New member here, Hello to you all

[Amandapanda]

Hiya, my name is Amanda & I have Maisie, (cockapoo f2) who is now 12 weeks old. I have had her for 3 weeks. She is sooooooooo cute & adorable. It was love at first sight. Maisie has been so good & always wanting to please. She has been to the park a couple of times since being fully vacinated & everyone says that they haven't seen such a cute dog :-) (It takes ages to get round the park cause of all the attention she gets)

I do have a couple of questions, if anyone can help me. Maisie is crate trained & usually only wakes up once in the night but last night she woke every half an hour & seemed quite distressed until 630am, when I did give in & had her on her fleecy blanket on top of my bed, where she had 3 hours. Hopefully this was just a one off, but has anyone else experienced that & what did you do???? Could it have been down to my boyfriend being over for the weekend & going back last night or over tired with going to the park 2 days on the run?

Are they suppose to have routine? as I take Maisie with me to see my parents (who have a garden, as I live in an apartment), as well as going over to my boyfriends (who also lives in an apartment) & sleeping over. She has not appeared to be disturbed by any of this & is using her puppy pads. She has her meals at the same time everyday, gets groomed the same time everyday & gets trained the same time everyday. I am doing right?

Many thanks for reading my 1st post.

Look forward to having some advise from fellow Cockapoo lovers :-)

[MillieDog]

Hi Amanda & Maisie
Welcome to you both. We'd love a photo when you get a chance :D

I'm not the oracle of crate training, but can pass on my little experience as Millie was crate trained.

I think you may be in for a few disturbed nights now, having let her out and put her on your bed. I think she may try it again as it must be lovely sleeping next to you :)

When I put Millie in her crate as night, I went through a routine of making sure she'd been to the toilet (or at least giving her the option of going, either in the garden or for a little walk). Inside the crate, she had her puppy pad, which she used. A bowl of water, some toys, a comfy sleeping area and a few bits of kibble food. That way if she woke in the night she should have everything she needed - except me!

Only once did Millie have a disturbed night and that was the night I though I'd try taking her out to the toilet to stop her using the puppy pad :confused: By the time I took her out at 2.30am she'd already done a poop and the wouldn't settle back in her crate. But I didn't go back to her till morning time, despite her fuss. I decided after that to leave her alone and let the puppy pad do its job.

Once other thing I always do is tell her 'night, night, see you in the morning'. I have no idea if it works, but I felt better :D

[kendal]

hey welcome, life takes over sometimes and that can be unpredictable so you cant always stick to a routine. so i don't thing her moving about the place from house to house will bother her much as long as you know when she needs out she will be fine.


do you have any photos of her.

[ali-s.j.]

Oh I like that, I've just been popping Izzy in her crate, but I'm going to try that tonight - do you do it in a sing song voice? like "sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite" :laugh:

[DONNA]

Oh I like that, I've just been popping Izzy in her crate, but I'm going to try that tonight - do you do it in a sing song voice? like "sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite" :laugh:

How funny me and my daughter always say that to each other (and shes 9 now)She said to me the other day that she will never stop saying it its our little thing we do just me and her:)

[sonatalady7]

Welcome Amanda!
Julie is totally right...it'll be a little while before you all settle into a routine. The first week for us was the hardest, but then it got better from there! Just make sure you do what you want from the first time (ie not letting her sleep in the bed!) and she'll eventually adjust!

We were really strict with Bella when she was little, but now she has a bit more free rein. Good luck with her...can't wait to see pictures!!

[MillieDog]

Oh I like that, I've just been popping Izzy in her crate, but I'm going to try that tonight - do you do it in a sing song voice? like "sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite"

:D Not quite a sing song voice, but I am a naturally clucky mother, so its a bit like putting a 3year old to bed - without the bedtime story :o :D

[Amandapanda]

I am having trouble up-loading a picture at the mo but will keep trying.
Our first 3 weeks have been great, no problems at all until last night, today & trying to get her in her crate now................ she will not settle. I let her bark & cry this afternoon but she did not settle at all. I waited till she was quiet before going into her.
I can not do that of a night as I live in an apartment block & she will keep everyone awake. So I am sat up with her fast asleep between my feet. I pick her up, give her a kiss & say good night as normal, pop her into her crate & she turns into something possessed. Help, what has happened, what have I done wrong????????????

[Cockapoodledoo]

Amanda I appreciate your problem living in an apartment block. There is another method of crate training that I have read about which may suit you and Maisie better given your situation.

Firstly, just to say that at 12 weeks Maisie is probably finding her feet now (honeymoon period over!) and is pushing the boundaries a bit - seeing how far she can push! Hang on in there, it's just a stage.

For your crate training, given your situation, why not put the crate next to your bed? She will feel reassured hearing you breathe and knowing you are there. You mustn't let her out on to your bed though unless you are happy for her to sleep there forever!! Each night move her crate a little bit further away from your bed until you have the crate in the position where it will remain. You can do this as gradually as you think Maisie will take it. Ultimately it will take longer than the leave and ignore the howling method but I completely understand your predicament.

Good luck Amanda. Let us know how she gets on, whatever you decide to do. :)

Karen xx

[MillieDog]

What a good idea Karen.

Millie was out of her crate for good at 5 months. She went from sleeping on her own downstairs to sleeping outside our bedroom door. Not a peep out of her and I like the idea of her being just outside the room, I'll hear her if she decides to be a guard dog !! Unlikely, :D

[flounder_1]

We had an overnight stay at the inlaws on Saturday night and had the dilema of where to put Lolly's crate. We decided to put it in our bedroom with us (Lolly is usually downstairs in the living room and has been since we got her). She was fantastic and went in without a fuss and settled down straight away but OMG she kept me awake alot in the night. She had a couple of loud slurping drinks, panted rather a lot, shook around and generally made noise while being a perfectly good girl.
Glad to be home again with Lolly sleeping noisily downstairs again and me sleeping through the night!

[Amandapanda]

Thank you soooooooooo much for the advise. I have got a bigger crate to try but will use her bedding out of her smaller one so I can put a puppy pad in the other half. She always has her sleep teddy bear in with her but have got a crate water bowl, so will attach that up for her too. Going over to my boyfriends today, so if she starts creating, I can just leave her (no neighbours to disturb). Do I leave her till she wears herself out? As after an hour yesterday with only a 10 minute break, I was worried about her little heart!!!