Where did your puppy doodle sleep at night?

[NewfoundlandNic]

We are getting our doodle puppy tonight - Georgia is 9 weeks old and we have been watching her since she was three weeks old, so it is very exciting. Anyway, last time we had a dog was before kids and we had the crate in our bedroom. Now that we have a three year old and a nine month old, our bedroom is no longer quiet throughout the night - our three year old has entered a "monster" stage and often wakes up around 2 in his room and wants to come to ours.

 

I am a huge believer in crate training and have two crates ready: one for upstairs (bedrooms) and one for main. We do have an office upstairs as well, next to our bedroom. Should I keep Georgia's nighttime crate up there? How are they with being separated? What did you guys do?

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences. We are very excited about our new addition! We haven't even met our little beauty yet. She arrives at 11:00 tonight - I think sleep is going to be limited for me. ;-)

 

Nicole

[Pam & Trixie]

How Exciting!

We have Trixies Crate in our bedroom (and one in the family room too)  Shes been here 2 weeks.

Our kids moved out last fall so we dont have all that excitment.

But we do make noise when she is in the kennel in our room & get up & go back to bed also.  It has worked out fine & she is used to that.  Which I think is important (her sitting or sleeping in her crate-with commotion going on around her)

 

The 1st night we wore ear plugs.  She cried very loud for 2 hrs.  The 2nd night she cried for 10 minutes.  The 3rd for 5 & then didnt cry after that.

 

Good Luck!

[Dori & Rua]

Congratulations on the arrival of your new puppy.  You must be so excited.  Please post lots of pictures of Georgia!   We keep Rua in our bedroom in a crate (recently we have started letting her sleep with us on & off).  We both are getting up in the middle of the night, sometimes talking, and she doesn't make a peep!  I think she would be fine...perhaps your 3 year old would learn not to "wake the puppy"???  Could make a game out of it, huh?  LOL  Good luck.  Take a nap today!

[NewfoundlandNic]

Hi Dori, a nap would be dreamy, but my nine month old thinks they are for old folks only. ;-) I am getting our puppy now while I am still off on maternity leave, I am used to not getting a good night's sleep and I'll be home with Georgia for the next three months.

 

Thanks for sharing your story. I love Rua, she is gorgeous!

[Dori & Rua]

You are welcome...thanks for the compliment on Rua.  She sure is something special!

[sandy b]

Congratulations, you have to be sooo excited. Max slept in a crate by our bed for at least his first year, maybe longer.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Oh boy--two little kids AND a puppy--you are so brave! But it will be fun---most of the time. Be prepared for some frustrating moments. I have two puppies at my house right now and it can be challenging even without little kids!

Lots of people put the crate right in their room, especially at first. It can be very noisy though and would disturb the kids. I have the crate in my kitchen and the first few nights, I had to pretend to be sleeping near the crate--I put a blanket over me and sat near the crate in the doorway. Once my pup settled down, I snuck out, leaving the blanket behind as if I was still under it----it took less time each night for him to settle down and fall asleep and after three nights he was fine. He goes in his crate on his own for a nap now (He is 13 weeks old) and at night when I say "crate" he goes right in and lies down.(I have been feeding him in there and say "crate" each time he goes in.) 

I am pupsitting his brother, though, and he is less interested in the crate and is just learning to go in on his own. He would much prefer to be with me--so it does vary. 

Have fun and good luck! Can't wait to see pics!!

[Camilla and Darwin]

Darwin sleeps in a crate, in our living room area.

[Christine & Shelby]

I crate trained Shelby when she came home at 8 weeks.   I have a 1 story home, but had the crate in the Kitchen/dining room.  I slept in the living room (within site of her crate) for the first 4-5 days.  She only woke up the first 2 nights to go potty, after that she slept through the night.   We didn't have any problem with the seperation.   Although with my bedroom door open, I could hear her if she made a fuss (and I am a light sleeper) - although that was never an issue as Shelby was a champ at night!   I eventually moved the crate into the living room (blocking the fire place) - so I could get my dining area back to functional!   I think if you sleep near the pup for the first several days until you know how she'll do - I think you will be fine!

I was very lucky that Shelby only cried in her crate once... the first night for about 5 minutes and that was it.  I was very purposeful about having a good 30 minutes or so of playtime before bed time and when Shelby started to slow down and take a snooze - I would pick her up and place her in the crate.   It worked great!!!

Congrats on the new pup... be sure to take pictures of Georgia and post soon!   It will be a long first few weeks - I was exhausted... but I live by myself so it was all me.  I agree with Dori.... take a nap this afternoon!  So excited for you!!!

[Jennifer Tramell]

Congrats!  She'll be here before you know it!

17 years ago we started life with puppy with the puppy's box in our bedroom (we didn't have a crate, just a cut down appliance box).  This only lasted a couple nights as the puppy took advantage of us being right there and cried even more for attention.  Our Cody-dog thereafter slept in the livingroom.

2 dogs and 15 yrs later, we kept Webster in his crate in the kitchen.  He didn't like the crate, so, after a couple of whiny nights, we fenced him off in a small section of the kitchen. 

Charlotte was in the crate in the laundry room and she transitioned to sleeping with her crate door open with a baby gate keeping her in the laundry room. 

With every dog, I was up several times a night "rocking the baby" until they adjusted to life without their littermates. Every dog has been well adjusted, affectionate and devoted. 

[Adina P]

Rosco slept in my room until I married Clark (Rosco was 7 months then) and at that point we moved Rosco's crate to the living room where Clark's dogs stayed overnight so they could all be together (even though his dogs weren't crated at that point).

 

With Boca (who is now a year) her crate was kept in our mudroom which is just outside of our kitchen and just outside of our bedroom.  However by about 6 or 7 months we moved her into our room without a crate.  She sleeps on the floor on a dog bed.  She is still crated when unsupervised or we're gone, but at night she seems to do fine sleeping in our room on her dog bed or the floor.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Peri stayed the first few nights in her crate in our room.  She kept whining for attention, so we moved her out to the hallway, right outside our bedroom. She slept like a log.  The next 4-5 months, she slept in her "room" next to ours in her crate.  By 6 months old, we transitioned her to our room on her bed on the floor.  She loves her bed and sleeps soundly every single night now.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Ooh can't wait to see photo's of the new arrival.  I'm afraid I'm just lurking here at the moment because I'm getting my own Puppy at the end of June so am just watching  all the threads for advice.  Best of Luck