I need some sleep!

[Lily&Bunni 0]

Hey all! So I decided to crate train Lily (just until she's 100% potty trained), my new puppy, and am having troubles I guess. My family has always crate trained or pen trained (with our larger dogs) and Bunni was kept in the kitchen at night until she was fully potty trained but now sleeps on the bed with me. So i know separation anxiety is a part of it and that you should let them cry, but I need sleep! My work schedule this week is pretty hectic and I'm dying here. Thursday night she cried ALL NIGHT, I got about 3 hours of sleep, Friday night she slept for most of the night but woke up at 6am and cried till I got up at 9, Last night I think I got maybe 3-4 hours of sleep (i'm so tired I don't even know!) How can I get her to stop crying! She appears to be fine during the day while I'm at work, she only cries for awhile when I leave, but at night its non-stop! I caved last night and let her out but she just cried to be on my bed (which I won't have until she's potty trained, she's already peed at least 3 times on the bed). She's got a rawhide in the cage, a towel to lay on and water she's only had a few accidents in the cage but otherwise is doing fine with that. She's progressing with the potty training, about 60% of the time she goes on the pad and when I tell her to go on the pad, the other 40% are accidents.

I need some advice! And some sleep!

[tzuhouse 4]

I say...DON'T cave, if she has gone on your bed that much. Have you tried putting the kennel next to you bed so you can put your hand in when she cries. Knowing you are right there may help. Also try a hot water bottle for her to cuddle up with (wrapped in a towel or small pillow case). An alarmclock is said to help too, sounds like mammas heartbeat. Hang inthere, I can't help otherwise, both mine were very happy in there. Oh, I also covered the kennel with a blanket so it blocked out drafts, light and some sounds and made it feel more den like.

[FairyTail Josette 14]

It sure is like having a baby, huh. I think some babies just cry more than others. With Cody, he would start crying anywhere from 3-5 a.m., so, I would get up, and take him outdoors. He would go potty. Then, we went back in and he went back into his crate til around 6 or 7 a.m, when we got up. If they cry when you put them back in the crate after letting them relieve themselves outdoors, unfortunately, you have to let them cry. Or, get up for the day. I usually stayed up after the 5 am potty break, and was super tired, too for awhile, eventually, he got older and held it a little longer.

I think all of our furkids were around 6 mos of age, when we let them start sleeping with us. Oops, except, Mandy, she was a rarity, and came to bed with us immediately, and slept on my chest. If she woke up, I took her outside in the middle of the night. (I'm a light sleeper.)

To this day, Josey wakes up in the middle of the night and starts to stir in bed, so, I get up and take her out. She can't hold it all night long, even as an adult. A downfall in a small furbaby.

Hang in there, it just takes time and does get better. It sounds like overall Lily is doing well with her potty training. :signthankspin:

[Mom_to_Franklin 0]

ahhhhh, I soooooo remember these days! The advice you are getting is great - you just have to stick it out. I always had the crate beside my bed and that helped.

They are very much like human babies - you just have to suffer through a week and then it will get easier. They are pretty smart little things - they know that if they cry loud enough and long enough they will get the attention..... a possibly a nights sleep up in bed :signthankspin:

[Cackle 144]

OMG I SOOOOOOO know..............don't give in, I did and I'm still paying for it FIVE YEARS later!!

[enchantedmountain 2]

I agree with everyone, don't cave. You cave even once and they will cry harder and longer the next time. It's so darn hard to not cave, I know.

[Lily&Bunni 0]

Thanks everyone! I'm definitely not going to cave tonight. I think I'm just going to wear her out so she'll sleep somewhat through the night. Its been hard, because its the first weekend with her, and my work schedule was just nuts, I was able to get home friday and yesterday to let her out, but today couldn't make it and she only pooped in her cage as far as I can tell. So she's definitely learning to hold it. Has anyone gone to the Petsmart Potty training seminars? They are having some at the local petsmart and I thought I'd try and go if it was any good.

[FairyTail Josette 14]

Has anyone gone to the Petsmart Potty training seminars? They are having some at the local petsmart and I thought I'd try and go if it was any good.

They are doing a free potty training seminar at our local Petsmart. I think it was just one class. I think it would be a good idea to try, you'd gain some good pointers from the trainers there. I know I stopped into the store when I first got Josey, and the trainers would visit with me for free and gave me some good advice. :hideingbhindcurtian:

[Sally 1]

Lots of people let them stay in a pen near their bed at night. They are companion animals and are used to the littermates and the doggie momma's warm bodies to snuggle with. It must be lonely and scary for them.

Small stuffed animals can help them when they are alone.

Trudy slept in a little crate near me until she was a bit bigger and would't fall off the bed. Then when she slept with me. SOUND and happy sleep for all.

Edited January 12, 2009 by Sally

[CrazyTzuLady 16]

Wish I could help but we caved after just a couple nights. Now we have 4 tzus with us every night on our Queen size bed. I told hubby it's a good thing he lost so much weight because there is more room for all the puppies now. :rolleyes:

[Luna 8,676]

Don't cave, because every time you do it makes it worse. We have always kept the dogs' crates near our main living area but away from the bedroom and used the pop-can method...you take an empty can, put about a dozen pennies in it and then tape it shut with masking tape or whatever. When the puppy sets up a wail, you toss the can at the crate and say "NO BARKING!" firmly as it makes contact. I'll admit it scares the snot out of them, but you wont have to put up with much crying after the first night or two and they since they don't connect the loud noise with you directly they aren't resentful.

[Lily&Bunni 0]

I didn't cave last night and she actually was quiet for about 80% of the night! Success! Although she did pee in her cage 3 times. i think she's finally learning the word NO which is helping too. Hopefully tonight is just as successful, only one more day of work and then I get a whole day off to spend with her.

[tzukeeper 12]

I didn't cave last night and she actually was quiet for about 80% of the night! Success! Although she did pee in her cage 3 times. i think she's finally learning the word NO which is helping too. Hopefully tonight is just as successful, only one more day of work and then I get a whole day off to spend with her.

You are taking her out to potty during the night....right? A puppy that young can't be expected to hold it through the night. Whenever mine would whine at night I would take them out to potty and put them right back in the crate. If they whined I would simply tell them shhhh and put my fingers through the wire of the crate. They would soon settle down and go to sleep for a few more hours. When they woke and whined again I took them out to potty and did the whole shhh thing over again. When mine were 9 weeks old they went out to potty at least twice during the night/early morning. They started sleeping through the night without any potty breaks at about 14 weeks. :dede:

[gizmo's mom 0]

Be sure to take her out a few times during the night, just set your alarm.

Also, no rawhides in her crate if you can't watch her. Those are such a choking hazard. We never let Gizmo have them unless we're there with him, cause he tends to get choked on them if they get too small or he chews a small piece off.

The best thing we did when we were crate training Gizmo was EARPLUGS! They would block out the whining, but not the alarm. Those were great.

It sounds like it's going pretty good. Just know you're not alone, we've all been there and pulled our hair out as well :dede:

[Lily&Bunni 0]

Yes, I'm taking her out to go during the night too. But she'll still go in the cage. I tried something different tonight, just to see what she'd do. I let her sleep with no cage in my room and just put the pads down. She still hasn't been going on the pads 100% of the time, but she did last night. Not one accident and she slept all night. I just kept the door shut so that I could make sure she didn't have free reign over the apartment. She went on the pads EVERY time last night (I put two training pads, plus Bunni's usual pad so she'd have a place to go), not one accident, and only a few whimpers when I first went to sleep because she wanted up on the bed, which wont happen until she can jump up and down the little stairs. I couldn't believe it! She was the picture of perfection last night!!! And I got to sleep!!! So today, while I'm at work, I'm going to confine her to the kitchen, and see how she behaves.

[tzukeeper 12]

That's great news! There are many dogs that suffer from crate anxiety....she may be one of them. :)

[FairyTail Josette 14]

I'm happy to hear you found a routine that works for you. You're doing the same method we did with Josey, except we had Josey in our kitchen, like the breeder did, so, we could maintain her same routine for awhile til she got older. We had her in an x pen with her pee pads at night, and when I got up, they were always wet. It worked great for us, I got a good nights sleep with a puppy...first time ever in my life.

I think it is important at night to keep them close to you, if possible, it gives them more security.

Remember, it is completely normal and expected that young puppies can and do relapse, don't worry, just keep on your same routine of training and Lily will get there. :)

[TheShihtzuation 0]

The first night with Pokey was the hardest for us. We layed him in the crate around 10pm and he just started crying and crying and crying. He was in the same room with my mom and Klepto where they were sleeping.. but still the crying wouldn't stop.

So I brought him into my room and found a ticking clock online somewhere. I put that website up real loud.. told the baby "shhhh shhhh" and sure enough, he quieted down! Of course I then too had to deal with the loud tick tocking.. so the next day I bought a clock to lay by his cage and the next night he slept in the room with Klepto and my mom again.. and was fine in his cage.

I keep weird hours because I work from home.. so my mom lets him out before she goes to bed at 10pm and then I'll take him out again usually around 2:30a. And then he goes again around 5:30a.

Anyway - I rambled. Sounds like things are going better for you! :welcomeani:

[Apeke 4]

Actually the ticking clock method is a proven winner for me.

I used it when I first got Suzie.

I didn't have a crate or xPan, but did buy a used portible playpen for her when she was too small to jump out it.

I set it right next to my bed, but though I was right next to her in my own bed, she didn't realize the closeness of us, as it was dark and she couldn't see me..So I set the clock and her big Teddy bear in the pen with her and she was sooo much more content.

There is something about the rythym of the ticking that is soothing/calming to them for some odd reason.