Will owning a small dog interfere with my sleep at night?

Question

I'm about to buy a small maltepoo, and I've never owned a dog before. Can I expect to have to get up at all hours of the night once or more to take it outside to pee? (I live in an apartment). Any advice in general about owning a small dog/puppy?

Answer 1

The first few nights will be the hardest. Since they are newly separated from their littermates, they tend to cry. Start kennel training your pup immediatly. Get a kennel that will be large enough for her when full grown, so you don't waste money buying more than one. Place a stuffed animal in there with her, something she can snuggle up to. I always keep the kennel in my bedroom. Sounds counter productive, but I have learned that they settle down much quicker if they know you are close by. She will need to go to the bathroom at least once during the night. You could buy puppy pads and if you have an area (like a patio or kitchen) put the pads in there, so that you don't have to take her outside. but I find that you are really training them to potty in the house, so it's best to just get up and take them out. Use a command, such as potty, each time you take them out for that purpose, so that they learn that's what they are there for, it's not play time. Also be sure to take her to a vet just as soon as you get her, and get her on a vaccination schedule. The vet will also be able to give you practical advice on how to care for the puppy and train the puppy.

Answer 2

Not if you train it right. At first when he is a small puppy, put him in a crate. He will not want to soil it and will cry to come out. Let him out and take him to an enclosed area (I ordered some cheap wire fencing and made it into a circle) with an old shower curtain or a plastice sheet under it if you have it inside your house. Put newspaper down in one area of it. When he goes, praise him and put him right back into the crate. Leave a sm. piece of soiled paper down. After a few days my pup would head for the circle on her own. When he's just a little older you can get rid of the circle of fencing and take him outside to the same place everytime, or if you want to paper train him and not have to go outside, get some of those 'potty pads' available at pet stores. They have a scent only he can smell and he will want to go on them. He will not need to get up during the night when he's just a little older. Do these things and don't spoil him! : ) A maltepoo! How cute! I have a Maltese and I love her so much.

Answer 3

A maltepoo is the same dog I own! She sleeps with me too. It doesn't affect my sleep at all. What you might want to consider is buying training pads for your dog that you just lay down on the floor and train them to go on that. Easy clean up too, just pick up the pad and throw it out. That way you don't have to get up and take it outside to go to the bathroom... it will just get up when it feels like and go. Of course there will be the occasional dog sleeping on your head or something like that which could distrub your sleep, but after a while you get used to it and hardly ever wake up. Also, my dogs sleeping patterns have basically formed to mine, she gets up and goes to bed whenever I do so I'm sure yours will learn to do the same. I have known other people with maltepoo's and they tend to all have a similar personality. Since they're small they won't eat too much either so you won't have to be refilling their dish every five minutes. Good luck with your maltepoo! They make wonderful lap and play dogs! Soooo cute!

Oh yeah, and unless they're playing, they are normally very quiet... she hardly ever barks.

Answer 4

Well I live in an apartment,and I have a 3 month old Maltese and she doesn't bark at night. She hardly ever barks, unless provoked. We have puppy training pads where she goes pottie, and she's pretty good and accident free w/the pad. The first few nights she'll need to adjust to her new environment w/o her litter and mom, so she might cry, just try to make her as comfortable as possible. They're a lot of maintenance, and require a lot of attention, especially as puppies, so make sure you have the time/money/patience for that. Good luck!

Answer 5

If you are getting a young pup, yes, you can expect to get up at least once each night until the dog is about three to four months old. Unless...you keep the pup confined to a small area that is covered with paper (to make clean up easier). Put a crate in the area. Keep the door open so the pup can sleep in it but leave the crate to eliminate. Once the pup's muscles strengthen, you can confine the pup to the crate overnight.

There are a few books available about owning a small dog. Go to www.dogwise.com to find them.

Answer 6

I got my puppy when she was 9 weeks old. For the first 2 weeks she would start whining once a night because she had to go. After that she learned to hold it an entire night. Now she's even fine untill about 10am!! She never barks though!

Answer 7

With new puppies, they're going to miss their mother and their litter mates they've been used to. They're just babies, and they will cry at night for a while. And they won't be able to go all night long without going to the bathroom, they have tiny bladders. They need love, patience, and training. I always suggest obedience training when they're old enough. With an adult dog, if you take him out just before bed time, he usually will be fine until morning, but puppies have to go out often, especially right after eating or drinking.

Answer 8

at first I would....they will be noisy and crying at night.....and until they are completly house broke you will have messes to clean up....but after a week or so the pup will start to get used to the new surroundings and start to relax at night....granted even when they are older every once in a while they will wake you up...usually because they hear a noise or something they don't like....also I would consider adopting from a shelter before spending that much on a dog that is not pure bred....You will be able to find a mixed breed like that at a shelter for a fraction of the cost.

Answer 9

it depends on its age. if you get any puppy whether it is a small or large breed, you will have to get up all hours of the night for it to pee. But if you get an older dog, as long as you take it for a little walk around the area where you live, they will be fine.

Answer 10

I had a pug (the dog from the movie Men in Black) and he would always pee all over the floor in basement so we got him a cage and put his bed in there and before we put him in there would put him outside one last time for the night then put him in the cage. He would cry for the first couple of minutes but then he would just lay down and relax. And in the morning no mess and let him outside to do his business. Good Luck.