How long should she be able to sleep at night?

JenSully · 07-30-2011, 07:38 AM

How long should my 10.5 week old Aussie Doodle be expected to sleep in her crate at night? I pick up the water around 8 and she doesn't eat after 6 or so. We have her crate in our living room. We started getting her up every 3 hours to take her out and then moved to 3 hours 15 minutes, etc. Last night she was up barking and whining after only 2 hours. I listened for a few minutes and then my fear that she would soil her crate overcame me and I went down and took her outside. (I know. I know. I shouldn't have, but she quieted before I opened the door.) She did very little on her potty break.

So, I set my alarm for 3 hours 15 minutes later. Went down and got her out of a sleep to take her outside. Again, did very little. Then, she was up at 6 this morning barking and yelping for me. Yawn. I waited a little bit, but again, I'm not sure when she really needs to go and when she just wants the attention. I went down, waited until she was quiet for a few seconds and took her out. Not much potty at this break either. So, I brought her back in, fed her and she was ready to play, turning into wacko energy puppy.

So, what should I expect from her overnight?

Jasper'sMomma · 07-30-2011, 11:26 AM

I think she misses you and if the crate is in your room that she would sleep through the night. They can hold it, but I think they have to be calm and asleep the whole night to be able to do so...

We got Jasper at 10 weeks old and we put one crate in the living room next to his brother's. And then we put a smaller one in our bedroom. The bedroom one was only used for bedtime. The very first night I set my alarm to take him out at 3 hr intervals - the only one up was ME, lol....he slept all through the night and the ALARM!!!!

The next night I just set my alarm for 7am and Jasper slept from 11pm to 7am... We did this for about 4 weeks - and now the small crate is folded under the bed an my weirdo likes to sleep in the master bath facing us (we have French doors into the bath from our room). He is very good at night. it's the mornings if I try to sleep in too late that he gets bored and 'brings' me things, hehe...

Good luck And keep us updated! The first night you sleep through will be awesome!!!

jesstat · 07-30-2011, 11:29 AM

We may have just been lucky with Diego, but after probably about 3 nights he was sleeping from 11-6. What really made the difference was moving his crate into our bedroom. We had him in the office the first few nights, which is right next to our bedroom, but he would wake up every couple hours whining. Once we moved the crate, it was like a magic switch, he just slept right til morning. I don't know if that is possible for you, but I think they really just like knowing you're right there and can smell you, etc.

Jasper'sMomma · 07-30-2011, 11:29 AM

Oh - an I dont think you should wake a dog up to go potty, and my breeder agreed - I emailed her after that first night to ask about Jasper and waking him up...

becka · 07-30-2011, 11:41 AM

I agree that it would help a lot to move the crate into your bedroom. Within a few days of getting Sadie (at 10 weeks), she was regularly sleeping in her crate beside my bed from about 10 until 4 or 5. She only ever peed in her crate twice: once when I left her alone too long during the day and once in the night when I decided that she couldn't possibly have to go again. (Clearly I was wrong.) Puppies really don't like to pee where they sleep, and their metabolism slows down while they're sleeping, so I think that unlike during daytime hours, you don't have to worry quite as much about keeping your puppy on a potty schedule at night.

JenSully · 07-30-2011, 01:17 PM

Hmmm. I was trying to keep the crate out of our bedroom. Not sure we have room for one in there either. Sounds like it might help. I wonder how long it would take if we don't do it.

becka · 07-30-2011, 03:49 PM

I'm sure there are ways you could continue the training without moving the crate if you really don't want to. Does she go into her crate at any other time during the day? You might want to try feeding her in it, giving her a toy to play with in there while you read/watch TV, etc to make it a place she loves, instead of a place she associates with being separated from you. (If you do a search for "crate training" on this forum I'm sure you'll find lots of good tips.)

Even though I only crate Sadie now when I leave the house, she loves her crate and will go take naps in there and sometimes still spend part of the night in there even though she has free rein in the bedroom.

JenSully · 07-30-2011, 04:54 PM

She goes in her crate when we go away and she whines/barks for a bit and then settles (I think). She's waiting patiently and most of the time quietly when we come back.

She has her favorite chew in there all the time and will occasionally go in there to chew on that. I haven't really put her in it much and closed the door while we are home except if I need to go shower or mow the lawn, etc.

She doesn't love her crate yet though. It's only been 2 weeks.

**lindamarie** · 07-31-2011, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasper'sMomma

Oh - an I dont think you should wake a dog up to go potty, and my breeder agreed - I emailed her after that first night to ask about Jasper and waking him up...

Absolutely! And.....let the pup be your alarm clock!
This having to go out will be longer and longer. General rule of thumb is that a pup can hold it for one hour for every month of life/age.
And.......if you are taking the water away at 8PM, which is good, they should be able to hold it longer!

shela2525 · 08-01-2011, 03:48 AM

today, haley is now 18 days old. since birth, haley's been feeding with a bottled breast milk, since she wouldn't latch onto her mama.

07-30-2011, 07:38 AM	#1 (permalink)
JenSully Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 13	How long should she be able to sleep at night? How long should my 10.5 week old Aussie Doodle be expected to sleep in her crate at night? I pick up the water around 8 and she doesn't eat after 6 or so. We have her crate in our living room. We started getting her up every 3 hours to take her out and then moved to 3 hours 15 minutes, etc. Last night she was up barking and whining after only 2 hours. I listened for a few minutes and then my fear that she would soil her crate overcame me and I went down and took her outside. (I know. I know. I shouldn't have, but she quieted before I opened the door.) She did very little on her potty break. So, I set my alarm for 3 hours 15 minutes later. Went down and got her out of a sleep to take her outside. Again, did very little. Then, she was up at 6 this morning barking and yelping for me. Yawn. I waited a little bit, but again, I'm not sure when she really needs to go and when she just wants the attention. I went down, waited until she was quiet for a few seconds and took her out. Not much potty at this break either. So, I brought her back in, fed her and she was ready to play, turning into wacko energy puppy. So, what should I expect from her overnight?

07-30-2011, 11:26 AM	#2 (permalink)
Jasper'sMomma Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Frisco, TX (in the DFW metroplex) Posts: 138	I think she misses you and if the crate is in your room that she would sleep through the night. They can hold it, but I think they have to be calm and asleep the whole night to be able to do so... We got Jasper at 10 weeks old and we put one crate in the living room next to his brother's. And then we put a smaller one in our bedroom. The bedroom one was only used for bedtime. The very first night I set my alarm to take him out at 3 hr intervals - the only one up was ME, lol....he slept all through the night and the ALARM!!!! The next night I just set my alarm for 7am and Jasper slept from 11pm to 7am... We did this for about 4 weeks - and now the small crate is folded under the bed an my weirdo likes to sleep in the master bath facing us (we have French doors into the bath from our room). He is very good at night. it's the mornings if I try to sleep in too late that he gets bored and 'brings' me things, hehe... Good luck And keep us updated! The first night you sleep through will be awesome!!!

07-30-2011, 11:29 AM	#3 (permalink)
jesstat Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Shrewsbury, MA Posts: 39	We may have just been lucky with Diego, but after probably about 3 nights he was sleeping from 11-6. What really made the difference was moving his crate into our bedroom. We had him in the office the first few nights, which is right next to our bedroom, but he would wake up every couple hours whining. Once we moved the crate, it was like a magic switch, he just slept right til morning. I don't know if that is possible for you, but I think they really just like knowing you're right there and can smell you, etc.

07-30-2011, 11:29 AM	#4 (permalink)
Jasper'sMomma Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Frisco, TX (in the DFW metroplex) Posts: 138	Oh - an I dont think you should wake a dog up to go potty, and my breeder agreed - I emailed her after that first night to ask about Jasper and waking him up...

07-30-2011, 11:41 AM	#5 (permalink)
becka Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 54	I agree that it would help a lot to move the crate into your bedroom. Within a few days of getting Sadie (at 10 weeks), she was regularly sleeping in her crate beside my bed from about 10 until 4 or 5. She only ever peed in her crate twice: once when I left her alone too long during the day and once in the night when I decided that she couldn't possibly have to go again. (Clearly I was wrong.) Puppies really don't like to pee where they sleep, and their metabolism slows down while they're sleeping, so I think that unlike during daytime hours, you don't have to worry quite as much about keeping your puppy on a potty schedule at night.

07-30-2011, 01:17 PM	#6 (permalink)
JenSully Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 13	Hmmm. I was trying to keep the crate out of our bedroom. Not sure we have room for one in there either. Sounds like it might help. I wonder how long it would take if we don't do it.

07-30-2011, 03:49 PM	#7 (permalink)
becka Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 54	I'm sure there are ways you could continue the training without moving the crate if you really don't want to. Does she go into her crate at any other time during the day? You might want to try feeding her in it, giving her a toy to play with in there while you read/watch TV, etc to make it a place she loves, instead of a place she associates with being separated from you. (If you do a search for "crate training" on this forum I'm sure you'll find lots of good tips.) Even though I only crate Sadie now when I leave the house, she loves her crate and will go take naps in there and sometimes still spend part of the night in there even though she has free rein in the bedroom.

07-30-2011, 04:54 PM	#8 (permalink)
JenSully Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 13	She goes in her crate when we go away and she whines/barks for a bit and then settles (I think). She's waiting patiently and most of the time quietly when we come back. She has her favorite chew in there all the time and will occasionally go in there to chew on that. I haven't really put her in it much and closed the door while we are home except if I need to go shower or mow the lawn, etc. She doesn't love her crate yet though. It's only been 2 weeks.

08-01-2011, 03:48 AM	#10 (permalink)
shela2525 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 3	today, haley is now 18 days old. since birth, haley's been feeding with a bottled breast milk, since she wouldn't latch onto her mama.

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