# A good problem to have



## sgarelick (Jun 13, 2011)

We have a new 10 week old puppy. Once my kids get home from camp, it's non-stop play for the kids and the puppy. The problem is that he passes out around 8:00 pm and can't be roused no matter what we do. I'd like to have him awake until we go to bed around 10:00 pm in hopes that he would sleep later.

Should we be forcing some "time-out/rest time" in the evenings so that we can keep him awake longer? I need to figure out someway to shift his internal clock a few hours if that makes sense.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

--Steve


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

Just like human babies, puppies need a lot of sleep. What time does he wake up if he goes to sleep around 8:00pm? 10 weeks might still be expecting too much if you're hoping he'll sleep all the way through the night. I think I still had to get up once a night at 10 weeks.

Taking some play breaks can't hurt. Jasper would have one or two hours naps throughout the day when he was that young (and I usually took advantage of the situation and had one myself), then we'd head to bed at around 10 or 10:30pm. I never found the daytime naps to affect when he went to sleep that night. Maybe encourage your kids to take play breaks every hour or so for 15 to 20 minutes--you'd be surprised, but I bet your puppy passes out within 5 minutes. It will also prevent him from getting overtired, and thus nippy and otherwise rowdy.


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## sgarelick (Jun 13, 2011)

Usually, he passes out around 8:00pm and I have to carry him upstairs at 10:00pm when I go to bed. In that scenario, he's typically up and ready to rumble between 4-5am. I don't expect him to sleep forever, but if I could at least get to sleep until 6:00am that would be great.

I'm sure we'll figure it all out. We're having so much fun with him. It's amazing how quickly everyone has fallen in love with him. It seems as if it's almost love at first sight for everyone that's met him.

What an amazing breed.

--Steve


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## Maisy Mae (Jul 22, 2011)

I wouldn't be worried at all. if its sleep you what you want then chances are even if your doesn't get a lot of sleep during the day it will still wake you up. But don't worry Maisy is will be 16 weeks this Sunday and she has gotten over it. Good Luck!


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

At 10 weeks, Savannah went to sleep around 7:30 every night no matter how many naps she had during the day.


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## SandraDee (Oct 19, 2010)

I like my dog like my kids. He goes to bed early and I'm pretty happy with that. When my kids go to bed, so does the dog. Gives me and my husband a nice break 

I don't think you can really keep a dog awake if he wants to sleep unless you plan on playing with him for a couple of hours to entertain him, especially at that age. He certainly isn't going to entertain himself.

My dog falls and rises with the sun basically, always has. He goes to sleep at dusk, and wakes up at dawn. Yeah it is early but meh I'm used to it, and its just part of the package.


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## pippa31 (Aug 2, 2011)

We try to have our V "nap" while we eat dinner....then we take her for a long walk or the dog park between 7:30 or 8:00. She usually falls asleep around 9 and then we take her out one more time at 10. She USUALLY sleeps until 6, but this morning she was up at 5


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## sgarelick (Jun 13, 2011)

I could probably deal easier with 5 if he slept through the night. He doesn't whine at all when he goes into the crate but does seem to wake up and start to whine every 2-3 hours. Because he's so young, I assume he has to go to the bathroom and I get up and take him out. When he comes back in, he lies right back down and goes right back to sleep.

At what age can I expect him to start sleeping through the night? We take up his water around 7:30.


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## SandraDee (Oct 19, 2010)

It might be painful for a night, but do the same thing a lot of people do with their babies. Let him cry, See what happens.


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## Marion (Aug 8, 2011)

Copper is 19 weeks tomorrow and sleeps through the night.. most nights  He naps whenever he wants to during the day but we play hard around 8 o'clock and he's down an out for the count at 9, up by 630. We don't take his water away because it's been soo hot later. I do take him out at before we go to bed at 10-1030.

Hang in there, won't be too long now!


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## sgarelick (Jun 13, 2011)

SandraDee said:


> It might be painful for a night, but do the same thing a lot of people do with their babies. Let him cry, See what happens.


Since he doesn't cry when put in and only start crying 2-3 hours after being in the crate I assume that he has to go to the bathroom. Should I really let him cry it out after he's been in the crate for a couple of hours and been an angel? 

FYI, his crate is in my bedroom so he can easily see me throughout the night.


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## pippa31 (Aug 2, 2011)

When you let him out in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, does he go right away? Then, do you put him right back into the crate? When he goes in does he complain? If he goes right away and then goes back to sleep, he might really have to go to the bathroom. Otherwise, he may just want some attention  Crate-training has been a long process for us (Pippa is now 12 weeks), but she is MOSTLY sleeping through the night now, and when she does cry for us in the middle of the night, I am letting her "cry it out" (which usually only lasts 2-3 minutes) and there have been no crate accidents. Good luck!


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## sgarelick (Jun 13, 2011)

Yes, he goes right away and then easily goes back in his crate and goes back to sleep. This makes me assume that he really has to go and therefore I hesitate to ignore his cries.


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## laurap610 (Aug 19, 2011)

Quick question.... we recently got a 12 week old Vizsla.... he sleeps alllll dayyyy longgg and all night... he is so calm it worries me... when someone new walks into our house he just stares at them.. and every time we try to play fetch he will for a few min but then just jumps back on the couch to snooze... he is still sooo scared of everything too...i thought he would be over the scared stage by now..... we have only had him a few days so maybe im expecting too much from him


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