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Spoke to soon....

Holly

Well-known member
I got my new 12-week old puppy Bentley on Wednesday and that night woke up in the middle of the night really sick-vomiting, fever, achy, etc...not fun, especially with a new puppy. Luckily, he slept alll through thr first night and was really mellow all day--no accidents, either. I was terribly sick all day yesterday. My boyfriend and neighbors came over and helped me with taking the dogs out, etc...

Last night, I put the puppy in his crate at 10:18 pm and he cried straight through until 5 am when I just couldnt take it anymore! I had to get some sleep as I was still so sick. So, I took im outside to potty and then me, him, and Oliver fell asleep on the couch where he is still peacefully sleeping now!

I want to train him to sleep in his crate for now---I cant believe he cried for so many hours, non-stop! Maybe because we didnt do much yesterday since I was sick. Maybe I need to wear him out before bedtime? Any sugeestions would be appreciated!! Ear plugs?!
 
Sorry you had such a rough night, especially being sick and all. You're right, Bentley probably needed to be played out before bed. I'm sure he's got ALOT of energy.

You might start training him to fetch. Mia will run and fetch forever and it's great at getting her energy out. I do this when we can't get out because of weather, etc. Mia took to fetching pretty quick when she was little, whereas my Golden Retriever will have nothing to do with it.:rolleyes:
 
Oops- I meant too soon!

Just got the camera cord so I can put pics up!

He HATES his crate- I left for about 20 mins and put him in the crate. He started crying and was still crying when I came back! I dont remember Oliver being that miserable in his crate!
 
Have you worked to actually train him to accept the crate (as opposed to having put him in it without any introduction and gradual training)? Most pups/dogs will get very upset at suddenly finding themselves confined, and crate training is usually a gradual process of training them to accept it because it has pleasant associations. Right now, sounds like it will have bad associations -- eg it is definitely a place he doesn't want to be. So the next job is to change his mind. :)

There are lots of links about crate training here (often connected to housetraining, but crate training is a separate issue):

http://board.cavaliertalk.com/showthread.php?t=11857

Hope you are feeling better!
 
You might start training him to fetch. Mia will run and fetch forever and it's great at getting her energy out. I do this when we can't get out because of weather, etc. Mia took to fetching pretty quick when she was little, whereas my Golden Retriever will have nothing to do with it.:rolleyes:

Agreed. It doesn't take long whatsoever! I didn't train my dog to play fetch, really. I just threw her toys for her to chase & she realised it was more fun if she brought them back to me..

Hope you feel better now. I was very ill with similar symptoms when mine was the same age (though I had had her from 8 weeks) & she just wanted to lie on me & lick me better..
 
Do you give Bentley a treat when he goes in his crate? I just have to tell Kingston "Get in your bed!" and he RUNS to his crate because he associates it with a treat.
 
Do you give Bentley a treat when he goes in his crate? I just have to tell Kingston "Get in your bed!" and he RUNS to his crate because he associates it with a treat.

It's the same for me, I say "get to bed" and he charges in there! I gave a treat each time. I think it's a good idea to wear him out a little and a good sign he slept ok the first night. It may be that he is missing his litter mates. Maybe you could try a wrapped up hot water bottle.
 
Like KingstonsMom, we give our dogs a treat when they go in their crate at night. In addition, we feed everyone in their crate. Basically, we make the crate a happy place for them to go.
 
Im still not feeling much better, Pauline, but thanks for asking! Im thinking it's food poisoning---I have all the symptoms! No fun....:( I surely hope this passes soon.

Thanks for all the suggestions. It's been a while since I had a puppy and Oliver doesnt really use his crate anymore so I had forgotten all the tricks of the trade, like treats! Oliver also used to race to his crate when I would say "Go to your crate!" because I always gave him a treat.

I have been feeding Bentley in there because otherwise he is too busy seeing what Oliver is doing to actually focus on his food and eat. Poor Oliver--he's not getting a moment's peace with this puppy chasing after him everywhere and biting his ears!

I am going to read through the thread Karlin posted, make sure to wear him out before putting him in there, and give him a treat. I was also thinking of a stuffed baby Kong to keep him occupied? He seems to love that.
 
I hope you get well soon!

Sometimes when they cry loud like that they actually have to go potty one more time. If you can get them on a potty schedule and really stick to it, you'll know if they should have gone before bedtime.
 
I wouldn't give a Kong at bed time, he'll only need a poo after. It really can take a while for them to get used to the crate. Even dogs left in the kitchen over night may whine for a several nights. Do get ear plugs! Where is the crate? You could put it in your room for a few nights and you can reassure him by speaking to him, can't hurt, you're not getting any sleep anyway :rolleyes:

Please go to the Dr if you think it's food poisoning, that can be very serious. :hug:
 
You might not want to put the kong in when he goes to bed for the night. It might make him thirsty or he might need to potty, if he eats enough of the treat inside. Just a thought....
 
Ok, I have taken all suggestions to heart! Bentley is tuckered out after playing with Oliver and racing all over the house (it made me so happy to see that because Oliver growled at him a few times this morning, normal I know), I took him for a looong walk around the field outside, he pottied and I have read over all the crate training instructions! I am going to put the crate in my room so he knows Im nearby! Throughout the day, when I could muster up the energy to move (can you tell Im feeling just a bit sorry for myself?! :)) I put him in the crate with a treat for short amounts of time.

I am finally feeling a tiny bit better!! I hope Im on the mend!

Wish me luck that we get some rest tonight....:) Aside from that, he is soooo good! Still not a single accident in the house!
 
Oh my goodness, well done on the potty training, he sure will get the idea all toilet is meant to be done outside if you keep this up. Does it help he has Oliver to show him? I'm interested to know in case I get another puppy one day.

I'm glad you're feeling better Holly, I'm feeling worse! And I had to mow the lawns today :confused: Not as much work as A puppy though, I'm sure. I think you are doing very well (y)
 
Well, Pauline, I hope you feel better now! I dont think I was contagious all the way from Atlanta! :) I finally feel like I can join the land of the living again, which is good because I have a bachelorette party to go to tonight!

So, last night Bentley cried for a few minutes in his crate after I did all of the above mentioned things, then fell asleep for about 45 minutes. After that, he woke up crying and barking ALL NIGHT LONG!!! How can they cry that much??!!! But, I was strong and didnt give in. I took him out when he was quiet to potty with minimal fuss, then put him back in his crate and he slept for about an hour! I am hoping that each night will get better in his crate because this is not fun right now! At around 9 am, I took both dogs out and then put them in bed with me where Bentley fell asleep and slept until I woke up 2 hours later! Thanks goodness it's summer and Im a teacher and dont have to work because I would be a zombie! Of course, now he is sound asleep. Should I try to keep him awake as much as I can during the day to tire him out for the night?

Pauline, you asked if potty training was easier because of Oliver....Im not sure, but probably. He potties immediately each time I take him out and use the cue phrase. I have been vigilant about taking him out constantly though. As soon as he wakes up if he sleeps during the day, after playing, about 5-10 minutes after he eats, after he drinks a lot of water, so I feel like Im not giving him an opportunity to have an accident! I do think its easier to have a puppy when you already have a dog because it keeps the puppy busy and he isnt as dependent on me. I feel like Bentley may be less of a "velcro dog" than Oliver and I wonder if its because Oliver didnt have any other dogs in the house, just me!

Now, if we can just get the hang of the crate....any other suggestions are MORE than welcome! :)
 
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