First night jitters:)

[Christina Casper]

So we are finally bringing home our 8 week old double doodle today! I have had a lot of people tell me not to let her out of her cage at night to go potty. Their reasoning is that she will quickly learn we are not coming for her and sleep thru the night faster. It seems like along time in my opinion. Any advice?? I am sure the little thing is going to be terrified. Also, at this age how long is reasonable to leave her during the day in her cage?

[Katyana & Milo]

Hey Christina,

We have a 12 WO doodle puppy called Milo.  When we brought him home, we had the crate next to our bed overnight.  When he cried at night, I'd tap the top of the crate lightly (like the rhythm of his mom's heartbeat) which seemed to ease him.  I had a little blanket on the very top of the crate so when I tapped the crate, there was not much of a metal clanking sound.  This rhythmic tapping worked with my human babies so I figured it would work with him.  FYI, he only cried the first night or two (I also had a pillow over my head :)

Regarding the night-time potty, I took him out in the middle of the night (say, about 1am or 2am) and he definitely needed to go.  I wouldn't leave him in over the course of 8 hours without a potty break if he is awake, as he might pee in his crate which is a habit you want to avoid.  I took him out in the middle of the night the first few nights and then he just started to sleep through himself - so no more late night ventures outside - phew!

As I understand it, the general rule is, you can leave them in the crate during the day for 1 hour per every month of their age.  So at 8 weeks, you can leave them in for 2 hours at a time.  Overnight is different obviously.

Now that Milo is 12 weeks he is a real little character.  I found the first month confusing - he was a little bundle of fluff and we were all confused what to do!  Now , we get lots of eye contact, affection and we are really bonding.  Good luck and enjoy!

[Chris & Abby]

Christina, I'm sure you are excited and nervous to being home your new baby! With my Abby, the first night I set my alarm to wake me every 2 hours. I took her out to potty and straight back to bed, without speaking to her. She settled down well after each outing and we made it through the night nicely. As the weeks passed the time between nighttime potty breaks increased to 4 hours. By about 15 weeks, she was sleeping through the night and so was I! I recommend taking your new pup out at night until she grows a bit. It would be a long uncomfortable night for her if you didn't. You will wake up a lot and check on her anyway when she moves around in the crate the first few nights. Why not take her out for a quick potty?

I can't advise on daytime crate use as I work from home so Abby is in my office all day. Good luck to you and enjoy your sweet girl. I'm sure you will all do great!

[Emily Lau]

Hello! Congrats!!

I have raised two doodles. One is 2, and the other is 5 months. I can tell you with much confidence that the puppy WILL need to come out to pee in the middle of the night for at least a couple of weeks (for us, one dog = 2 weeks; the other = 1 month). You don't want the puppy to have to soil the crate because once it happens it is harder in the future to teach him not to do it. And be prepared for lots of crying at the beginning... :) Earplugs work! What my husband and I do is to make him go outside and pee at a fixed time every night, so that he is not going to the bathroom after he whines and cries. We want to anticipate his needs so that he learns not to have to complain all the time. 

During the day:

At this age he pretty much has to go outside constantly. I would not leave him in the crate during day time for anything more than 2 hours, and that is after A LOT OF exercise and peeing outside. A thing that works like a charm is to tie the puppy to a spot in the living room where he can see you, have movement, but cannot randomly pees. :D 

Expect lots and lots of accidents for at least a few weeks. :) Lots of patience! :)

Remember, there are general rules, and there are "your doodle's rules". Learn to read your doodle over time, and they always let you know what they need. (It will be near-impossible for the first month, because he is just a BABY.... just so you have realistic expectations) :)

BIG HUG AND GOOD LUCK!

E

[Lynda Kamrath]

Congratulations, you are entering a new stage of your life.  By cage, I guess you mean her crate.  They seem like cages to me also so I only use crates in the car for transporting a puppy.  I know most people recommend crate training from the get-go.  It is great for them to have their own special home in your house.  About potty breaks - I recommend at least once at night.  Eight hours is way too long for a puppy.  What I do is carry the puppy out and put him/her down where I want them to eliminate and immediately afterward take them back into the house and back to bed.  My dogs still go out at least once a night and they are adults.  Maybe it is just a habit, but for a puppy I think it is essential.

[Stefan]

Congrats on your new little one :)  I took my doodle Sister out around 2-3am every night for the first 3 ish weeks.  It was only after 3 weeks she would sleep through the night without having to potty.  Your puppy will cry in the cage the first night or two because they are scared/lonely and that you should ignore.  The first few nights I would put my fingers through the front of the crate and that was sooth her back to sleep.

Good luck!

[Dexter Doodle]

Our little guy is 17 weeks. He was very upset the first few night and did have 1 accident in crate. For the first few weeks I would get up and let him potty during the night. I gradually increased the time I got up. I probably started getting up with him around 2 am and then made it 3 am and then 4 am. By about 3 week after being with us, I accidentally slept through the night and realized he was just fine! My opinion is I would still get up with him for at least the first 2-3 weeks. Don't forget to take away the water dish at least 3 hours before crating for the night.

The first few weeks reminded me of what it was like when I first had my son. I actually felt it was tougher because you don't have to run around and chase a newborn and you just change diapers rather than house training! The good news is I am at least getting a good night of sleep again. My little guy goes from 10:15- 7:45 on weekdays and 11-8:30 on weekends.

Good luck with your new addition.

[David and Franklin]

Congratulations on your new arrival! I brought Franklin home at 8 weeks. Poor little guy had just been separated from his litter mates and had been handed over to a complete stranger. He was pretty scared but a few treats convinced him that I was more friend than foe. I had been told to ignore his crying so that he would not get the idea that crying is a ticket out of the crate. I took him out once during that first night but he had two accidents. A few days later I learned that the little guy had Giardia! I felt terrible! From that point on, I made sure that I got up two or three times at night to let him out. I tried to be proactive and not wait for him to begin crying. There were no more accidents. I was bleary eyed for two or three weeks but that is a small price to pay. After we got the Giardia fixed it seemed like no time before he was making it through the night. There will be accidents, but I am a firm believer that accidents are the fault of the caregiver, not the puppy. Good luck with your bundle of joy!

[Amy and Annabelle]

My little girl is 14 weeks old and sleeps a good 8 or 9 hours without needing to go out. The first 3 or 4 nights I used the piddle pads in her crate. She did use them. So for about the first 5 hours I didn't even hear a whimper from her. Then about 4am she would start whining. I did get her up to go out and she went right back to sleep. After the first week she no longer needed the piddle pads and started sleeping longer stretches before needing to go out. I also take away water about 8pm and take her out 2 or 3 times before we go to bed. She has also decided she likes to poop before bed too. So I have to make sure she gets that in before bedtime. I think the first few nights she whimpered, it was because she was scared and not really needing to go out to go potty. I took her anyway though. She is doing very well on potty training. She goes to the door when she needs to go out. It is rare for her to have an accident in the house. Congratulations on your new addition.

[Minga & Malu & Costa]

I have a 13 week old and he sleeps through the night for the past couple of weeks, but we took him out around 3 am for the first few weeks. He would wake up, and DEFINITELY needing to pee and sometimes poo. I would then bring him right back up to the kennel and he would go straight to sleep until the sun came up.

In my opinion, their bladders are so small those first few weeks they do need to go once in the middle of the night. But it was really only the first 2.5 weeks and my dog only wakes up and cries if he has to go. When he doesn't have to go, he sleeps! Your puppy ,at be different. I would say at least take them out if they wake up and give them a few minutes to go, if they don't, then straight back to the kennel until morning. They will get the idea that if they need to go, to is their chance!!

Good luck! So exciting!

[Christina Casper]

Thank you everyone for the great responses! Our first night was rough, she cried A LOT in her crate and we took her out twice. Hoping for a better night tonight. Been trying to put her in the crate throughout the day so she will hopefully be more comfortable tonight!

[Chris & Abby]

She just wants to know you're there. Can you give a piece of your clothing to sleep with? It might make her feel more secure.

[Amy and Annabelle]

The breeder actually gave me a blanket with the mother and siblings scent on it. It was her on the drive home as well as in her sleeping crate. I think that helped the first few nights.