I'm fostering 4 puppies from a litter of 13 abandoned at the gate to the local pound. I've had them a week now and they are about 4 or 5 weeks old. Of course, they are way too young to be housebroken, but they are doing all of their pooping and most of their peeing outside. I don't wait until they act like they need to go out. I wake them up every few hours and take them out. They wet as soon as their feet hit the ground.
They sleep pretty much through the night without crying. They have each other for comfort. They do go to the puppy pads on the end of their big kennel to wet during the night and then go back to their bed end to sleep.
BTW, my cutting board is on top of the big kennel. It is just the right height!
I do hope they find homes. Of course, I'm in love with them.