Tips For Puppies First Night Home

[Naomi]

I'm confused. Do you have set times to take the puppy out or do you wait until it whines?

And if it is whining how do you know it is because he wants to toilet. If you get him out every time he whines doesn't this teach the pup if he whines he gets out of the crate even if he doesn't need to do his business?

For set times, how often should you be getting up to take him out?

This thread is very relevant to me too.

[Scarlett Dog]

we had our pup in her crate in our bedroom where she could hear/see/smell us. We did the blanket that smelled like mum, plus we also got a dog plush toy (kind of looks like a pound puppy) that smelled like mum and stays in her crate (even now it's her special crate toy). As hard as it was we ignored her cries as best we could (if she was fed, warm and not needing to go out she was crying for attention- it did make me cry though!).

We took her our every 2 hours for the first two weeks, then once she was settling and going to sleep in her crate and not crying, we let her wake us up to go outside (she went from every 3 hours to going from 10pm-4am in a week or so). People think I'm talking about a baby, but we got her into at routine from day 1- same bedtime and wake up time everyday. Now at 7 months she takes herself off to bed at 7:30pm, goes out to toilet at 10pm before we go to bed and wakes up at 7am. I don't have to set an alarm- she is like clockwork (and huffs at us if we accidentally wake her up before 7!)

Good luck!

[Scarlett Dog]

Great advice guys I'm now thinking I'll have her in our room in her crate then at least hopefully the kids wont get woken since their at the other end of the house, not sure what oh will think about it but if he doesn't like it he knows where the couch is . I must be mad I've just finished with the night feeds of my bubba and now I'm going to be getting back up everynight to let out our pup .

What about water in the crate overnight?? Also any ideas how to partion crate off to make it a bit smaller when pups little??

We bought a Kramar crate that had a removable divider that can make the crate smaller. You can move it as they grow

[Keira&Phoenix]

I didn't divide my crate and IT IS HUGE like Large dog sized lol no woopsies!

Phoenix was awesome from the day I bought her home I never had to take her out to the toilet through the night she was 9 weeks old, I just made sure I took her out right before we went to bed and as soon as I got up in the morning. Also she pee's on command LOL I walk out and go "do wee wees" and off she trots into the garden.

The only time I have had to get up for her was two nights a week or so ago when she was sick and had diarrhea and needed to go like 3 - 4 times during the night.

You will find what works for you and the pup, there may or may not be accidents but it's a learning curve, like kids they are all so individual

[Rebanne]

I always got up twice over night for the first few days, then once, then none. I used to set the alarm. Doesn't take long, they are so much easier than a baby. Mine also went into their full size crates right from the start, didn't bother dividing it.