The good, the bad, and the ugly. (Think I messed up)

[Abigail *George & Juno*]

The good: we have had George for only a few days and so far we have no accidents. She will actually walk to the door, sit down, and wait for someone to open the door. We still watch her obviously as she is so young, but she hasn't failed to let us know when she needs to go out. (Which is a lot!)

The bad: even though George goes right to bed upon being put into her crate at night and usually sleeps for a good 3-4 hours... After that she whines to go out anywhere from every 1-3 hours for the rest of the night. I think she legitimately needs to use the bathroom, when you take her out at 2 am (or whatever time it happens to be) she uses the restroom, then walks back to you, you pick her up, put her back in her crate and she falls right back to sleep. This would be good, but it is happening every 1-3 hours...which isn't bad, but how can she go that often? We pick her water up a few hours before bed and her last meal is an hour before that. We go to bed at 10, she gets fed around 7, then water comes up at 8 pm. We try to wear her out from 8-10.

The ugly: in the mornings, we will take her for her last restroom break outside about 5:45...she will sleep all of 15-30 minutes in her crate before she starts whining to be let out. This is not a "I need to potty whine" it's a "time to wake up!" Whine... Here's where I'm the bad parent- this morning she started her "wake-up!" whine and I REALLY needed my extra 30 minutes until my alarm (you know how it is when you're sick and sleep deprived) so she's whining and I'm talking to her (she's in our room) trying to get her to be quiet for "just 15 minutes" she has no mercy. So after about 10 minutes of whining to wake up I grap her out of her crate and lay her on top of our quilt and comforter between my better half and I. She is restless, but no whining. I can see her looking at me wide awake, but she's quiet. I sleep another 20 minutes and then get up and feed her breakfast....

Now I'm wondering if I've created a monster. First of all, is there any way that she needs to use the bathroom that often?! And second...does this mean she's going to expect to lay around in bed with us in the morning?! I'm really happy she lets us know, except when it's 2 am...

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

You're good (potty training) is very, very good! 

I think she will go longer and longer on the post 2 am potty issues-she will like her sleep, too!  but the morning snuggles? I think it's great that she is relatively quiet! 

[Abigail *George & Juno*]

I feel so bad! We were not planning on letting her lay in our bed, and now I feel like I have given her false hope! Lol I know this is a great problem to have "my dog lets me know when she needs to go potty". But I just wish I wasn't getting up with her 6 times per night.

[Moe]

The middle of the night potty breaks will probably only last a week or so. I think by 12 weeks most can go the whole night. No judgement in the am. I'll do almost anything to get that last half hour.

[Abigail *George & Juno*]

I broke a rule in doing that, after I fed her breakfast I asked DH if he wanted me to put her in the crate or back in bed with him while I showered...he likes his sleep too. Back in bed and she didn't make a peep. Wide awake the whole time. She is the STRANGEST puppy! Lol

[Gail and Bailey]

Keep in mind that she is still just a baby and needs to feel that security of snuggling with you.  Hopefully she will win you over and the morning snuggle will become a habit you will love!  Post some photos so we can see your little lovebug!

[Jennifer Tramell]

I've been known to fall asleep with my puppy on my chest on the couch.  I'm a stay-at-home mom & my hubby goes to work so I try to let him sleep until the alarm.  The downside to this is that my dogs are unequivocally attached and devoted to me.  ;-)

[Nancy and Georgia Brown]

My pup was sleeping through the night pretty okay until one day when I took her out for her potty break at about 5am, I put her back in bed with me instead of back in her crate. It was so nice cuddling with her in the morning.

Well, one more night of that and she was getting me up in the middle of the night to go potty earlier and earlier. She always had to go, at least a little bit, but her main goal was to get into bed with me.

I hate to say she won. She still goes into her crate at the beginning of the night for a few hours. But usually ends up in bed with me. 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Fudge used to get up around 4 or 5 am and I would take her out and bring her back to bed with us. I loved that time of morning. I never had any problem crating her the next night. George is just a puppy with a very tiny bladder. It sounds like she is doing great so far. It should get better between potty breaks.

[F, Calla & Luca]

She will get better. Luca started sleeping out of his crate early on and now if I don't wake up with him right next to me I feel strange. I was stricter with Calla and she only sleeps on the bed some of the time : )

[April S.]

Luna did the middle of the night urgent potty need until she was about 15 weeks old.  It's like having a baby I think - I've never had kids but this is what I imagined it would be like.  My hubby and I were very cranky the first month or 2 with Luna.   I let Luna come to bed with me one morning because I was sick and needed more rest... for the next 4 days - she whined and cried in her crate for the first 30 minutes then quieted down.  I think doodles are too smart sometimes ;)

[Bonnie and Kona]

Sigh. I think you probably did something right. Maybe not what you planned... but puppy cuddles at 5:00 am beat whining in my book. ;o)

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

I so agree Bonnie and it is the best feeling ever to have them snuggling or cuddling with you in bed:)  Just sayin'