Crate Training bedtime question

[Jeremy]

We have had our 10 week old goldendoodle Blu for two and a half weeks and are crate training him. We have had his crate in our bedroom next to me at night since night one. He goes to bed great around 9-930pm. We just say crate Blu and he jumps in there and lays down. He loves his crate. He still cries at 2-3am for a midnight potty break - I grab him out of the crate carry him out he goes, I out him back in and he goes back to sleep until about 6am. What is the best way to transition out of our room? Do we just put him in his crate where we keep diring the day? (Our foyer?) and ignore the middle of the night crying so he gets used to holding it and sleeping through the night? We love having him close to us but also know he needs to start sleeping through the night and not in our room! Thank you in advance!

[LORRY SWETLAND]

A 10 week old puppy needs a potty break in the middle of the night. I have always had my pups in bed with me. So don't about how old he should be before you move him to another room. I would have started him out in the room he was going to be in all the time for bed or daytime. It's not too late to put his crate where you ant it permanently. He is still young. My Turbo is now just 1 year old and he has been in my room since I got him. I don't like crates. I know many people use them. Turbo is 77.6 lbs and 28 1/2 in tall to the shoulder. He is very hot blooded so he will only stay on my bed for 10 to 15 min and then he lays on the floor for the rest of the night. He never needed to go out in the middle of the night but I got him when he was 3 months old and he only had 3 pp accidents in the house the first week I had him and hasn't done it since. I wouldn't ignore the middle of the night potty break he is too little. If you stay up until 11 pm I would wake him and put him out then so he might sleep until 6 am or 7 am.  I have always stayed up until 11 pm and give Turbo the opportunity to empty out and he sleeps until 7 am most mornings. Not because he has to go out but because he wants food first. lol

Good luck

[Lynda Kamrath]

My adult dogs still like to go out for a potty break in the middle of the night.  They are loose in our house so come and lick my face when they want out.  The thing is to just make it quick.  Out, potty, and come right back in.  I can't go all night, so I don't expect my pups to either.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Hi Jeremy ~ your doodle is doing very well in crating, but I would not recommend you move his crate now.  If fact, it may make him dislike his crate if he is away from his "pack" and/or create other issues.  He is very young and it might be that he is not mature enough to hold it through the night.  Lorry gave you some good advice in that you give him his last potty break just before you go to bed. Take him out, tell him to go pee pee, give him praise and then back to bed we go. He is very young and it might be that he is not mature enough to hold it through the night. All this puppy stuff does not last all that long.  Before you know it he will have full run of the house and be totally reliable.  The fact he is able to sleep near you gives him feel safe and will give him a sense of confidence. Good luck.  Looking forward to seeing how your Blu develops.  BTW - I love the name you chose for him!

[Rhoni Ann]

Remove the water bowl after his last potty time prior to the 9-9:30 bedtime. Example say he goes out at 7:00, remove the water bowl at this time. Then take him out right before bedtime even if he doesn't go. I did this with my Carter it took a few days before she realized she really didn't need to go out, she slept in her crate in the foyer. She is now 16 months old. I didn't do it with Cash and it took me forever for him to learn, he slept in the laundry room, prior to us moving. He is now 4 yrs old.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I think you should continue exactly what you are doing for a few more weeks, then I would transition the middle of the night to 11 or 11:30.  You might find yourself getting up at 5 instead of 6 for a while though.