Trying to stay positive...

[Zachary Binder]

Hi all,

We've had a Doodle, Scout, as part of our family for just 6 days and it's getting harder to survive the nights...

I fully understand that at just over 9 weeks, there are a lot of things that Scout is still learning and that nothing is "uncorrectable". I also understand that some of her behaviors just cannot be corrected now - she just isn't capable of learning everything that we need her to do this early.

The big problem is crate training. We have her crate (midwest wire crate w/ adjustable sizing) just off of our kitchen and living room. Scout cannot stand to be placed in her crate at night and we just don't feel that it is right for us to put the crate in our bedroom (located just off of the living room - 30 feet and a door from her crate).

She started out sleeping 2 hours at a stretch and then she would start whining and then barking/howling. I would get up and take her out and sit with her next to her crate until she fell back asleep and then go back to bed until she woke up again and started whining, etc...

The 2 hour stretches have seldom made it to 2.5 hours and recently have gone down to 45 minutes to an hour.

Thankfully I work from my home office and can work with her during the day so she doesn't have to be crated for long stretches. It's only night time that is a huge problem. I can handle it if she is crated/penned for short periods when we need to leave the house or I need to shower, etc.

I've tried exercising her vigorously as much as I can during the day, but she hates her harness (stops to scratch at it every 2 feet while outside) and when her collar is used, she has started to pull and bite at her leash when she can get it. Vigorous exercise for her seems to be trying to eat leaves/twigs/bark/clumps of sod. We haven't had her off of her 6 foot leash outside. I'm scared she is going to start thinking her name is NO!

Does anyone have any tips to help us keep our sanity in these next few days hopefully (but weeks probably) until she starts sleeping better? She won't play in her crate when the door is closed - she simply whines/barks/howls and tries to climb the gate.

I have her in her pen now and am trying to work using my laptop sitting on the couch 8 feet from her pen. She fell asleep on the floor after some whining. She'll get her sleep - when will I get mine? :)

I'm debating putting an air mattress in the pen and sleeping next to her. But I don't want to give in to her demands :)

I know she's just a puppy and this will pass, but some helpful hints would go a long way! :)

Thanks in advance!

Zak

[BettyAnn, Holmes & Lucy]

Yay! So glad to hear your good news, Zac, and that you figured out what works for you & Scout. That's HUGE because sleep deprivation is absolutely awful! You'll need your rest to move on to the next puppy challenge :) Congratulations too on your little Scout- he is adorable.

[Jay, Lola and Colonel Esau]

We used a Snuggle Puppy too.  It was great.  Just watch the stuffing.

[Terri, Murfee & Emily]

Zac, 

That is great news!  Perhaps the ticket was making her kennel more den like with little or no light. You know, everyone has an opinion as you asked for it here! The response was pretty much the same from everyone here. That is why I always come to Doodlekisses for advise. In fact, I'm off to figure out how to keep Murfee from grabbing my pant legs every time i get up as I end up dragging him to get a toy for the diversion. 

Now, go on and continue the amazing journey of being a fur-ever Dad. 

[Tara & Scarlet]

Hi Zak,

Our Scarlet would also get up almost every hour when she first came home. Think it was around the 10-11 day mark of her being home that she finally slept good and in her crate. She went from getting up every hour  to getting up once a night and by two weeks at home she was sleeping thru the night(6-7hrs). We keep her crate down stairs...she seems to do better when we are not in the room. If she knows we are there then she just barks for us.I had a comfy pad in it but she eventually let me know that she preferred the cold,hard crate. We too covered it with a blanket. We also have a half bath near her crate so we still turn the fan on at night for her....she seems to like the noice. Goodluck!! It gets easier.

[Tina]

I have an 11 week old mini goldendoodle puppy so I completely understand what you are going thru. Roger never liked the crate and would cry and cry. So then I decided to block him of in the kitchen and that seemed to work a little better but it really didn't help with the potty training. I think he had just way too much space. Finally, I chose to go with a puppy pen. I bought one from amazon. It's plastic, the Iris 4 panel puppy pen. I put it in the living room and he sleeps in there every night and even takes naps. It doesn't have a top but you can buy one for it that's mesh I think. I don't know if he feels more open in it or not but he loves it. He did cry te first couple of nights but we just ignored it and never took him out during the day until after he stopped crying and settled down. He has his bed in there, food and water bowls, and puppy pads. It's plenty of room for him. I work in a hospital and 12 hour shifts so when I work it was really not feasible to put him in a crate or that long so that's why I decide on that. He pees on a puppy pad in the corner and he hasn't pooped in there once since he's been in it but when we had him in the kitchen he pooped and peed everywhere and it seemed wasn't catching on to house training. Now, I think he's finally got it. Every now and then we have accidents but he's still only 11 weeks so that's understandable. Your pup might like the pen better just bc it feels more open. I think that's why Roger likes it. I feed him in there and I always put a shirt that I was wearing in there with him in his bed. Just try and be patient and it will take Some time to find the thing that will work for him. Each puppy is different and everyone's lifestyle is different. Good luck!

[a.k.a. Rodney]

How's it going, Zac?
I can tell you most sincerely, that we have had Derby Doodle almost 3.5 wks...she gets better each day. Maturation of their nervous systems, digestive system & just overall getting a little older...has made big strides for her...I was about to say quickly, but when you are in the foxhole working on these issues...it doesn't seem quick....but I can see daylight!!
Hang in there...it does get to be more fun!

[Jaime]

at 8 weeks my doodle cried every two hours for two weeks.  We just took her outside to potty and put her back in consistantly.  She is now 15 weeks and stays from 10 at night till 6 in the morning at night she is ready for bed and goes to her crate on her own.  It's wonderful I think you just have to be persistant. Ours is not in our room and we did not stay next to her at all at night its sad but it worked.  After letting her out at the 2 hour mark it would take her about 10 minutes to get settled back down.