[emmelg]

I was just wanting to ask some advice on sleep time, bailey sleeps in his bed in my room during the night(is this ok) he gets straight in and he's off to sleep within a couple of minutes, the problem is he doesn't really sleep during the day much so i dont know if he's getting enough sleep(he sleeps from 10.30pm til approx 7- 7.30am) i have tried putting him in his puppy cage for a nap but he just barks non stop, shall i leave him until he gives up and falls asleep(our home is non stop with 3 children and another dog so he only gets to nap a couple a times a day for 5-10 mins)he rarely goes in his cage only if i go on the school run etc..

Thanks Leanne

 

[DONNA]

Hi Leanne ,i think its upto you where he sleeps so if your happy to have him in your room great.
He should be having more sleep in the day other wise he will become over tierd and become quite a handfull.
Prehaps he dosnt like the crate because he is allowed to sleep just in his bed in your room at night?Also if you have taken him out when he's been barking he will think this is all he has to do now to get out of the crate so it will be hard to teach him not to bark while in there.

Where do you have his crate? Is it in a room away from the family ? I have Buddys in the lounge so when he was a pup i could be in the lounge while he was in the crate ,he was quite happy to go to sleep in there.

Most pups will sleep in the room while your in there out of the crate but like you say if you have kids running around and making noise its probably hard for him to chill out.
I would persevere with the crate but try having it in the same room as you then pop him in there if you think he's not had a sleep all day even if the kids are running around he should settle,if he barks i wouldnt let him out he will eventually carm down (prehaps a filled kong or chew will help)If the barking goes on and on only let him out when he has been quiet for a few minutes .

Hope this helps dx

 

[emmelg]

Thanks for your advice, he's not been too bad today sleep wise he's been taking a few naps(outside of the crate)mostly on the sofa on my daughters lap.
He's been for a long walk today so he's tired himself out
The crate is also in my lounge so he can see,hear everyone around him,i wouldn't leave him in a separate room as i think this would only make matters worse, i'm going to try him again later for a little while.

 

[Amh59]

Hi
Hope everything going ok with your new puppy. We have a crate in the kitchen (door always kept open) and a separate bed also for Bo. Sometimes she goes and gets in one for a nap, sometimes the other. She can stretch out a bit more in the crate. She usually wakes between 6.30 and 7am and goes back for a nap a couple of hours later. She also naps in the afternoon sometimes. We have another little bed in the lounge and she will go in that in the evening if we are in there. Around 10.30pm we take her in the garden and after that she goes into the crate of her own accord and lies down but we don't close it. She seems happy enough with this routine. She barked and cried half the night the first night we had her but since the second night we've not shut her in and she seems to prefer that.

 

[emmelg]

He's actually taken himself into the crate a couple of times today, only for 10 mins or so at time,(the door was open)so hopefully he wont be too distressed if i have to go out and put him in it for a while.
Does anyone know how long approx they need the crate for?

Leanne x

 

[DONNA]

I think its best to pop him in the crate in the day say start off with 15 mins leave the room and see how he gets on then build up your time ,i think the first time i went out i left Bud for an hr when i got home he was fine fast asleep.

Its upto you how long you want to use the crate for ,we havent a utility so Buddy still uses his and to be honest i think i will always use it at least i know he's safe in there and so is my house!

 

[Nanci]

My Sami will be 16 weeks tomorrow and I have really enjoyed the posts on different crate uses. I know all puppies are different and the different perspectives are great. Sami is crated at night and has not had a poo or pee in his crate since his 2nd night home 3 weeks ago. His has had several short time outs for accidents on the carpet to allow clean up. He has never gone into the extra bedroom to doze in his crate, he seems to want to be wherever we are at all times. I just cannot imagine him laying in there of his own choice . . . is that unusual? He only cries a minute or two at night, then settles in nicely. I leave a nightlight in the room so he will not be in the dark. He goes in about 10pm and I am up at 5am to take him outside and play for an hour before getting ready for work. The other posts seem to indicate other puppies love napping in their crate . . not Sami! Also is it ok that he jumps off couch level many times during the day? Will this hurt joints later in life? I dont know how to prevent this as he goes up his stairs to get onto couch and takes great joy in leaping off, and seemingly as far as he can. I put out poochie bells yesterday as we now have an enclosed back yard . . so have great hopes he will not think this is a toy and give me an indication he needs to toilet. He will go well 90% of the time when taken out, but I cant always take him out so often as now. How do you know (other than when they are squatting in front of you) that they need to go and at what age do they show interest in alerting you to their needs?

 

[DONNA]

Buddy's only ever taken homself to his crate about 3 times so i think its normal dont worry.
Buddy enjoys jumping off things and i think from the age of 12 weeks he was going up and down the stairs.
As for indications he needs the loo he will sniff the ground and circle before going ,your lucky the weathers turning now so if you can i would leave the back door open for him to go in and out as he pleases (i did this last summer with Buddy and we only seemed to have accidents when it was raining and the door was shut and i forget to let him out.

I ve got a poochie bell .i gave up Buddy just wouldnt use it ,he is starting to bark now when he needs to go out but at this age with a long walk in the morning and one in the afternoon he seems able to hold it till mornng most days.

 

[lady amanda]

Lady uses her poochie bells every day....good luck!

 

[MillieDog]

Puppies need about 18hours sleep per day (including night). If Bailey gets over tired, he could get quite bitey, one of the signs.

Sleeping in your bedroom is fine. Does Bailey have access to upstairs during the day if he wanted to sleep up there. Mind you, I know most cockapoo's like to follow you round, so unless you're upstairs too, he may not use his bed.

If you're downstairs in the daytime, do you spend all your time in the lounge area. Or do you have other areas too. I had a vet bed in the hallway, by the computer and upstairs in the hallway. That way, Millie could settle down more or less anywhere for a sleep in the daytime.

 

[Nanci]

Toilet time

So far Sami has ignored his poochie bells, unless im standing there with a treat! then he will nudge them and off we go. This has however called more attention to the outside door for him . . if we leave the main door open and glass storm door closed, he will now jump and scratch this door, just started that yesterday!! He will not go everytime, but if I can I let him outside each time at least he gets the connection that if he can get my attention, he can go outside. So hope he will then connect outside with pees and poos exclusively! (rather than on the carpet) Then we can run and play. Wish I had a photo to share of last night before bed toilet . . in the pouring rain juggeling an umbrella, flashlight, and leash (as he is so black I loose him in the darkness). He actually did poo and pee within 3 minutes GOOD BOY! So much to learn for me, but we are learning together! Only problem I havent conquered is the nipping and biteing . . he is quite bad at this when at greeting and pretty much most of the evening . . can barely get a pat on the head in without nipping . . have diverted to toys, used spray bottle etc. none of which work long . . and saying no just excites him to accelerate. After 2-3 hrs he settles down and wants loving . . will this stop?

 

[emmelg]

Puppies need about 18hours sleep per day (including night). If Bailey gets over tired, he could get quite bitey, one of the signs.

Sleeping in your bedroom is fine. Does Bailey have access to upstairs during the day if he wanted to sleep up there. Mind you, I know most cockapoo's like to follow you round, so unless you're upstairs too, he may not use his bed.

If you're downstairs in the daytime, do you spend all your time in the lounge area. Or do you have other areas too. I had a vet bed in the hallway, by the computer and upstairs in the hallway. That way, Millie could settle down more or less anywhere for a sleep in the daytime.

Bailey doesn't have access to upstairs during the day, he's started to have more naps during the day sometimes in his crate, sometimes infront of the fire on his blanket, unfortunatley we only have the lounge so he doesn't have many options(too sleep) but to be honest i think it was just all of the excitement of the first few days as he seems to be sleeping alot more now.

 

[emmelg]

Only problem I havent conquered is the nipping and biteing . . he is quite bad at this when at greeting and pretty much most of the evening . . can barely get a pat on the head in without nipping . . have diverted to toys, used spray bottle etc. none of which work long . . and saying no just excites him to accelerate. After 2-3 hrs he settles down and wants loving . . will this stop?

Bailey is much the same he is nipping quite abit too, mostly when he's playing but he tore my daughters dress today because he was biting and hanging from the hem(can anyone tell my how i can avoid this from happening again)
Iv'e started to hold his mouth shut for a couple of seconds and telling him no...he listens sometimes but not when playing.
He runs around the lounge/kitchen for about 20 mins every morning until he gets too tired and flakes out infront of the fire, he has my other dog(layla) running around chasing him and going abit nuts like him, i have to calm them down sometimes and seperate them,..the other thing i wanted to mention aswell is that bailey keeps nipping at layla and trying to chew her ears/feet well everywhere really(is this normal or should i stop it) as i dont think it annoys layla too much because i find that she takes herself away from him if she's annoyed/fed up of him.

 

[jaimebpa1]

My daughter likes to wear tutu's around the house and Olive just goes nuts for them. it drives me nuts becuase she rips the tulle every time! When Olive gets really wild and is biting hard and won't settle she gets put in her crate for 5-10 minutes. She's calm when I take her out, but if she goes back to being crazy she goes back on the crate for longer.

 

[emmelg]

Sometimes it takes him 5 mins to settle in the crate anyway as he barks for about that amount of time, so i dont know if that will help with bailey, also i dont want him to get confused as i only put him in the crate for naps/when i'm out or if we are eating.

 

[MillieDog]

Sounds like Bailey is settling down well, sleeping more etc.

The crate can be used as his space, a den. He can be put in there for quiet time, sleep time, etc. If he goes in for quiet time (once he's stopped barking for 5 mins ) he may well have a quick nap too, which is fine.

 

[emmelg]

Sounds like Bailey is settling down well, sleeping more etc.

The crate can be used as his space, a den. He can be put in there for quiet time, sleep time, etc. If he goes in for quiet time (once he's stopped barking for 5 mins ) he may well have a quick nap too, which is fine.

Thanks for that advice, i didn't think i should put him in their if he was mis behaving as i didn't want him to think that he was being punished every time he was put in their, but when you put it like that am sure it wont do him any harm.