[Gracie]

Hi everyone... I have already mentioned this in another forum but thought it was best in this one.

Gracie is our nearly 9 week old puppy. This is the 5th night we have had her home with us. She has settled in well, and seems happy with her new family. However, we are having trouble at night. She just whines and howls near enough the whole night. She has a crate and a play pen which we put her into at night. This is situated in our dining room as we have no other small rooms downstairs for her to go. It is a warm room, we leave the radio on for her and plenty of toys, water and dry food. We put down newspaper for her to do her business on in the play pen which so far she has got the hang of and leave the crate door open. She also has a cuddly toy and hot water bottle in there. We tire her out before bedtime and let her outside to the toilet.

I read about putting her in her crate during the day to get her used to it but again she whines and howls and because the dining room is right next to our living room (with no door) we have nowhere to escape the noise. We have a 19 month old daughter who gets very distressed when she hears Gracie in this state. Last night I had to come downstairs at 4am and stay down as Gracie had woken our daughter up and upset her. My partner stayed upstairs trying to settle our little girl. It was a total nightmare!

I understand that Gracie is just a baby and is anxious about her new surroundings but during the day she seems fine. I even left her on her own today while i went to the supermarket for a couple of hours. I heard her whine as i walked out of the door but on my return i peeped through the door and saw that she had pushed the play pen out of the way and had gotten into the living room where she was fast asleep on my slippers. So by witnessing that I know that she is able to settle herself quietly in a comfortable place.

She has just fallen asleep this evening on the living room floor by my feet so my partner has moved the cage into the living room where she is able to see us and we have placed her in there. For the first time ever she has stayed in there and is still sleeping..........????? Obviously we can not leave her in the living room at night when we are in bed with the crate door open as we have carpet and furniture.

I just don't know what else to do can anyone help.......????

 

[lady amanda]

Lady was a very lonely little baby. we didn't get her untill 11 weeks however but we went full crate right away....she howled for 3 nights straigt....untill I started sleeping in the living room near her crate. a few days of that and I couldn't do it anymore, I missed my bed...so I would put her in and let her cry it out untill she or I fell asleep...when she would wake in the middle of the night...I would take her out without showing her emotion, for a piddle outside....then back to the craight...some nights from 3-6am I did sleep back in the living room...with Lady we have always had her crate in the living room so that she can see what is going on even if she is in there and we are doing something else...that way she is still apart of everything....wining and crying is sad but totally normal....she doesn't know what is going on, she is used to having little brothers and sisters around her constantly and now she is alone in a new dark place....it will pass. she will get used to it. just try and be as consistent as possible. Gracie will settle...Lady is now 21 weeks old...occasionally in the middle of the night we will hear a little howl....we now ignore her completely untill morning. but it is a rare night that we will hear her...it is just part of the puppy stage...good luck.

 

[Gracie]

Thank you for your advice

 

[lady amanda]

Lady did like the TV on too all night long...lol

 

[Gracie]

Lol might try that one!

 

[kendal]

its just part of puppys, babys cry when you put them in their cot so do puppys, be consistent and it will pass.

 

[Gracie]

Well....... we decided to leave Gracie in the crate with the door shut in the living room last night instead of the dining room....... and it worked! We didn't hear a peep!!! Not until i got up at 6.30am! In fact because she was so quiet my partner didn't wake to let her out at 2.30am not good I know but after the sleepless nights we have been having we were obviously very tired. Anyway our good little puppy only did a wee in the crate but considering she went from midnight to 6.30am without being let out I think thats fab! She waited and did her poo when I let her out in the garden this morning. I am so proud of her! She obviously just didn't like being in the dining room?! We will carry on doing this from now on.... but we will wake with the alarm to let her out at 2am.

What age do you think she'll be able to go all night roughly????

 

[lady amanda]

Lady started being able to go all night at about 14 weeks....with some exceptions....and she always let us know too...SO GLAD YOU HAD A GREAT NIGHT!!!!

 

[parapluie]

Rufus has been able to stay put without going to the bathroom through the night since he was about 11-12 weeks.

 

[wilfiboy]

Mables crate is in the lounge she never cried .. its the main room she spends her time ( but loves the kitchen lol ) ... she s 20 weeks and like with babies I already cant remember when she stopped waking to use loo .. it was nt every night .. but she has nt for a long while. She s up between 6 and 7 though but with little children i assume your up early anyway. Initially we were shattered but all s rosie now ... she'll be fine, you'll be fine and she'll get there x Just asked my husband and he reckons that it was at the very most 12wks if not before then x