Bed Time!

[Diesel_09]

hey,

i have a question about my puppy diesel.

He is an amstaff and his 8 weeks old. I picked him up on saturday and he slept with me for the first 3 night... (that may have been a bad move - but i felt sorry for him as he would have been missing his mum)

last night i let him eat his dinner in the laundry and left him there for about 30mins, (until i heard him stop crying) and then went to get him... i then returned him to the laundry to go to bed at 11pm and he didnt stop crying/barking/scratching the door until 7am when i went and got him.

what should i do tonight?

Also, anyone know of any good places for dog training in north/east melbourne. The place i was going to go to are full and i wanted to be recommended to go somewhere not just pick a place.

thanks!!

[persephone]

what should i do tonight?

The same thing!Leave him there.

make sure he's kept awake during the evening... feed him his final meal much later... then outside to toilet, then bed.This way he has a full tummy, has been well exercised, and has been to the toilet....

Edited May 26, 2009 by persephone

[Stitch]

Yes, some puppies can be very determined (in human terms).

I used to say, just let them cry and they will get used to it. It is certainly still a method to use which will probably succeed in the long run.

However, I am inclined now to think that the crying of a night time is just insecurity and that it can be better addressed by crating the pup next to your bed. The crate can always be gradually moved away over the ensuing weeks/months so it doesn't have to be a forever thing. You can put your hand down to reassure the pup if it gets insecure during the night and it can smell your presence.

As long as the pup is happy to settle for that arrangement and you don't speak to it or excite/disturb it when it is in the crate, and you and everyone else gets a good night sleep, I don't see a problem.