night time crate training trouble

[RoAnne]

I have a 5 month old shih poo. About a month ago we started crate training and she does great during the day. She is in it usually no more than 3 hours at a time, except for Mondays and Wednesdays when she is in it for 6 hours, and she does fine. About 2 weeks ago we started putting he in it during the night too, because she still pees on the floor at night. The first few nights she did fine, held it all night and didn't make hardly a sound, but then she gradually started waking up earlier and earlier, so that now, she wakes up around 12:30 or 1:00 and again at 4:30. She keeps crying and barking until one of us gets up and takes her out. At five months isn't she gettign old enough to go through the night? Should we ignore her if she cries? I'm thinking of just putting newspapers back on the floor in our bedroom and letting her sleep with us again. What do you think?

Thanks!

[Aqueous]

With Rocky I found that when he got older at night he would growl but not want to go out. I moved his crate beside my bed and most of the time when he growled all it took were a few fingers through the door and he would settle back in and go to sleep.

[Julia1119]

oooh I spoil Winnie....She is in her crate during the day when I am at work, but at night she sleeps with me....Since it is "her" bed too, she jumps down and quietly growls to wake me up so I can take her out. She is TWO and she is still needing to go out during the night. She can sleep through the night sometimes....The first night I brought her home, I put her in her crate in the kitchen. She was so loud and so upset, that I brought my pillow and blanket into the kitchen and slept in there with her, with my fingers in her crate door. It broke my heart! Training is tough, esp. with small dogs. Try putting the dogs crate in your room? I had her crate on my trunk at the foot of my bed for a while, but that got irritating because she wanted OUT....Take your dog out RIGHT before you go to bed so that they do their business right then and there....Hope this helps!

[honeybears]

hi, general rule of thumb is a puppycan hold it for how many hours and how many months they are old. so basicly she canhold it about 5 hours. some pups are differernt and can hold for more others less. For now, keep her in the crate, when she whines, take her out immediately, even thought its in the middle of the night, tell her go potty, praise her when she does. make sure she yo dont give her water before bed time.

If she is whining the second time during the night she proably just wants out of her cage, I would not take her out at this point but jsut let her whine.

good luck

honeybear

[RoAnne]

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll try putting her kennel upstairs in our room at nighttime. I'll let you know how it goes!

[RoAnne]

Yea!! It's working! The first night we put her crate in our room Jasmine was up at 4:30, then went back to sleep after I took her out to pee. Last night she slept all night and didn't get up until 6:00 this morning. Thanks for the advice!

Merry Christmas!

RoAnne

[Julia1119]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!