access the crate at all if he is not locked inside until he has grown out of the chewing stage, otherwise he will chew it from the outside or the open front door zipper. He will treat the soft styled crate as a chew toy as there are yummy plastic attachments that feel wonderful in a puppies young mouth.

IMO it is all about assisting pups to become comfortable and confident in their own company and calm with and accepting of confinement in as short amount of time as sensibly possible when pup first comes home.

Consistence, persistence and calm, quiet yet firm leadership.

Do homework first, then have a plan in place, and stick to it.

There are several other tips that can be implemented to assist with crate training puppies to soft crates. If anyone is interested, please PM me

[alpha bet]

Looks very (too) small, with no area for him to go pee or poo. I'd rather stick with our current setup in the ensuite - his bed in one corner with newspaper on the floor in the other corner for him to toilet on and enough space for him to play with his toys if he wakes through the night.

Matthew, I have done similar to yourself with many different dogs over the years..... havent really had any issues..... I start with a large area covered in paper and reduce it each night.....

After a time (varies for different dogs) you will notice that the paper remains dry for a few nights and then usually by then the pup is able to last the night. Always get up early (perhaps an hour or so before you normally rise) and take him out for a wee etc, then back into the laundry/ensuite and go back to bed yourself. Seems to give the dog a clear picture of going outside to toilet and then back to bed again.

Havent had any particular issues with any of the pups with regard to house training even using paper. I just had to be vigilant that as soon as pup whinges and goes to the door would head over and let them out. On a few occassions they have wet on a newspaper... big deal.... I was too slow letting them out. There are now also paper trays from pet shops for toilet mats.... people say they work well havent used them for my pups yet.

Sounds like you have a fair understanding of what you are happy with.....

You've had him home a few days now.... so how are things going.... is he still crying.

Edited September 4, 2009 by alpha bet

[Matthew_B]

Hi all

Sorry for not being in to reply to all of these posts. I've been busy with Beau. We put him in the laundry last night and he only cried 3 times, which was pretty good considering. Tonight, he'll be in the laundry again, but this time we're going to give him a small snack (just a 1cm sq piece of a puppy shmacko treat) and pat him until he falls asleep to try to get him to associate the laundry at night with good things.

To be honest, I've been very stressed since we got him home because I worry about the little guy. I had to go into town the day after we got him and I was stressed the entire time worrying if he was alright or getting upset and hurting himself trying to get out to find me. Since then, I've had the time to spend at home all day with him and when I put him on the verandah in the morning to spend the day outside, he cries less each time. When I sneak a look out the window when he stops crying (finally), he's fast asleep. So I guess I need not worry, hey? He'll wear himself out of crying and then go to sleep I suppose.

I just hope he grows out of the whole crying phase quickly because it's really a heartbreaking sound to listen to. I have to force myself to not rush out to comfort him when he cries. I'll see if I can upload a short video on here for you all to see him in action - floppy ears and all. You should see him jump up and down on the spot, barking and wagging his little tail when he gets excited!

That's all for now. Will post more pics soon too.