# Keeping light and radio on at night for Cider?



## Bini (Jul 4, 2011)

Hello everyone,
I might need some advice or some opinions: We have Cider 3 weeks with us now. He sleeps at night in his crate, but we leave it open and he has access to the small kitchen part with linoleum flooring, where he does his wees and poos. We found that better as the crate was so yucky in the first nights, that he didnt even had a space to lay down anymore. Anyway, we are leaving a small light and the radio on low on for him. But I am wondering, if this even will wake him or encourage him to bark sometimes during the night. He is pretty good going to bed between 10 and 11 and sleeps until 5, but some nights he barks and howls at 2 or 4pm for good 20 min. I feel a bit cruel when I take this away from him. Would he be frightend in the dark?
Thank you for your help!
Bini


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## jaimia (May 19, 2011)

hi, ive never left a light or radio on for Flossy at night she seems to know its bedtime when its dark and the only time i heard her was the 1st 2 nights for about 10mins,i do leave the radio on in the day if im out.


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## raywendy18 (Apr 26, 2011)

Pippa is almost 12 weeks old and for the last four days or so we have left radio 4 (as it is mostly/all talking) on really low at night & during day if she is left. We dont hear her through the night now . So it works for us. Pippa is shut in her crate at night. Her crate was *very* yuk for the first few nights but we persevered (although i was very close to giving up) and last night she was actually dry for the first time!!??? As im sure you've worked out from the posts on here, there doesnt appear to be a 'right or wrong' as everyone has an opinion, its whatever you & your pup are happy with and can persevere with. Good luck. It does get better - even in the little amount of time that we've had Pippa (less than 2 weeks) things have improved. Keep smiling


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

I can only talk from my own experience... I have never left a light on or a radio, night time is night time, I always had a blanket smelling of litter and mum plus a hot water bottle wrapped in a snuggling towel or blanket. 

I put a pen around the crate so their is a wee area and sleep area, then when I think they need the crate closed I leave vet bed or blanket, toy at one end of crate but puppy wee pad at the other end.

Bini may still get you up early for a few weeks but at least if crying through the night occurs you will know Bini is safe and has everything she could possibly need.

I hope this helps xxxx


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## mrsmac (May 10, 2011)

hi, we put a small blanket over the top of Maisies crate of a night (it only covers the top and one side of the crate), our kitchen is quite light and it was waking her at sunrise about 4.30am!!! we have kept up with this for the past few weeks and she definitely knows it's sleep time when we shut her crate. i am not sure whether we will carry on with this in the winter or not when it gets darker.
for the first couple of weeks we had her bed at one side of the cage and puppy pads at the other side, after that we had to take them out as she wasnt using them but chewing them to bits!! we only leave the radio on low for her during the day if she is left alone but every dog is different!


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## Bini (Jul 4, 2011)

Thank you very much guys, 
I will leave the radio off tonight and then the following night the light as well. Then it is different to day time, when I leave him for short period of time, with radio on.
Thank you all, I am feeling confident about it now


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

do you get up at night to let him out?


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## Bini (Jul 4, 2011)

No, I don't go in in the night


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

if he did the tilet in the crate the first night he isnt redy to hold it all night, so it would have been a good idea to take him out at like one or 2 in the morning. 


by leaving the crate door open and letting him pee and poo over night you are not teaching him to hold it over night. i would try him again with the door closed.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

I have always left the light and radio on at night for Dexter. He goes to sleep so happily in his crate at night and he has never messed in his crate once not even when tiny.


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## jools (Nov 11, 2010)

Hi Bini, is little Dexters Bro being a pain at night - maybe i'll bring Dexter to you and keep Cider company ha,ha!!!! I shut the crate with snuggly blankets & favourite monkey & put the blanket down over his crate, i think he knows its bed time now as hes been putting himself to bed at night at about 11pm!! In the day i leave jeremy kile on ....... anything to send him to sleep (jokes)   x


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## Bini (Jul 4, 2011)

Thank you for all those posts, it just helps to hear what everybody else does and how they behave at night.
I turned radio off night before and last night radio and light was off. We went to bed early actually 9.45h and I didn't hear anything till 5am  
He still seems to need poo each night and there were 2 big puddles of wee. 
The next step will be to follow your advice Kendal and leave crate closed. And go done once in night to let him out...couldnt bare tonight as I am working today 
On the plus side, apart from that I absolutely adore Cider, I put him on the scales yesterday and from being 1.6kg at the vets 3 weeks ago, he is now 2.8kg, lol, so people were right saying he has grown 
A good morning woof to brother Dexter woof to all the other lovely Cockapoos


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## jools (Nov 11, 2010)

Woof,woof (i really think i'm losing the plot)!!!!


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

I really wouldn't worry about the light - dogs have tissue behind their eye that reflects light back onto the retina. This means that twice the light gets projected ionto the retina and makes them far more able to see in the dark than humans (and this is why photos on dogs generally have a big white bit where their eyes should be!). So although it looks dark to you, it doesn't look dark to them. When Cider is older, you'll notice that he will happily go racing around the garden in the pitch black, you won't be able to see him very easily, but he will be able to see you very clearly!


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## Bini (Jul 4, 2011)

jools said:


> Woof,woof (i really think i'm losing the plot)!!!!


lol, I love it though, :twothumbs:


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## Bini (Jul 4, 2011)

weez74 said:


> I really wouldn't worry about the light - dogs have tissue behind their eye that reflects light back onto the retina. This means that twice the light gets projected ionto the retina and makes them far more able to see in the dark than humans (and this is why photos on dogs generally have a big white bit where their eyes should be!). So although it looks dark to you, it doesn't look dark to them. When Cider is older, you'll notice that he will happily go racing around the garden in the pitch black, you won't be able to see him very easily, but he will be able to see you very clearly!


wow, thank you, that is a real eye opener


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## jools (Nov 11, 2010)

Bini said:


> wow, thank you, that is a real eye opener


Bini, is that a pun??? :laugh:


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Bini said:


> Thank you for all those posts, it just helps to hear what everybody else does and how they behave at night.
> I turned radio off night before and last night radio and light was off. We went to bed early actually 9.45h and I didn't hear anything till 5am
> He still seems to need poo each night and there were 2 big puddles of wee.
> The next step will be to follow your advice Kendal and leave crate closed. And go done once in night to let him out...couldnt bare tonight as I am working today
> ...


sabine .. stick with it ..that is good going .. well done .. it may take a while with the night time toilet, but at least you are getting some sleep 

So Dexter and Cider are Bro's .. thats lovely xxxx


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## jools (Nov 11, 2010)

Yes Jojo, the little troubles in the pack & little Martha (happyads little girl is their sister) just need to find the other 2 now!!!! x


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