cassie69emt

I have the great task of puppy sitting for DD while she is gone for a wekk training for new job.I thought how hard can this be? Was not ready for 1:45 am wake up call .How can I get this puppy to sleep all night long and not during the day ? Vet told her to feed her 3 times a day but I am afraid she is feeding her too late at night between 6& 7,could this be why she is having accidents at night? PLEAAAAAAASSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEE I beg of all of you for ideas I can not do another mid early morning thing can't think straight .Thank you all for you advice in advance.

Sunnie

When I sell a puppy I recommend feeding at 7, 12, and 5. I also recommend picking up the water by 7 PM. Then take the puppy out just before your bedtime making sure it does all of its business. Also depending on age, place the crate next to your bed and when it fusses place your fingers in the openings. Listen for the difference between "I'm lonely" and "I gotta go NOW". Best of luck.

TanyaL

How old is the pup? How loud is the pup? Could you put the pup and crate with a stuffed animal inside or a cuddle pillow in a room far enough away that you wouldn't hear it during the night? Many pups sleep unattended at night.

SuzanneG

You don't say how old the pup is, but young puppies will most definitely have to go out in the middle of the night no matter what time you feed them. It's just like having a baby in the house - you can't tell them to sleep through the night without pottying either.

If the pup is older and capable of going all night, (and is getting you up to poo, not pee), then feeding later at night might solve the problem. Dogs take approximately 8 hours to digest their food. So, if you feed the pup at 7 at night, she will need to poo around 3:00 in the morning. So, you can move her last feeding to right before bedtime and she should make it till morning.

If she's getting you up to pee, then you'll just have to remind yourself it's only for a week and then she'll go home and you'll get your sleep again. A crate might help, but ONLY if she is used to one and even then, if she needs to potty, then you'll still have to get up and let her out. Pups are a LOT of work and take a huge time and effort commitment. Lucky for you, it's only a week.

skrucker

I agree with Sunnie on the feeding and water. Also whenever I've gotten a puppy, I always put a wind up alarm clock in the bed with the puppy. The ticking of the clock always seemed to calm them. Just remember NOT to set the alarm to go off. That doesn't work out too well. Just ask me how I know!

nycquilter

puppies can only hold their water for one hour for each month of age. A one-month old can wait up to one hour between peeing. A two-month old can wait two hours. So, no matter when you feed the pup, s/he may be too young to sleep through the night. It's just the way it is...

Jingle

I wear foam earplugs to bed. My dog Cookie is around 4 years old and likes to get up about 4:30 or 5:00AM, use to be 3:30. Her crate is next to me, I never hear her, Husband hears her and takes her out. Works quite well for me.

SuzanneG

I'm sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree with lifting a puppies water at night. Puppies can dehydrate quickly. Beyond that, denying them water when they are thirsty is plain wrong just so we might get a good night's sleep.

Puppies are WORK! I have a nine month old pup, so not too long ago, I was traveling down that sleep-deprived road. But I took on the responsibility, so I have to do what's best for her, not easiest for me.

Interestingly enough, I have a good friend who got a puppy at the same time I got Piper. She insisted on pulling up her dog's water bowl at 6:00 every evening. At that time, my pup was in a crate beside my bed at night and had a bowl of water in there with her. I could hear her take a sip every now and then through the night. In the end, her puppy took just as long to make it through the night as Piper did, about 2-3 weeks. So her pup went thirsty for nothing since he still had to pee during the night, same as my pup that had access to water 24/7.

So, let the pup have access to water all the time and feed her later at night. If she has to pee, you have to get up and let her out. That's all part of the deal when you get a young pup. Feeding later will take care of the poo problem since she won't have to go until morning.

I noticed in your original post, you said the pup is having accidents at night. If you get up as soon as you hear her, then you can get her outside before accidents happen. You can't ask a puppy to wait. They simply aren't good at that yet. The pup is doing her part by letting you know she has to go, you have to do yours by getting up and letting her out.

Tink's Mom

Tinkerbelle is a Chihuahua...she is 5 years old, but still needs to go out occasionally during the night. If she is really whining, I get her outside. Please leave water for the pup, chihuahua's have a tendancy to have episodes similar to low blood sugar and should have water and a few nibbles of kibble at all times...
Have you considered a peepee pad for overnight? We have one under our dining room table for emergency use during the winter and for overnights. Tink understands that it is not for regular use, and will let us know she needs out...but...if I'm not home and she can't wait....I would prefer the pad than anywhere else.

fishhavengirl

She is adorable......sweet little furbaby!