Lack of sleep

[Tara & Scarlet]

So I knew that all puppies take some adjusting and I knew that I was going to be losing some sleep over the next couple of weeks. Hoping I could get some advice. I got a crate for Scarlet and divided it off. I tried to ease her into it last night to get her use to it. When it was bedtime....about 11, I put her in it. She yelped and yelped. I tried not to give in but after almost an hour I gave in and put her on the couch with me. She slept there for almost 5 hours. Did I mess everything up by taking her out of her crate?? I thought maybe because it was her first night home that she just didn't want to be by herself. I am not sure how to handle things tonight???? Should I let her sleep with me for a few nights until she gets adjusted or do I continue to listen to the crying?? What will be the best in the long run?? Thanks for any insight. Other than the sleeping, she has been an angel ....no whining and seems to be very happy here. 

[Kyoko]

She is just so adorable!!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Agree. Love her feet

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Where is the crate? Is it near you, in your room, where she can see and smell you? Place crate on a table or chair so she is right next to your pillow. 

Remember, she has been with her moma and cuddling with her siblings. It is all she knows.  She is scared and lonely and can't  figure this loneliness out. 

She will get used to her crate, but she needs to get used to be in a new  home first.  Others may disagree with me, but I think you need to offer support and comfort before you can learn the big ropes. Others say, make them.  I just can't do that.

I know, I learn better when I feel safe. When I am calm.

Get a crate, keep her very near. Stick your fingers inside the crate an offer soothing words.

Lack of sleep?  Yes. That is normal. You have a brand new baby in the house.  Just like your  human babies, you don't get much sleep for a few weeks with a puppy this young.   It will all settle into routines soon.

But for now, offer her safety, love, warmth, and comfort. You,are her new moma.  Honestly she will learn soon.

Personally, I think you did nothing wrong  :)   She just needs some time. 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think this is good advice.  Our guys were in a crate right next to my side of the bed.  They were okay as long as they could see me those first few nights. 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

 If you continue to have trouble, check into the Snuggle Puppy < Brand name>  It simulates the sound of the Moma's heartbeat.

It is soothing. Comforting.

As far as crates, if you don't want to invest in two an idea is a cat carrier. This is what I used in my room.  The larger crate I kept by the doors for potty training.  He could fit in there for a month. By then, we had one in our room and one at the door.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

SnugglePuppie™ - Brown Mutt

Here's one.  This was the least expensive I found. 

You can find it on Amazon.  If you use the DK Preferred Vender link, purchasing on http://www.amazon.com/?tag=doodkiss-20

a portion of the proceeds go to rescue groups for doodles. So a lot of us use this link instead of the regular Amazon address.

[DJ & Chance]

Chance sleeps with "Brown Mutt"--what can I say!

[Judi, David & Maddie Irishdoodle]

Maddie's crate was on the floor next to the bed in the spare room so I wouldn't wake up hubby.  I borrowed the bedroom crate for upstairs plus I had one I bought and used in the laundry room for daytime.  It was so much easier to have two of them.

When she wimpered at night, I actually laid on the floor beside her with my pillow and blanket and my hand in the crate saying shhhhhhhh, shhhhh.  When she would fall back to sleep I would hop back into bed. 

If she wouldn't settle down right away, I knew she had to go piddle so I would take her outside - say 'do your business' and as soon as she did I would bring her back into the dark room, put her in her crate, lay down beside her until she fell back to sleep.

It only took a couple of nights for her to realize her crate was for sleeping and that I was right there beside her.  The wimpering stopped unless of course she needed to go pottie.

Just try to be consistant and it will pay off in the end.

Cute puppy.

 

Enjoy

[DJ & Chance]

Chance needed me near him.  He slept in a crate right next to my bed and I dangled my hand by the crate so that he could lick it.  Several nights I pulled my bedspread off the bed and slept on the floor next to the crate--no lasting harm was done and both of us slept well!  I also put a snuggle puppy in the crate that I gave to his litter mates to play with before taking Chance from them, and so he got to sleep with the scents of his brothers and sisters.

[Ginny Nightingale]

I have mentioned this before elsewhere (you are not the first to have this issue!!) but you can also add this trick--sit by the crate with a big blanket--no words, no touch, but be present--when the pup drifts off, sneak out from under the blanket and get back into bed (the crate can be nearby) and sometimes the pup will think you are still there under the blanket. I did this with a puppy whose crate was far away from us in the kitchen (hubby is a light sleeper and insisted) and the pup never woke up again until morning. His crate is still in the same spot 2 years later and he hops right in at bedtime even though I don't close the door anymore...

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

Your puppy is so cute!

I couldn't agree more with Joanne and making the puppy feel comfortable in your house as the first priority! Oliver would get pretty worked up in his crate at night, one time he even scrated the top of his nose trying to get out. I would think it's a pretty big adjustment going from mom and sibling cuddles to a crate. I slept in the living room with Oliver for his first week home so he could see me if he woke up in the middle of the night and got scared. I really like Ginny's blanket trick idea, I wish I would have tried that myself.

Honestly, we stopped using the crate at night after about a week and switched to a puppy pen with his bed, toys, and potty pad (for the first few weeks). He then just had hour crate time with Kong breaks during the day. For us this was the right decision but I think it just depends on how you want to train your dog. The crate for us was only a short term confinement training tool (the Ian Dunbar concept), but others use it for bedtime and during the day for much longer periods of time.

[BettyAnn, Holmes & Lucy]

Hey Tara. I have no advice to give you since I'm having similar issues with my puppy. Just wanted to send you support! Hang in there :) I keep reading that this phase will be over soon than we think. Would love to hear your follow up to see how Scarlet gets on.