# Crate and potty through the night?



## wellarmedglockgirl (Oct 6, 2016)

We get Dawson the day after Christmas. He will be 8 weeks old. We will crate train. I was wondering, during the night do I wake him up and take him out or do I wait until I hear him whine? I have been told if a dog or pup whines in the crate, do not take him out, or give any attention (so the behavior does NOT increase), but wait until he stops. Any suggestions?
Thank you


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

You must be so excited  Can't wait to see your photos  

Take up his water a couple hours before bedtime (he should have access to it whenever he's out of the crate otherwise) and take him out last thing before going to bed. Always go out with your puppy, use a leash if you have to, to keep him close. Watch and be 100% sure you saw him tinkle. Reward immediately with praise and a tiny treat. Throw a party for him  If he won't tinkle, put him back in his crate for 15 minutes and then try again. Never go anywhere with your puppy unless you have a baggy of treats in your pocket. I always leave out a little bowl or bag of treats on my counter so that I can reward my little pup for good behavior. 

Here is a tip for you whether it's a human or a dog: if it's night time, never ever wake a sleeping baby  If he cries in the middle of the night, ignore for about 5 minutes and see if he will settle and go back to sleep. If he gets louder and won't give up you can take him out (carry him) and do not make a fuss, baby talk him or play. Let him potty and bring him straight back to his crate. Cover with a light blanket or sheet to keep it dark. You may feel sorry for him the first night, whatever you do, no puppy in your bed. I always hide treats in my puppy's crates (little tiny bites) so that each time the puppy steps foot in the crate he discovers something good in there. My puppies always run to their crates at night to dive in and search for a treat. 

Read through the puppy board and use the search feature to bring up old threads (we've covered EVERYTHING here at one time or another) search things like "puppy's first night" or "potty training at night" or "puppy won't sleep" etc. Don't fret, chances are your puppy will be quite worn out from the adventures of the first day (be careful not to overwhelm him with loud new people etc.) and you won't have trouble. Dogs are like kids and thrive on routine, he will mold to yours in no time


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

There are two schools of thought on night. Some people do set an alarm and get up and take they out.

I have always waited to be woken up. (And they WILL wake you us, at least for the first week, then less and less). As the puppy grows, his bladder will grow and get stronger. There is a difference between a cry that means I need to go pee, and a cry that just means I want attention. You'll be able to tell. I like to have the crate in my bedroom. The first night, if you have taken up his water a few hours before bed, and taken him to pee right before bed, he'll probably wake up about 3-4 hours later and cry. Get up, carry him from the crate outside, very quiet, few lights on, no playing. Praise and treat when he goes outside, and then back in the crate. If he cries and whines, you'll know it's not because he needs to go out. He should be good for another 3-4 hours. And as he grows, you'll see that if he was waking at 3, it will become 4, then 5, then 6.. then he'll eventually sleep til your wake up time. It might take a few months til he makes it consistently through the night, though the 3am wake up usually doesn't last more than a week or two before it starts to go longer.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

I'm with Sweet Girl on this: don't wake the pup, wait for him to wake you. Take him out, reward when he pees, and put him straight back in the crate. Don't respond to whining or barking when you know he doesn't need to go out.

They understand very quickly. My pup Duster would whine a bit in his crate because he didn't like being in there at first, but would "yip" if he needed to go outside. I only responded to the "yips" The night-time outings didn't last long. By the time he was nine weeks old, he was sleeping through the night (midnight to 7 am). He wasn't allowed water after 8 in the evening.

When he was about four months old he had a bout of diarrhea that lasted a few days, and the night-time "yips" came back. He always seemed to understand that these outings were only for the necessities, and would trot back upstairs with me afterwards and go straight into his crate.

They understand more than we think.


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## Mayabear (Aug 26, 2015)

I let Maya wake us up when she needed to go. You are right about not letting your pup out when it is crying/whining, but you need to know when it is potty-related vs. something else.

For example, at night, after Maya had slept for 3-4 hours and she woke up crying/whining, I figured she needed to go, so I'd wake up and take her out immediately. When I was crate training at other times, and we were trying to build up her tolerance to staying in the crate calmly, I would ignore her crying/whining until she settled down, and then release her. 

It is easier said than done. The first impulse is to cave, especially for first time dog owners. You wonder how cruel you are when your beautiful pup is crying unhappily in a crate. Be strong, the crate is your best friend esp with a puppy!


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## BrianO (Apr 7, 2016)

My pup's crate is in my bedroom. Easier to hear him, easier for him to know he is near his people. We are not dog in the bed people, but having him in the room strengthens the bond between us. During early puppy days, it made training much easier.


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## Rambo's mom (Apr 30, 2016)

I suppose we went against the grain on this one. I won't go into particulars but because of work schedules, sleep habits etc, there was always someone either coming or going at all hours. We would go in at about two or three hours the first week and get Rambo ( who often was already sitting in the crate, ready to go) take him out, treat him, and then bring him right back to the crate. We were very lucky, be never whined or cried. We increased the time as he grew older. 
Both of my dogs, Rambo and my beloved past dog Frodo, were trained in 15 days and not a single accident since.It was hard work, but I kept close to them at all times, and made outside breaks at least twice an hour in the beginning. There were times when I lost my cool with my family especially with Frodo, because we got him at Christmas. Trying to cook a Christmas dinner, watch the pup and see the other humans sitting back and watching tv. Not fun at all. For two weeks I was a zombie, but it was worth it! 

I know I was very lucky with the two puppy boys, and I truly appreciate that. My oldest daughter has a 9 year old boxer who still isn't really trained. It doesn't bother her, so to each his own. 

Also I need to mention that because I am retired I was able to do this. No way would it have been possible with a job and small children. No way! Accidents will happen, but it all works out. 

I can't wait to see pictures of Dawson!
Congratulations and good luck!


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## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

I am also in the let him wake you up camp. I take the water up 2 hours before bed, make sure the dog was fed at least 4 hours before bed. With an 8 week old puppy you will feed him 3 times a day initially so if you feed him at 6 AM, noon and 6 PM and take his water up at 8:00 you should be good to go to bed by 10:00. Always take him out on a leash and when he goes potty outside praise, praise, praise. If he wakes you do go out at night pick him up and carry him to the door (dogs don't generally pee while being carried) take him on a leash, do so quietly. No playing. Praise him if he goes and put him back in his crate. Since dogs are pack animals and prefer to be with their pack I recommend that you put his crate in the bedroom. Believe me, it will be easier in the long run for you. Congratulations on your soon to arrive new family member. Be sure to take lots of photos. Puppy times pass way too fast. Good luck


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

I agree with everyone else. Don't wake the puppy. 

Sometimes good intentions can create habits you will need to fix later. Waking the puppy creates the habit of the pup getting up at that time of night on a schedule that you will have to eventually stop. Why make more work for yourself. 

There are some pups that will actually sleep through the night when they come home at 8 weeks. Let your pup set the pace.


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

Don't wake the pup, let him tell you. Also, don't be so concerned with what is "right" to do. Let your heart guide you. If you feel better about your choices then those are good choices. I always try and put myself in puppy's shoes. My pup dirtied his cage the first couple nights, b/c he didn't know how to ask to be let out and I wasn't reading him properly. I felt terrible and from then on I got up and let him out every single time he whined. He eventually started sleeping more than getting up.

One thing too - if your pup has diarrhea, be careful about restricting his water. When my pup had diarrhea I let him have all the water he wanted, and that progressed to him always having access to water. So far, he's been pee-trained since about age 10 weeks. Poop training is harder with occasional diarrhea flareups, but he's very reliable there too, usually.

Remember to teach with compassion, not with dominance. You'll find that getting "your way" is much more satisfying when the puppy chooses that as his way too!


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## my4goldens (Jan 21, 2009)

Don't wake the puppy up. My puppy turned 14 weeks yesterday, he is now finally sleeping from about 9:30 at night to around 4 or 5 in the morning. The first week he needed to go out about every hour or two hours at night, gradually it stretched to what is now. He is really good about going out and pottying, and going back to bed. But I always took him out on a leash, even though we have a fenced in yard, being on a leash eliminated any chance of him getting the zoomies or wanting to play in the middle of the night. Congratulations on your new puppy, and remember, they grow very fast, so enjoy his puppy hood.


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## nuggetandmeeko (Dec 21, 2016)

Do you guys have any suggestions for training a puppy in an apartment? We live in an apartment so it is kinda impossible to bring the puppy outside in the middle of the night. Thanks!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

nuggetandmeeko said:


> Do you guys have any suggestions for training a puppy in an apartment? We live in an apartment so it is kinda impossible to bring the puppy outside in the middle of the night. Thanks!


No it's not! You just have to do it :smile2: It's the same as during the day - just dark. 

(I do speak from experience. I housetrained a puppy from a third floor walk-up apartment). Sleep in clothes that you can go outside in - slip on boots and grab a coat in one hand and the pup in the other, and go!


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## Julie Timmons (Dec 16, 2016)

Sweet Girl said:


> No it's not! You just have to do it :smile2: It's the same as during the day - just dark.
> 
> (I do speak from experience. I housetrained a puppy from a third floor walk-up apartment). Sleep in clothes that you can go outside in - slip on boots and grab a coat in one hand and the pup in the other, and go!


This is what I'm not looking forward to when I get my pup in Feb. It's not the having to get up and go out in the middle of the night part, it's the time of year part. I've been trying to figure out how to get him to his pee spot fast enough.

I need to get on warm clothes and boots, (I get too hot to sleep clothed) get the puppy out of his crate, carry him downstairs and all the way across the yard and possibly have to trudge through snow to get him to where I want him do his business. I've read that they rarely will pee when being held so I'm hoping that's going to be the case!


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Julie Timmons said:


> This is what I'm not looking forward to when I get my pup in Feb. It's not the having to get up and go out in the middle of the night part, it's the time of year part. I've been trying to figure out how to get him to his pee spot fast enough.
> 
> I need to get on warm clothes and boots, (I get too hot to sleep clothed) get the puppy out of his crate, carry him downstairs and all the way across the yard and possibly have to trudge through snow to get him to where I want him do his business. I've read that they rarely will pee when being held so I'm hoping that's going to be the case!


It was the case for me with both my pups. I had no yard for either, so lots of carrying time before the pee. No one ever peed on me! :smile2:

I also did one in the snowy cold winter. I barely remember it, so it couldn't have been that bad! I know I did sleep in sweat pants, then I would get the pup from her crate and hold her while I slipped on my boots and I usually carried my coat and didn't put it on til we were outside and I put her down. I had good luck with pups who would pee right away - I trained a pee word from day one for both. It's very useful.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

Keep the boots and coat by the crate at night and by the door during the day, that way you can dress quickly. I invested in easy slip on shoes, fur lined crocs, with my last winter puppy and it was easy to just slip my feet in with the puppy in my arms (we don't have deep snow where I live so it worked for me) The key is to be ready when you pick the puppy up, don't set him down while you fumble with door locks etc. And you will want to get a good, bright flash light to keep handy. Luckily the middle of the night trips should not be something that lasts a long time. My first Golden only woke up one night. It's really not as bad as you think


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## nuggetandmeeko (Dec 21, 2016)

nolefan said:


> Keep the boots and coat by the crate at night and by the door during the day, that way you can dress quickly. I invested in easy slip on shoes, fur lined crocs, with my last winter puppy and it was easy to just slip my feet in with the puppy in my arms (we don't have deep snow where I live so it worked for me) The key is to be ready when you pick the puppy up, don't set him down while you fumble with door locks etc. And you will want to get a good, bright flash light to keep handy. Luckily the middle of the night trips should not be something that lasts a long time. My first Golden only woke up one night. It's really not as bad as you think


Thanks! I am wondering if training pads would be a good alternative.


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## aesthetic (Apr 23, 2015)

nuggetandmeeko said:


> Thanks! I am wondering if training pads would be a good alternative.


You mean pee pads inside? They wouldn't. Chances are your puppy won't distinguish between the pee pad and the rest of your floor (for example, my boy goes outside and has one particular spot he'll pee, then he'll walk around and pee in another spot. He's always been like that). He won't understand that it's okay to pee here but not okay to pee there. There's also a good chance that he'll rip up the pee pad too..goldens are known for their affinity for paper. Plus, it might make teaching him to go outside a lot harder. I never recommend using pee pads (although I know there is a member on here who made it work, but still). Plus the middle of the night potty runs don't even last that long - my boy was sleeping through the night within a week. I just think it's better to get housebreaking out of the way, so you don't have to deal with a 7 month old puppy who's still confused about where he's allowed to pee.

And who wants to deal with a wet smelly pee pad anyway?


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## nuggetandmeeko (Dec 21, 2016)

aesthetic said:


> You mean pee pads inside? They wouldn't. Chances are your puppy won't distinguish between the pee pad and the rest of your floor (for example, my boy goes outside and has one particular spot he'll pee, then he'll walk around and pee in another spot. He's always been like that). He won't understand that it's okay to pee here but not okay to pee there. There's also a good chance that he'll rip up the pee pad too..goldens are known for their affinity for paper. Plus, it might make teaching him to go outside a lot harder. I never recommend using pee pads (although I know there is a member on here who made it work, but still). Plus the middle of the night potty runs don't even last that long - my boy was sleeping through the night within a week. I just think it's better to get housebreaking out of the way, so you don't have to deal with a 7 month old puppy who's still confused about where he's allowed to pee.
> 
> And who wants to deal with a wet smelly pee pad anyway?


I see. Thanks for the reply. I was a bit hesitant about going out side during a February Canadian midnight, but I guess if it is only a week, then it is not too bad! Another question regarding pee pad tho. When I am away, I want to put the puppy in an exercise pen which has to have a bathroom space, would pee pads be good for those conditions?


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

nuggetandmeeko said:


> I see. Thanks for the reply. I was a bit hesitant about going out side during a February Canadian midnight, but I guess if it is only a week, then it is not too bad! Another question regarding pee pad tho. When I am away, I want to put the puppy in an exercise pen which has to have a bathroom space, would pee pads be good for those conditions?


I brought my pup home to Montreal at the end of January last year. While I wasn't thrilled to be standing outside at 2 a.m. in minus 20 temperatures, the pup didn't seem to mind ...! Keep a coat and boots near the door. And yes, the night-time outings don't last long, so it's not too bad.

Will you be away for long periods? I'm not sure about the pee pads. I brought my pup home by plane, and bought some pads for the flights, but I'd have been hesitant to leave him alone with them. They look like the kind of thing that would cause serious problems if chewed and swallowed, and most Golden pups are likely to shred and eat whatever is available to them. If you're only going to be away for two or three hours, your pup should be fine in a crate for that length of time.


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## nuggetandmeeko (Dec 21, 2016)

ceegee said:


> I brought my pup home to Montreal at the end of January last year. While I wasn't thrilled to be standing outside at 2 a.m. in minus 20 temperatures, the pup didn't seem to mind ...! Keep a coat and boots near the door. And yes, the night-time outings don't last long, so it's not too bad.
> 
> Will you be away for long periods? I'm not sure about the pee pads. I brought my pup home by plane, and bought some pads for the flights, but I'd have been hesitant to leave him alone with them. They look like the kind of thing that would cause serious problems if chewed and swallowed, and most Golden pups are likely to shred and eat whatever is available to them. If you're only going to be away for two or three hours, your pup should be fine in a crate for that length of time.


Thanks for answering another thing that was bothering me! I was always thinking if I should get a jacket for the puppy for the winter. 

I plan to work from home for the first two weeks the puppy arrives, and then I can only come back during lunch breaks. Hopefully the puppy can be kinda trained in the night before I get back to work. The puppy will probs spend 3 hours at most by himself. I forgot the fact that golden like paper stuff and might chew on the pee pad.


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## CaNative (Dec 22, 2016)

Hi Jean~~~
I think we may have relative pups! I watched quite a few videos with Dawson and the name was connected to Jean. Coincidence? Will you be driving to Yucaipa? I get Cali (from Cyrus and Grace) next Thursday.
teri : )


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## wellarmedglockgirl (Oct 6, 2016)

Yes! We are getting Dawson in Yucaipa. Eva is his mother! What a small world! We get him the day after Christmas. When are you getting your pup? How exciting we have siblings! Lol


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## wellarmedglockgirl (Oct 6, 2016)

I just read you get yours Thursday. 
Do you live in Yucaipa? We live in Hermosa Beach.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

nuggetandmeeko said:


> I see. Thanks for the reply. *I was a bit hesitant about going out side during a February Canadian midnight*, but I guess if it is only a week, then it is not too bad! Another question regarding pee pad tho. When I am away, I want to put the puppy in an exercise pen which has to have a bathroom space, would pee pads be good for those conditions?


It's been done by many before you, and we all survived. :smile2:

And keep in mind, you may be forced to do it through the dog's entire life, on nights he is sick. You just do it. You put on a coat and boots and go. It's just part of having a dog. And trust me, when he has to go, or he's sick, you probably won't be worrying about being cold. You'll be worrying about him.


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## CaNative (Dec 22, 2016)

No, I live in Santa Clarita. I was supposed to have one of Eva's but I wanted a lighter female and Grace had the lightest, so....I'm excited for you tomorrow, and for me on Thursday! 
teri : )


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## wellarmedglockgirl (Oct 6, 2016)

CaNative said:


> No, I live in Santa Clarita. I was supposed to have one of Eva's but I wanted a lighter female and Grace had the lightest, so....I'm excited for you tomorrow, and for me on Thursday!
> teri : )



We got Dawson today. What a calm puppy! He has been calm though from the beginning. You could see it in the video's, since 4 weeks old.


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## wellarmedglockgirl (Oct 6, 2016)

wellarmedglockgirl said:


> We got Dawson today. What a calm puppy! He has been calm though from the beginning. You could see it in the video's, since 4 weeks old.


I am excited for you! Tammy did a great job with these pups.


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