Not enough sleep?

Hi all,

Our puppy, Mickey, just turned 14 weeks old yesterday. He is our first dog and we have had him for a bit more than two weeks. He is a bundle of fun. Here is my question about his sleep time:

He sleeps and plays on and off during the day. We take the water bowl out of his crate around 8:00 PM, he goes in his crate around 10:00 pm. The first three night he slept until 6:00 AM something but after that he has been waking up between 4:30 - 5:30 AM. It's no fun taking him out that early in such cold weather.

Is it normal for a Cav. of his age to be able to hold for only six to seven hours at night?

Thanks in advance!

Bimmerguy

I'm not sure if you are asking about sleeptime or how long a puppy can last before needing to relieve itself?

That's plenty of sleep time.

If you are asking whether he should be holding himself -- well, all puppies are different. Are you walking him right before 10 (like, immediately before?). Are you keeping him active and busy in the two hours before he goes to sleep? Playing with him or doing some fun, light training, not just leaving him to play by himself? The more active he is and mentally engaged and challenged during the day and evening, the better he will sleep. If he has both wee'd and pooped right before bedtime he is less likely to need to go early in the morning.

He may also be just waking and wanting you to come get him so play can begin again. Often moving the crate to your bedroom stops them barking to be let out -- they will get up when you get up.

When I first got Lucky as a pup she was about 4 month , almost 5 months old. I used to take her outside during the night 2-3 times the first couple of weeks. I felt as if I had a newborn baby to take care of, haha.

Brett on the other hand, my second cavalier, was only 3 months old when I got him. I'd say that for the first 4-5 days he'd wake me up once in the middle of the night to take him out. After that he could just hold it till the morning!

I guess we were lucky, then. We only took Molly out the two first nights (got her at two months) - then she to our astonishment slept all night through and has been doing so ever since - except for when she has been sick or really badly needed to go... then she wakes us.
She is now 16 months, and she sleeps from 10-11 pm to 6-7 am, when our alarm clock goes off - in the weekends she can easily sleep to 8-9 am - and she does not seem to be in a hurry to get outside.

Sorry for the unclear question. What I was trying to ask was if it's normal for a 14-week old pup to hold for only six or seven hours at night.

During the day, he stays in the crate for two or three hours (not all sleeping, lots of chewing and looking around), then I take him out to the yard to relieve, walk him five or ten minutes around the yard (not fenced), let him play with his toys or sit on our laps in the study or the family room for 40 minutes or so, then put him back in the crate. This repeats pretty much throughout the day.

In the evening, he is out of the crate between 8:00-8:30, gets out to relieve, then plays with us in the family room, I wouldn't say it's vigorous play, mostly chewing toys, chasing balls kind of stuff. Before I put him in the crate for the night at around 10:00, I take him out to relieve (wee everytime, poop occasionally), walk a little bit in the yard.

When he makes noise (whining, barking) around 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning, I take him out to wee, then put him back in the crate, we don't hear him again until six o'clock or something. When he makes the noise very early in the morning, how can I tell if he really needs to go out, or if he just wants attention?

Thanks!