# Night Crying - progress!



## suem56 (Nov 23, 2015)

Hi all

I was about to post a 'help me we're getting no sleep' thread. Brought Dexter home last Sunday (he's 9 weeks old today) and he's just gorgeous. The toilet training isn't going great, but hey, it's very early days so am ok with that. At night we decided on shutting him in the utility room with his crate, but with crate door open and puppy pad on the floor, rather than getting up to take him outside. This was mainly because getting him to toilet outside had been so difficult - can be out there ages and nothing happens(he can last hours!). So first night when we shut the door he cried and scratched for about an hour, then settled, woke around 5.30am, cried for half an hour and then settled again. Not too bad at all. Monday night was worse though - he cried for a lot longer and more frequently. Tuesday we tried with me sleeping nearby so he could see me, with room door open but using stair gate. He could see me - but went crazy and wouldn't settle at all. Eventually I closed the door and went upstairs- but again got virtually no sleep as he cried most of the night. But Wednesday (yesterday) during the day I did the first real bout of locking him in his crate and letting him scream to get out (had always given in before). After 20 mins of yelling I completely covered the crate and it seemed to calm him slightly, and 10 mins later he was quiet. I left it about 1 minute and let him out and praised him. Now, last night we wore him out with play before bed time, settled him in the crate and did a gradual withdrawal. But he stayed in there and let us shut the room door - and we didn't hear a peep until 5.45am Result !!! Not sure if it was the daytime crate locking thing that helped - but keeping fingers tightly crossed that we're on the way to a more settled pup.


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## suem56 (Nov 23, 2015)

*progress?- nope*

Oh dear - should have held my tongue. Last night back to square one - yapping on and off all night - poo-fest, no attempt to use pad. Oh well, I know it's very early days, but I'm fairly sure he's yelling in frustration to be let out, not because he's scared. Maybe my lazier approach (not locking him in crate and getting up in night) is backfiring and I need to give that approach a go? My fear is that if he's locked in crate and just wants out, he will still yell to get out, and likely mess in there anyway?


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

I'm sorry to hear of all your frustrations and of Dexter's too. I'd say ditch the pee pads, they only confuse the issue, bring his crate to beside your bed, cover it and ignore his initial protests, but then get up with him if he wakes and whimpers in the night and take him out. I'd only wait ten minutes for toilet time then back in crate. As he gets more comfortable you can slowly move the crate back to the utility room if that is where you want him.

Cockapoos are sensitive little dogs that are very big on communication. His yelling is his attempt to say "this is not working for me", so kudos to him for perseverence. I think you've got one of the really smart ones.


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## suem56 (Nov 23, 2015)

Thanks Fairview. I thought Tuesday night's strategy (being within sight) would do similar to having him in the bedroom -hubby refuses to have him there. I'll try sleeping downstairs with the crate in same room and see if that works tonight.


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## suem56 (Nov 23, 2015)

Oops - meant Fairlie - ***** autocorrect!


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## suem56 (Nov 23, 2015)

Well last night started ok - me on mattress next to travel carrier (Easypet fabric carrier). He settled fine and went to sleep (was very tired). He woke at 1am and started fussing so I took him outside. He weed and headed straight back to house so assumed no poo required - but he then wouldn't settle again. I was ignoring him for a few mins but then he managed to unzip the door (wasn't very securely fastened) and got out. Poss big mistake but I took him into bed with me and we then passed a fairly peaceful night - he woke a couple of times and made attempts to wander and chew things but when I took him back to bed and cuddled him he settled straight away. He then got up around 7am and wouldn't settle again so I also got up.
So - disappointed that he wouldn't settle again in crate at 1am after his wee - but should I have persisted? I could continue with the crate in same room for now as long as he will re-settle, but lovely as it was, I don't want to continue having him in or even on the bed, because I wan't to work towards getting him to sleep downstairs. Also I don't trust him not to mess.
We got some bells for the back door and had been having some success with him ringing to go out - not 100% but pretty good for week 1! However this morning I let him out first thing but he showed no interest, but after breakfast he weed, and then pooed, on the kitchen floor - no attempt to ring the bells :-( so as I say, a way to go with the toilet training and so I don't want him in our bedroom unless he's in his crate.
Any advice would be much appreciated!


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

suem56 said:


> Poss big mistake but I took him into bed with me and we then passed a fairly peaceful night -


 Yes, unless you are looking forward to a few more sleepless nights. You may need to rething your crate, I've never heard of one with a zipper, my Rufus would have learned to unzip in record time. Normally you know they are safe and secure in their crate and they learn there is nothing to do in there but sleep. The idea of you staying near them is just to ease the transition away from their littermates for the first day or two. Maybe Marzi or 2nd can advise you on how to get him to settle. 

Read the many threads on here about toilet training. You are very early days and the only way forward is for you to keep a good schedule, watch like a hawk, praise successes and clean up accidents diligently. It would be a very, very rare nine week old puppy who asked to go out on his own.


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## suem56 (Nov 23, 2015)

Just a quick update (as I hate threads that are just left hanging and you don't find out how things were resolved 
Spent 1 night with his crate in same room - took him out once during night - all went well, no crying. Did similar next night but with him in utility room and me nearby - bit more crying but tolerable, and last 2 nights I have been upstairs, again taking him for a wee at around 2.30am, and he only complains for a short time when I put him back in his crate - so it's going pretty well now - you were right about the pads, bad idea.
As regards the bells - he does use them 90% of the time to ask to go out. Unfortunately he also uses them if he just fancies playing in the garden - which isn't always convenient but have to let him out just in case! Still, that's what I call a minor problem 
Thanks again for your support - love this website


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## Aly (Mar 27, 2015)

Well done on persevering with the crate training.
I lasted about 4 hours on Lucy's first night before giving in to her constant crying and distress. One year later I am lying in bed typing this with Lucy lying next to me on my pillow. I don't know who's snoring loudest her or my husband.
We had to upsize to a super king size bed to fit the 3 of us in comfortably.


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Welcome Aly you will fit in very well here.


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## nthony (Mar 3, 2016)

Seems to be no alternative to a hard heart ! Our Elfie cried and screamed for two nights then decided that as we were not paying any attention it wasn't worth the effort and went to sleep She wakes up at first light and whimpers fit to break the hardest heart and we get her up then and go outside with her. First thing she does is poo then tries to bite my trousers, but she's a bundle of sheer elfishness.
The best solution we have found for sleeping seems to be to play football with her for twenty minutes. (She's very good) and a 1 mile walk.
But her chewing drives us mad. She'll chew anything she can get her teeth on and largely ignores any toys we give her. Any ideas?


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

nthony said:


> Seems to be no alternative to a hard heart ! Our Elfie cried and screamed for two nights then decided that as we were not paying any attention it wasn't worth the effort and went to sleep She wakes up at first light and whimpers fit to break the hardest heart and we get her up then and go outside with her. First thing she does is poo then tries to bite my trousers, but she's a bundle of sheer elfishness.
> The best solution we have found for sleeping seems to be to play football with her for twenty minutes. (She's very good) and a 1 mile walk.
> But her chewing drives us mad. She'll chew anything she can get her teeth on and largely ignores any toys we give her. Any ideas?


Not sure how old your pup is but just beware of over exercising - football for 20 minutes followed by a 1 mile walk sound quite a lot for a small pup


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