Is it normal for a 12 week old puppy to be very tired the first few days of crate training?

Question

We just got a new puppy and last night was the first night she had to stay in her crate all night by her self. She cried almost all night and now today she can barley keep her eyes opened. She is so tired. Is that normal? I feel so bad for letting her cry all night. Should i put the crate in my room at night and slowly move her back into the laundry room? She's just a baby :( Please help

Thanks

-New puppy mommy

PS- Any tips on crate training/general training is welcomed!

Answer 1

Yes it is normal to be tired.  She is undergoing stress, which is tiring.  

You did the right thing.  The only way for her to get used to the crate is to just let her cry.  She will get over it.  It took my puppy about a week to embrace the crate at night.

Answer 2

Yes, that is normal. You have to let her get used to the crate, its difficult at first but eventually your dog will know thats her private place. Leave the crate in 1 permenant place, and if you decide to get rid of it later, I suggest you put the dogs bed in that place. Also dont scold the dog in the crate, or send it there when its been bad,  it just makes the dog feel negatively about the crate and you really dont want that. Good luck and make sure to spend as much time as possible bonding with your new friend! :]

Answer 3

Puppies sleep alot just like babies.  They usually play for 30 min.-1 hour and then pass out for a nap.  It's normal and she'll get used to the crate eventually.  She may be stressed because this is the first time she's been away from her mother and litter mates.  

Answer 4

All new puppies go through an adjustment period when you first bring them home.  They have just been separated from their mother and littermates and their entire short World that they've known has changed.

A 12 week old puppy cannot be left in the crate all night.  The rule of thumb for them holding it is # of Months + 1, so at 3 Months, she's good to hold it for about 4 hours and will then need to brought outside to go potty.  Get up in the middle of the night, bring her outside, then immediately put her back in her crate so she doesn't think it's playtime.  

If she starts crying in the crate and you know that all of her needs are met (She's recently been outside, isn't hungry or thirsty), then IGNORE her when she cries in the crate.  Giving her any attention, even telling her SHHHHH, will give her more reason to cry.  Do not let her out of the crate if she's crying either - again, all she'll learn is that if she cries, she'll get out.

Answer 5

I have used a ticking clock before, under one of the blankets, it lets the pup feel like it's secure, closer to the mother, a similated heart beat.  After all, she's just a baby girl.

Answer 6

I would start feeding your pup in the crate. They have little bowls that mount on the crate doors, and I would highly recommend investing in one.

Feeding puppies in their crate and creating a positive outlook on the crate, makes puppy feel as if it is their "safe haven".

I have a lab and he is a year old now. I started feeding him in his crate and in no time at all, he was very well adjusted.

Check out the Website below "7 Easy Steps to Introduce The Crate".

Answer 7

I would take her to the vets, at her age, she should be going 90 miles per hour.  At her age, she can only hold her potty for 4 hours at the most, so take her out at night.  I would move the crate to your bedroom, until she is potty trained, and then she can sleep wherever.

I use a crate* to potty train with, but only for potty training and then I break it down and store it.  I put blankets and a small food and water dish in the crate.  Dogs don't potty where they eat and sleep.  When they are first little, I only expect them to hold their potty for 4 hours, and then 6 hours, then 8 hours and so on.  So when they are first little, I set a timer or alarm clock to wake myself up at night to take them *out.  I only allow my puppy in the bedroom* or the living room, only one room at a time.  They have to graduate to more space.  If I allow them to have full run of the house, it will overwhelm them.  I take them out the same door each time.  I tie a dinner bell to the door handle.  Do not use a jingle bell as they could get their toe caught in it.  So when they are little, I ring the bell for them, and then open the door to go *outside to potty.  When they get bigger, I take their paw and whack the bell and open the door to go potty.  Eventually getting to the place where the puppy will ring the bell and let me know when they need to go potty.  Dogs want to please you, so it is your job to let them know what behaviors please you and what doesn't.  So when my puppy goes potty, I give her a treat*, and clap, and make a fuss and praise her.  So she learns that going potty outside makes me happy.  If she has an accident, make a disgust sound like “tsst”  and take her out right away.  I never yell* or spank* my puppies.  Take them out when they first wake up, after they eat or drink, before nap, finish romping, when their activities change, or when they are sniffing around. Some puppies go pee right away, but may not go p**p until 10 minutes later, so wait for the p**p.  I have a little play time here, because sometimes I think they are done, and they are not.  Puppies train at their own pace.  While I may have a puppy that hasn't had an accident in several weeks, I don't let my guard down.  I don't expect my puppies to be "fully potty trained" until one-year-old.  If they have a setback, shake it off, and start over.  I only have my puppies in the crate when I am not watching them.  When I am sleeping, cooking, ironing, doing chores, basically when I am not watching her.  All other times, she is out of the crate practicing being a "big girl."  This is the time I train her how to behave in the house.  So we are practicing "no barking", 'no biting", "no jumping", and "don't eat the furniture."  I also have to practice "playing inside" so she doesn't knock over things.  You must keep the puppy in sight when they are little because they don’t know the difference between newspaper and carpet, and you don’t want them sneaking off and getting into trouble.   Some puppies can sleep through the night around 3-months-old, but their bladder is grown around 6-months-old.



REVISIONS:



*I use a crate to train with.  It is the method I prefer, compared to other methods I have tried.  I noticed that if they are in the crate, while I am doing chores, they are o.k., because the crate allows them to see me and be re-assured.  The crate can also be a comfort when stored in the basement for dogs who live in areas where thunderstorms and tornados are an issue. .  However, use the method that works best for you.....a laundry basket, a cardboard box, a woof-woof house, x-pen, child gates, whatever works for you.



*Outside, pee pad, litter box, whichever method you are using.   When the puppy is first little, keep the pee pad, litter box near the food and water dish, so the puppy can eat and drink, and then go potty.  You can move it away as they get older.  The pee pad has a scent that smells and initiates potty.  Sometimes a pee pad makes a sound that scares some puppies, so you might want to use a litter box if that happens.  The pee pad allows a puppy to walk around, but a litter box keeps the puppy in one place.

*Bedrooms, I use the bedroom and living room for training, because it works for me.  Choose rooms that work for you, but watch for rooms that are damp, or drafty.  While my puppies sleep in the bedroom during training, once they are trained, I let them sleep where they want to.  They don't have to sleep in the bedroom forever.

*Treats.  While I use treats for training, you don't have to.  I like Charlee Bears for training (a little cracker for a little mouth,) I use them for training, but once they are trained, I cut back on them.



*Some puppies will go potty in the same spot each time.  Some puppies have to be told to go potty.  A command like "go out" for pee, or "go finish" for p**p, might work for you, keep saying “go finish” until the puppy poops.  This is a good thing to train if you travel with your