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

[SAS]

Lots of great insights from people much more knowledgeable and experienced than I.  I can offer no insights into crate training, as we brought home our puppy at 6 months, and she already loved her crate. 

But I thought that I'd just add my voice to the conversation about crate location and say that we've been comfortable crating our now 1 yr. old pup outside our bedroom in our main floor living space. That said, she has a direct line of sight into the upstairs of our split level, so she can hear us and see us moving about, and we can easily check on her.  

[Carol and Banjo]

Ok,  I will just share our experience with you.   We had a crate in our living area by the door and a crate in our bedroom for night time sleeping.   During the first week I would put Banjo in the crate by the door and he would put up quite a fuss if I went anywhere out of his sight.    It was getting pretty frustrating to try to get anything done in peace....I would sit on the floor and move gradually away trying to ease him into accepting the distance.   Nope...now way...this was not working!   I was beginning to get frantic thinking I can't have a puppy next to me 24/7....I'll never get anything done!    Finally I moved the crate to a more central location (we have an open floor plan) where he could see us nearly all the time....and lo and behold it worked like a charm!      As for nite time sleeping......he was great after the first two nights spent sleeping in his crate near the bed where I could reach my hand to touch the top of his crate.   We actually wanted him to sleep in our room but several months later he started crying and putting up a fuss each night and out of desperation I brought him to his downstairs crate and that's where he slept from that time on until just about a year ago when we put all the crates away.    Now he sleeps on the floor next to our bed.    We're happy and he's happy.    

[Heather Martinez]

We had the same problems with Teddy when he first came home and I also did not want to let him in our bedroom. However, we ended up moving his crate into our bedroom because he just was not ready to be separated from us at such a young age. We only kept the crate in our bedroom for a couple of weeks and then transitioned him into the office next to the bedroom. Then we transitioned him downstairs to the living room and at 6 months he stopped sleeping in the crate and slept in a pen in the kitchen. We still do not let him in our bedroom at all and the early time he spent there did not damage our training. We follow other tips such as not letting him on any furniture to prevent him from exerting dominance (Teddy was prone to dominance so we are extra careful). Teddy did not turn the corner of sleeping well until he was 13 weeks old and started puppy class. The class really tired him out and he started being able to go on walks and play with other dogs and he slept through the night. Additionally, placing a light blanket over his crate helped because it made it more like a den and he seemed to like that. Good luck with your adorable puppy!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Lots of good advice here.  I agree with bringing that crate into the bedroom so you all get more sleep.  We had our girls in the crate in our bedroom with us.  However, when they were about 3 months old or so we set up one of our bedrooms as a room for them when we were going to be gone.  We had a crate in there for them as well.  There food and toys etc. were in that room.  They finally decided that is where they wanted to be at night because they are comfortable in that room.  The crate is no longer there, but even at 5 years old that is where they wanted to be if we were leaving the house.  I like your pen set up that you have as well.  We used something similar for our two only we didn't have there crate in it.  We just had an ex pen that we could move around.  We would use it in the kitchen for during the day if we couldn't keep our eyes on them.  We could move it outside into the yard so they could stay out there for awhile and we could also take it with us if we went to visit friends or family.  We still use it now. 

[Rhonda]

Our doodle was 6 months old when we got him. (He was a rehome) He was crate trained, felt safe and secure in his crate and slept in his crate. I was the one who wanted him by me.  He sleeps on his dog bed, on the floor at the foot of our bed.  All kids have left the nest and are in college, when they are home, he starts IN bed with them, and shortly after comes into our room and sleeps in his bed.  What I am getting at, is where do you want him to sleep when he is older, trained, and free of night time mischief?  If he will be in your room then, it won't hurt to have him in your room now.  You are his family, he needs you. 

[Cindy Bowles]

Hi Zak, I don't know if this info will help or not but when we picked up Rosie from the Breeder she gave us a piece of carpeting that had the scent of the other puppies on it and also I put in a piece of my clothing that had my scent on it ... I also put the crate beside me on the side of my bed where she could see me and I could keep an eye on her...I hope this helps!!!

[Ginny Nightingale]

Breeders tend to be very opinionated and can be very forceful about what you should do with your pup--but she is YOUR pup and you need to deal with her as it comes--sounds like she has a strong personality and helping her GRADUALLY adjust to the changes is not going to be a bad thing--just expect a few bumps whenever you change things--as others have said, gradually move her out of your room, or if you sleep where she is, gradually get further away from her--what you have done is caused a SUDDEN change and she is not having any of it--I have a litter leaving my house this week (I work for a breeder raising litters) and everyone has told me what they plan to do with the pup the first few weeks at night--once I know their preference, I talk to them about ways to make it work--and I usually tell them that if they are having a lot of trouble if they chose to keep the crate in the kitchen at night, they might want to try the bedroom for a while--but it is up to them and depends on the puppy. Your breeder has hard and fast rules which is not good when you are dealing with different pups with different temperaments. You are not "giving in", you are adjusting....

[Adina P]

I'm all for following trainers' advice, but not all trainers agree on this.  This is David Dikeman.  Hard core, strict trainer...dare I say "old school" in his methods and yet:

It's really NOT a big deal to keep the crate in your room.  The dog will adjust fine once you move him out later.  And merely being in your room does not change your status as leader...not a bit!  We don't let our dogs sleep in bed with us but they sleep on the floor in our room.  No status problems and this has been so for a total of 4 dogs.  The first puppy I brought home I kept in a crate in my room next to my bed until he was several months old...at which point I got married and my husband's dogs lived with us and they were all kept in the living room.  Eventually we realized that it's MUCH quieter at night (i.e. they don't see anything out the front windows and don't hear much so nothing to bark at) when they sleep in our room and they've been there for a few years now. 

In any case, whether a dog sleeps in your room or not is not a black and white issue.  You won't be doing irreparable harm to your status or relationship by allowing it...really you won't.  But you might be more sleep.

[Terri, Murfee & Emily]

Zac, 

There is some really good advice that has been shared here. I have had my Murfee for 5 nights/6 days and he is almost 9 weeks. I agree with the suggestion of keeping the kennel in your room. I then:

1. Made sure the kennel was not to roomy. Just enough for him to turn around

2. Placed one of my worn Tshirts on the bottom

3 Added the heart beat/warming puppy

4 Totally covered his kennel 

I now add his favorite stuffed animal 'Freddie" and he uses it like a pillow. He can make it through the night only waking when I have a coughing attack! He then decides "since I'm up Mom" let's go outside. If my bedroom was quiet all night I am certain he would sleep through the night. Unheard of I know for a pup so young. 

He has never whined for more than 4 minutes. He has a very positive experience with his "den". After a good romp or walk, he goes to the bedroom to take a nap. Not in the kennel but right outside of it. 

I wish you the best of luck and patience. 

[Sally S Miles]

Each pup takes to things differently, but I do agree that your chances for sleep will greatly improve if you put the crate in your bedroom. A pup that feels safe and secure will sleep better, so will you.   Later if you feel a need, you could spread the distance - but my dogs have always slept better in the room and our pup arrived at eleven weekd old, not crate trained - took two days to get her to sleep all night.  We had a relaps a few weeks in where she objected to daytime crating,  around five weeks in and she began thrashing at night - a simple shshhhhhhh was all it took -  along with some teeth gritting with that - but we survived.    

Name before command - seriously, otherwise No has little meaning.

SOunds like your Scout is normal and it's also normal for you to be overwhelmed, but keep reading and believe these good folks with the advice.  There is no one single method of dog training (or owner training) - but I think that's good since there is no single best dog or owner.  However, I think if you have to pick one go with The Monks of New Skete - (read the books and spend time studying the DVD) - but toss in The Other End of the Leash just to keep your pups view in mind.   Learn to listen to your gut - otherwise all those other bits of advice just make noise in your head.

 

[Zachary Binder]

Thanks everyone for your support and advice. Last night was amazing - I went to bed early, and my girlfriend kept her company until later than usual. We covered the crate fully last night for the first time - only covered top and 3 sides before. Scout slept for just over 3 hours, no accidents, no whining. Snuggle Puppy is ordered and w/ 7 hours of sleep, I feel like a new man.

Thanks!

Zak

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

That's great news, keep coming with questions as you go along. The Puppy Madness group is your new best friend!