# our first night aaaargh!!!



## mg2012 (Dec 28, 2012)

Hi all,

Just an update brought Lola home yesterday, she's now 10 and a half weeks, she's was pretty good pooped on the paper and a few wees on the paper and floor. She is so cute and adorable but my goodness what a difference at night. I put her in her crate throughout the after noon playing with her and putting treats in there seemed happy enough every time I walked away though she came straight out and followed me round the kitchen (my first inkling that the night would be difficult!) Put her to bed at 10.15 as she'd had very little sleep all afternoon she was semi dozy didn't say anything just stroked her shut the crate put my partners dog on her bed next to her then went to bed. She at first whined then barked then made these funny noises like she was trying to howl. I left her thirty minutes went down didn't say anything let her out then she is so forceful in demanding a cuddle jumping up and crying that I gave in and cuddled for a couple of minutes then put her on the floor she settled down and started going to sleep so I carefully put her in her crate and did the same process. She cried for 30 minutes then went to sleep for all of an hour. Did the same process again except put her on the paper and she wee'd each time at 12 and 2.30 (that time she only took twenty minutes to settle down). Then woke for the day at 5.30!!!! She is so adorable but please can anyone tell me if I'm doing anything wrong not sure I can cope for long if the nights are like this every night. And how long it was for others before your dog settled down.😭😭

Maria g


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## Hfd (Aug 19, 2011)

All sounds fairly normal! The first few nights are difficult as they settle in to their new surroundings. 
With both of mine (Billy is 3 and Lola 5 months) I have crated them with a puppy pad in the front and not come down at all in the night. With Billy we had around 3 nights of crying and getting up around 5.30 then on the 4th he slept till 7am and has been great ever since. With Lola it was easier and she just settled straight away - I put this down to Billy being in a bed next to her crate.
Make sure your crate is covered to make it cosy (we have lifted one side of the cover so Lola can see Billy). Maybe pop a worn tshirt of yours in too. 
If you decide you are going to get up in the night to take puppy out for the toilet then try to avoid cuddles, talking and eye contact as they very quickly learn that crying will bring you down for a cuddle or a play. 
Good luck - and yes it really does get easier!


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

Good luck, you'll hate me as my boy settled pretty quickly too, of course there will be lots of others who will say they couldn't listen to crying and had the puppy upstairs, if Dudley hadn't settled I think I may have tried the crate by the bed and then move it downstairs when he was sleeping through the night in it, I was like Helen though and decided not to go down at all, we were lucky as the crate fits under our stairs and we were able to use all the understairs area and leave a door open with just enough space for a puppy pad outside the crate (we used a chair and a large piece of plywood to block the area off from the rest of the hall), as we knew he had somewhere to go to the toilet we ignored the crying, which was for 20 mins when first left then about 10 minutes twice more in the night, 2nd night was 10 mins when first left then quiet all night!(of course I was worried something was wrong then!), 3rd night a little whinge on being left and that was it!


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## PoppyLove (May 26, 2014)

Hugs for you for having a rough first night. It will get better but you may have a rough couple of nights to come, so if you can have a nap during the day do so. As previously mentioned try covering the crate to make the space as cosy as possible. We used a crate but didn't keep the door shut. Poppy settled very well from night one BUT as we weren't paper training her either (only garden training) we had lots of accidents in our carpeted hallway for the first 6 weeks or so. I may try a different approach next time. 

Fingers crossed night two will be a little better.


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

Max settled quickly as he snuggled up next to our very tolerant elderly mini Schnauzer, Mandy. Mandy died so we went and found a companion for Max, her name is Phoebe. Max was a tad grumpy with Phoebe so we did put her in a dog travel crate next to Max and again she settled really well. On the third night my Grandson put her to bed and didn't shut the door, hey presto she snuggled up to Max and that's how it's been ever since. Soooo.....as your partner has a dog, could they not just snuggle together? 

They are quite demanding these early puppy days, and very tiring so rest as much as you can. In a few weeks you will all feel comfortable and relaxed.


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## sophiecutiepoo (Jul 2, 2014)

Awwww. I hope nights get better for you! Sophie (now 9wks) took about 3-4 nights to adjust with each night getting better so hang in there. She is able to eat when she pleases, but we make sure that she doesn't eat past 8:30pm and she usually is crated between 9 and 11pm. If you regulate when she has to eat the last time, and make sure she poops and pees before crating her, hopefully she will not have go to the bathroom as much if not at all until a bit later in the morning. Initially Sophie whined for attention, but her crate is by our bed so she can see us and settles pretty quickly at night now because she knows we are there. She usually gets us up at 7am to go to the bathroom and by that time I am ready to get up.  best of luck! The nights with little sleep do not last long. Cockapoos are pretty smart.


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## mg2012 (Dec 28, 2012)

Ahhh thanks everyone I feel a bit more positive had an afternoon nap which was much needed. Lola has been a lot more settled today, no crying when I leave the kitchen. I think reading everyone's experiences Has made me feel that I will just let her have the run of the kitchen with her crate open, I suppose the reason I wanted her crate trained is because we are away for a week at the end of August and a friend of mine is having her so I thought it would be best all round if she was trained to sleep in her crate. But I think I'll concentrate on just her paper training as she doesn't appear destructive yet! So at least that's my friends main concern covered. And Lola seems more keen to go in the garden so hopefully it won't take too long. I do agree that cockapoos appear to pick things up quickly Lola has already starting to sit for treats and seems to come to her name.

Thanks everyone for your support I appreciate it &#55357;&#56842;

Maria g


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## Hollysefton (Sep 28, 2013)

Awwwh I feel for you! Glad u r feeling more positive now. I couldn't listen to Murphy cry (or the lack of sleep!) so put his crate next to my bed. After a week I moved it to the landing and then eventually downstairs. I think u have to just try things and find what's best. I starting leaving the crate door open and a puppy pad outside so he had the run of the hall and could use the puppy pad in the night. But after a week of finding a wee every morning I started to shut him in again, and I'm convinced that shutting him in taught him to hold it until I came to let him out, so might be something to consider if she's repeatedly weeing him the kitchen. Just try things and find what works for you! X


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Crates make every aspect of puppyhood easier. Just posted this in another post as well, shouldn't breeders be introducing them to puppies when they are very small?


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## Hollysefton (Sep 28, 2013)

I think it definitely couldn't hurt for breeders to be proactive with this. Getting them used to being alone for a few minutes a day in a crate. I wonder if this varies with different dog breeds? I was lucky, Murphy was being put in a pen for naps with his siblings when we went to visit and he was used to being in a pen environment, I'm positive that my choice of breeder has had a major impact on how easy Murphy has took to everything. He's been a dream pup to bring up and I credit his breeder with the foundations that I've built on. But on the other hand I think some pups just take to crates, and some just don't. 


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Fairlie - Lola was not crate trained at the breeders and it was quite difficult at the beginning with her. She cried a lot. I just wish I had more experience at the time as I would have brought her crate upstairs. When I eventually did this she settled a treat. 

Nina was crate trained at her breeder. It really helped, she was a little unsettled after about 1 week at night with us but I think that is because her and Lola formed a friendship and she missed Lola at night, so I moved them in together and never looked back.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Mine both arrived crate trained and were quite happy in their crate. I kept mine beside our bed at night at first and they were fine as long as they were near us. I can't bear to hear a puppy cry I never left them to cry. I'm not one for tough love. They have both grown up to be confident dogs who accept the fact that I have to go out and to work sometimes with no problem. 

Once they were fully house trained I ditched the crates, they took up far too much room and were such an eye-sore!


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