# Crate training... nights



## Dawz84 (Apr 16, 2014)

Hi,

I see theirs a million threads on this topic but i'd like to share what i'm doing and if it would give any negative impact.

First of all Milo is 9 weeks on Wednesday. I've been putting only a little water in his bowl after 7-8pm.

I've been feeding him at 6am, 1pm and around 6pm. Putting him to bed/crate around 10-11pm. Do you think it would help to feed him later. My original thought was to try remove the need to defecate in the night, but food must take several hours to pass. With that in mind would a late feed keep him full and content through the night? 

I take him out ritually before bed to the same area of the garden. Sometimes he will go back in and I take him out a second time a few minutes later. He seems to get distracted easily so the second visit seems to help.

I then put him in the crate with the door open, curtains closed, lights off etc. I'll sit on a chair near by and he will usually settle to bed. If he is a little restless i'll pick him up in my lap, and he goes to sleep in 5-10 minutes. I'll then put him back in the crate and he will nods off. I'll then shut the crate and leave.

Now in the night hes been crying, sometimes he has slept through. At first I was ignoring him and finding in the morning he had accidents in the crate. So I started going down after 10-15 minutes if he doesn't quite down. I take him Straight outside and he usually goes to the toilet, then straight back in without playing.

Usually his restless and I either sit on the floor next to the crate or pick him up. As before he usually falls asleep within 15 minutes and I close the door and go back to bed.

Normally I only need to get up once, but last night I had to get up at 1am and 5am. Hes normally up at 6 so perhaps just got up early.

I was wondering if my behavior maybe encouraging him to cry. Although he only seems to cry when he needs the toilet. I've never came down to find he just wants to play for example.

I'm hoping as he gets older my need to hang around will become less and the need for toilet breaks gets less. 

Any idea when I can expect him to sleep through.?


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## number10 (Jun 2, 2014)

Hi Dawz84 - i'd be interested in what the others say, but I wonder if you are spending too much time "settling" him? All Vs must be different, but mine stopped crying after 2 mins in the crate by the third night, and was silent thereafter. I put her in, no fuss, tidy the sitting room, lights out, and leave. From the begining I set the alarm and got up at regular, specific intervals (which I extended over time until she slept through) throughout the night. She never had to be awake long enough to cry for the toilet. 

I really swear by the no-fuss, crate, carry on your activities, and then exit, strategy. I get the odd grumble occasionally, but for moments only.


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## Dawz84 (Apr 16, 2014)

I have been wondering if I shouldn't bother settling him as you suggest. But then I read some people have to have them in the room to begin with. I have him in the dining room/kitchen. Figured the settling was no different to a hand down near the crate in a room. But i'm aware and confused about the best route.

So you think I should be coming down in intervals? The only issue with that is sometimes he sleeps though. Not that I have a lot of experience yet, I've only had him since Wednesday. But Saturday for example he slept through till 6am.

I guess though if i went down instead of him calling me it would remove that initial excitement when you first go down.


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## mish2014 (Feb 28, 2014)

Hello, I agree with Dawz84. My Zeus is 11 weeks and we have had him for 3 weeks. At first, he barked and whined but now only after 2-3 minutes he settles in his crate. It is located on the main floor in the bathroom. His last feed is at 6pm and last drink at 7pm. We take him out for toilet at midnight and sleeps thru to 5am. I think altogether he has soiled his crate 3times. The best is to keep a schedule like clockwork and they learn faster. Remember esp V's they hate soiling their crate so a couple of accidents thru this process will only make your pup learn not to faster. I would also suggest that you let your pup tell you when he has to pee...I would not be waking him up. In addition, I have a night light and light music playing thru the night...this helps settle things,too.


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## Dawz84 (Apr 16, 2014)

So far he's only peed in the crate.

So you think this "settling" process will get shorter and shorter?

I'll try some music, that can only help. I'll also try sticking to the better routine.


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## number10 (Jun 2, 2014)

Hi Dawz84 and Mish2014 - I can understand the reluctance to wake pup up, and that suggests to me that you can extend the gaps between toilet trips. I'm sure there is more than one right answer, all I can say is I followed the advice of Pippa Mattinson who wrote The Happy Pappy Handbook, to the letter. Routine, routine, routine. I did settle her on days 1 and 2, by talking to her through the crate in the sitting room or from my bedroom "good girl" and "you're all right" over and over again like a crazy lady, if I heard her. I had no crying in the crate after day 3, and no accidents in the crate either. It could be I was just lucky with the dog. 

Good luck! The settling will absolutely get shorter, and the dog will feel more secure. The thing I found reassuring is knowing that she can hear me at the other end of the house far better than I can hear her - so she will know exactly where I am and whether I am awake or asleep!


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## Dawz84 (Apr 16, 2014)

Well I don't know if its because hes just settling in now. But last night he took him self to the crate, i took him out of it to go the toilet and he ran back in. 

He then woke up around 11.30 and slept right through till 5am. Bliss. (never thought sleeping in till 5am would be bliss haha)

So i think i'll start taking him out on the final toilet run later, 11.30-12.00pm and hopefully he will sleep through. I also put bbc world news on which is just chatting all night. Not sure if that helped.

Another thing I did different, the breeder told me how the pups were in the garage with the various utilities running all the time like the washing machine. The white noise seems to put them to sleep, so before going to bed I also ran the dishwasher.

Fingers crossed we have a repeat tonight.


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