Crate Training/Early mornings

[DavesMummy]

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Hi, we are proud owners of new puppy. Dave is 9wks old and a tri-colour english cocker spaniel. He goes to bed at 11pm in his crate happily. He wakes any time between 4am & 6am for a wee. we take him to the garden, no interaction & straight back to crate. But he wont settle back to sleep again. we have tried leaving him but his yapping/barking does not ease but increases. Consequently due to having close neighbours we have to relent & go to him...he is wide awake! 

Any advice greatfully recieved!! 

 

[JoanneF]

He is a handsome lad! I'd have his crate in your bedroom so you can train a 'settle down' cue. I'd also try to make sure the room is dark and he can't hear things like birds outside.

 

[excuseme]

It sounds as though your little chap has had a long enough time and sleep in his cage, and is ready to start his day. Don't upset his peaceful night routine by shutting him up  in his cage again. Have you tried leaving him loose now after his wee to see if he will give you another couple of hours sleep? He is very young and is bound to improve without upsets as the weeks go by.

 

[DavesMummy]

thanks for your suggestions JoanneF and excuseme...sods law, last night Dave went to bed/crate at 11:15pm & to sleep straight away. He didnt wake until 6:30am :0) & went straight out for wee & poo. I was happy with this & the household was starting to get up then anyway so i didnt get chance to try settling him back to bed/crate. will update tomorrow on tonights progress! 

 

[DavesMummy]

After 2 'good' nights of Dave sleeping 11:30-6:00 last night was a step back...usual toilet trip in garden 11:15 & into crate 11:30...up & howling/barking at 3:30, taken out for wee...nothing...back to crate...more howling but settled after half an hour. awake again at 6:00, more howling...out for wee & poo, back to crate, howling for next 30mins so we got up & he just followed us around barking for about 30mins like he was angry with us!! 

we cant have crate in bedroom...we live in ground floor garden flat so only just along corridor to kitchen where his crate is. the kitchen is quite dark/quiet so i dont think its that? tried leaving crate door open & letting Dave have the kitchen to play but he just sits at stair gate & barks.

dave had his breakfast at 7:30 & ate is all v quick so we gave a little more, he went out for wee & has now put himself to bed, fast asleep...in his crate!! 

im wondering if it was hunger that woke him now? he never seems very interested in his 1:30pm meal & often leaves half...is it too early to start transision to 2 meals a day? i cant remember what i did with my previous dog ruby at this age. 

thanks in advance for advice :0)

 

[JoanneF]

It I sent possible he is hungry. Would he take a snack at bedtime?

 

[DavesMummy]

he has his food in 3 equal meals at 7:30, 13:30 & 19:30. he has 2 puppy milk bone biscuits to go to bed with. we have noticed he is ravenous in mornings but leaves a little food at both lunch & teatime, i was wondering if i fed less at lunchtime by teatime he is hungrier & will eat more which will help him get thru the night?? 

now...75g, 75g & 75g 

idea...90g, 45g & 90g?

he is on dry puppy kibble with one fork of tinned puppy food mixed in just to give a bit more flavour as the breeder instructed us.

 

[dogmatize]

 I think four meals might be better - he's still pretty young. I think I would be feeding the first meal about 7 and the last at 11 with 2 evenly spaced in between.  Every breeder has different ideas about what to feed however.

Excuse me should be able to advise☺

 

[DavesMummy]

he went from 4 meals to 3 a week before we collected him from the breeder. i found also when feeding him too late in evening, say after 8pm, it ment we were waiting for him to go poo before bed sometimes after midnight & i dio like to know he's been before he goes in his crate for the night. (he has never wee'd or poo'd in his crate) also he seems to naturally wind down & fall asleep about 11/11:30...as this is when his breeder settle the puppies every night. 

also i have to take into consideration that i have been really lucky (due to having broken wrist!) to have been able to be at home full time for his first four weeks (tho he has been left for up to 4hrs during day with no problems for hosp appts) but i am back to work partime 9:30-13:00 on 18th & then full time 9:30-16:00 a month later (tho i can pop home quickly at lunch time for dave to go loo, it wont be long enough for feed & wait for him to wee/poo) so dont really want to re-introduce a late morning feed at this stage only to remove it again when im back at work.

sorry if i sound ungreatful for your advice...i understand your thinking, its just hard to sometimes explain the situation properly without prattling on for pages! 

 

[JoanneF]

Remember that it's often the second last meal that they poo. If you want to check, add a few kernels of sweet corn to one of his meals! That might give you a better idea of when to feed .

 

[DavesMummy]

im going to do this...thanks for the idea! :0)

 

[dogmatize]

Just in case anyone else is reading this post for advice about feeding their puppy. It is generally accepted that an 8 week old puppy should still have been having 5 small meals a day while with the breeder.

4 meals until 12 weeks, 3 meals until 16 weeks,2 meals until a year old. Then depending on breed once or twice a day.