My 9 wk. old golden retriever made it impossible for me to sleep - HELP!?

Question

Usually once or twice a night he will start to cry & I will let him out to go to the bathroom, but last night he cried ALL NIGHT, I didn't get a wink of sleep! I let him out probably 6 times hoping he had to go to the bathroom (but he only went twice). Why is he doing this & how do I get him to stop?!?!?!

yes, he is in a crate, but he has been in it for over a week now, this is the first night he has done this

don't worry we won't muzzle him

current sleeping situtation until our room is done is our mattress on the floor 1 inch from his crate, he is REALLY close.

we spend lots of time with him...

Answer 1

Awww, I just went through this. My puppy was 9 weeks old when we got her (she's 14 weeks now) and I assure you, she stopped. The first four or five nights that pup cried ALL night long. Or would stop, let me fall asleep, and start all over again. She was in a crate, so I brought the crate into our bedroom to get used to staying in the crate AND be able to see us. Puppies tend to do this, just like babies, when they're scared, want attention, or need to potty. I knew my pup just wanted attention because as soon as I went out to her and picked her up she stopped crying. Just let your pup adjust, he'll be fine and he'll stop crying in a few days or a week or so.

Or he could be spooked too, by something...I have a SIX year old golden who is totally scared of the dark, and refuses to go outside at night. Once outside, he just bellows until you cave in and let him in...

If you are really concerned there could be something wrong, which is possible, just take him to the vet and have him checked out. I do

Answer 2

He's a baby, and probably just recently separated from his mom and litter mates. What I have found works, is first, move his kennel into your bedroom - I know, sounds counter productive, but dogs are pack animals, they want to be with the pack, and right now, your it. By being in your room he will feel comforted and safe - trust me, it works. Then in his kennel, put in a soft stuffed toy of somekind, something he can snuggle with, that will help him not feel alone. Also, give him a raw hide, something to chew on and amuse himself if he should wake up. If you can sleep through it, have a radio close to the kennel, playing music, real low, so that there is a constant sound, that is also soothing. I have heard an old wind up ticking clock works also, but that sound drives me nuts. Make sure that you wake him and keep him up in the early evening, play with him, walk him - basically wear him out. He will sleep much more soundly if he's tired. You can also give him a little dinner just about an hour before bed time, a full tummy helps one sleep through the night. If he does wake up, and you know it's not one of those potty times, don't take him out of the kennel, he's training you, you are not training him if everytime he cries you take him out. Talk to him in a smoothing voice, and just tell him it's sleep time (or whatever term you want to use), until he gets the idea that the crying isn't going to work. Keep in mind, he is a baby, so he needs you to take the lead in his training. Hope this helps, and good luck

Answer 3

Once or twice a night is normal for a few weeks. Try putting something that you have worn in the crate with him and put the crate in your bedroom where he can see you. They do get very lonely.
Another thought--just like human babies, he could have his days and nights mixed up. Try keeping him awake a little more during the day.

Answer 4

A crate? You just answered it. The pup just misses his real mom and brothers and sisters and you are not allowing this pup to be free and feel part of you. make it's bed outside your bedroom door, never in it, because dogs will tend to chew more of other things when you are not home if you allow this, when it starts teething. So buy a puppy bed it can grow into and train it to sleep in the bed outside your bedroom. If it wines, call it's name and tell it to go to sleep, no fooling, it will in a short time. No crate, Geez!!

Answer 5

Dear Cal's Chica,

When you put him to sleep, make sure he has a crate or box with a warm soft dog pillow. Get an old fashioned clock that ticks (wind-up) and a hot water bottle and put them under the edge. (Make sure it's not scalding water). This will help the puppy feel like it has another dog nearby and help him to sleep.

One of the sites below is for goldens specifically (Rebel Creek), and they don't like this method, so you can look at their ideas and see what you think. :-)

-j.

Answer 6

put him in a separate room far away from your bedroom be sure to put a bowl of water in there and some toys he is probably scared his own room will let him explore that area and get comfortable with his surroundings i have a chocolate lab that did that when he was a puppy and this definetly worked for me oh and take lotsa pics when they are small cus pretty soon they are gonna be huge good luck and good night

Answer 7

I'm a sucker... I just let them in the bed with me!
seriously though... as said above, you need to wait until he quits whining before you let him out of the crate or you are just teaching him that...THAT is how to ask to get out of the crate.

Answer 8

same prob w/ me-let ur dog out b4 u go to sleep- and maybe in the middle of the night. do not respond to the crying u must ignore the dog. if u have to let ur dog out while it is crying-make sure he quiets down first or does a command for you. good luck!

Answer 9

put a stuffed animal in his crate at night, that might help. Also I know its hard but when he cries in his crate you need to ignore him because it will enforce negative behavior.

Answer 10

You are teaching him that crying WORKS!! It brings his new 'mum' running when he is missing company. He will feel a bit lonely just now after leaving his brothers and sisters but he has to learn to cope with it. If you don't teach him now you could well have serios problems later.
Get him a cuddly toy or two, leave the radio or tv on quietly and get him a small Kong. Fill it with a mixture of some of his food, chopped carrots, a few small cubes of cheese and tasty soft treats. Give it to him just as you are going to bed AND IGNORE HIS CRYING. It will only take a few nights for him to amuse himself and sleep. Taking him out into the garden for a game with his ball to tire him out will help, just before bed.
You might find this useful too......
House training is very easy because dogs naturally dislike soiling in their ‘den’. Lots of owners become very frustrated when their pup has an accident and they shout at, punish or worse – rub the pup’s nose in the mess!! None of us would dream of doing this with a child and would make an increased effort with the child’s potty training. So it should be with a pup. He/she is still learning about our ‘human’ world and what is acceptable and what is not.
If you shout at or punish your pup when he/she has an accident, he/she will not understand why. It is, after all, a most natural act. They will just find somewhere out of your sight to relieve themselves, perhaps behind the couch or under the bed.
The secret to successful house training lies in you getting the timing right. Pups generally want to empty themselves after they have just woken up, after eating a meal or after a play.
Try to anticipate when your pup wants to ‘go’. He/she may start sniffing or turning in circles. When you see your pup behaving like this, stop what you are doing and take him/her outside immediately. Take him/her to the spot where you want him/her to ‘go’ and wait. Don’t distract him/her by talking or playing just let him/her get on with it. As soon as he/she has finished hand out a treat and give him/her lots of praise. Remember to treat and praise within ONE SECOND so the pup can make the association between the action and the reward. Be prepared and keep treats in your pocket and an umbrella/raincoat by the door. This way you will not miss an opportunity to teach your pup the house rules.
If your pup has an accident, say NOTHING. Just clean it up then hit yourself over the head with a newspaper for missing the opportunity and not anticipating your pup.

Using an indoor crate can be very useful for house training as well as having many other benefits. Dogs like the security of the crate and feel quite happy in one if you have visitors that don’t like dogs. Your pup will not mess in his/her bed and providing you train him/her to the crate properly and don’t leave him/her too long, you can take him/her out when you are ready. Crates are particularly good for house training over night. You can let your pup out first thing in the morning, treat and praise and have instant success.

ps. I don't advocate putting him in your room at the start because it will just take him longer to cope on his own. All puppies need a small amount of stress to help them cope later in life.