Skip to content

Puppy training at night

Basenji Training
  • Hi!

    Puppy season has begun :) We brought our 8-week old puppy home on Saturday and she's an absolutely perfect puppy during the day. She interacts well with us, has taken to taking naps between my two boys. She goes partly on the pee pee pad and outside when we take her out (we live in Canada and it's cold, she shivers and whimpers when shés outside more than 2 minutes).

    At night though it's another story. We have her in her crate on the ground floor ( we sleep on the first floor) and she spends the majority of her time crying, yelling, scratching her crate. Needless to say we are all pretty tired :)

    She has a large 36 inch crate and the breeder recommended we set it up with a sleeping area and a pee pee pad so we don't go see her at night at all.
    Last night she pooed on the pee pee pad and probably spent all night walking around in it by the state of her paws and the cage.
    So now I wonder if we should keep on doing that and we will eventually wear her down(sleeping in her crate is non-négociable) or if I should make her crate smaller, remove the pee pee pas and take her out when she cries... I worry she will keep on crying not to be alone...

    Thoughts? Experience to share?

    Thanks!

  • When we brought our pup home, I slept beside the crate several nights, so she could see, hear and smell me. The first night she cried, the second she was OK. We took her out when needed so she wouldn't soil her crate. I think being with her at night will help her make the transition from being close to her mother and siblings all the time to being alone at night.

  • Sleeping crate should be in the same room you sleep in... Cover the crate at night, keep it close to you, so that if she starts to whimper, you can stick your fingers in the crate and assure her that all is OK. I don't and never did believe in a puppy pad in the crate.... in fact I don't use puppy pads or newspaper at all. I litter box train them.... should be easy to do with her at this young age. Also, I think that 8wks is way to early to have sent her home where she is now an only dog.....

  • The rule of thumb I was taught is that a puppy can only wait an amount of time equal to their age in months plus one. So, at eight weeks old (two months), your pup can hold it three hours tops (1 month + 1 month + 1). You should probably schedule a couple of potty visits outside during the night, even though it will be a pain.

    When we got Cosette, my wife and set a timer for three hours and three hours beyond that. We took turns taking her outside. At twelve weeks old, we were able to lengthen the time between breaks to 4 hours, then 5 hours at sixteen weeks, etc. It's tough, but it will keep your home (and her crate) clean!

Suggested Topics

  • Crate training

    Basenji Training
    38
    0 Votes
    38 Posts
    5k Views
    elbrantE
    @sanjibasenji said in Crate training: I have much respect for that accumulated knowledge, but, not to sound rude, that does not make that person a certified or licensed trainer. I actually was offended by what you posted. You said you respect the knowledge, but disregard it because they aren't a "certified or licensed trainer"? These are well-intentioned breeders who volunteer to engage with others on the Forum in an attempt to educate and celebrate this amazing dog breed. They share their knowledge. You don't have to agree with them. Offer your opinion and move on. Please don't suggest that their opinion, experience, and education isn't valid because they aren't "certified" or "licensed". Your overall intent screams that you believe yourself to be better than the rest of us: "I'm a scientist with a PhD." Which puts the rest of us beneath you? In education and social stature? You couldn't know about anyone's socioeconomic status, educational achievements, or expertise on any subject. But you deemed to think it was appropriate to put us in our place. And that, was rude. Even the analogy you offered is an indication that you don't value anyone who doesn't have a degree. Frankly, if you are hearing conflicting opinions about the same piece of art, get a third opinion. The person with the degree may have just scraped by with a C+, while the person who devoted decades may have been under the tutelage of a Master Artist. And really, if you are planning to purchase such a prized piece of Art, shouldn't you educate yourself so you can make an intelligent decision instead of allowing others to tell you what to buy? As an aside: The original YouTube link remains, but we certainly do not need her entire catalog of videos. Sharing information is one thing, advertising for someone is another. I would hope that you understand that not everything you see online is true. Including claims to be an expert, certified, trained, Dr., etc., etc. Lots of people in the world are just selling a story.
  • House training

    Basenji Training
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    2k Views
    No one has replied
  • Puppy behavior

    Basenji Training
    14
    0 Votes
    14 Posts
    6k Views
    lvossL
    There are many different ways to train loose leash walking. I like training it in a class with distractions and for my baby puppies that is really where they learn what a leash is. I took my boys to class for the first time this week and the only thing we worked on was loose leash. We started just standing in place and click/treat for loose leash. Then we would like a step and when the puppy followed we click/treat again when the leash is loose. The boys were walking pretty good with me and my husband for most of the class. I also like using a long line for loose leash, it really seems to help them understand that being near me is the behavior I want since they have the choice to go quite a distance from me but are only get a click/treat if they are close enough for me to touch them. Make sure you are using really yummy treats in class, it helps you to compete with the distractions. Many people bring kibble or other so-so treats that the dogs are happy working for at home but can't compete with the excitement of class.
  • Puppy training by breeder

    Basenji Training
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    2k Views
    C
    Thanks for the ideas! I had forgotten the collar training totally - as well as walking in leash nicely. Fortunately I have some training collars at home, before my order of measure made sighthound leather collars will arrive (at age of 8 weeks). We have now -20 Celsius and 1 meter snow in South-Finland, so it is impossible to start potty training in the garden ;) More ideas are welcome!
  • Puppy Crate training

    Basenji Training
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    4k Views
    tanzaT
    @BellaJane: Oh yeah and his name is Ringo…. Where did you get Ringo?
  • Puppy training tips…

    Basenji Training
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    7k Views
    firefoxkatanF
    @Mantis: when Cairo cries in his kennel ( in there with Caesar) it means he has to go to the bathroom….i have found that immediate potty once out of the kennel is a great way to help with the potty training.... yes I take her out after sleeping in the crate and when ever she has a nap it helps ~Kat