[maybedog]

I have a 19 week (yesterday) lab/sharpei puppy that will not sleep through the night. I got him at 10 weeks and started out with him in a crate in the bedroom at night. For the first week I let him out at least once during the night when he would wake me up. He started sleeping through the night for about 3 nights then started waking me up again. Everyone told me to let him cry that he would realize I wasn't going to give in. It got to the point that I moved his crate to another bedroom. He cried a few nights and then started to sleep until about 5am. Now the past 3 nights he has started wailing for an hour or 2 starting about 2am then start again around 4am. Any suggestions on what to do? He goes for at least a mile walk per day then plays at the barn,swims in the pond and plays with his "sister" until bedtime. He should be exhausted! Other than the sleep issue he is a wonderful smart puppy!

[Lazy Palomino Hunter]

As you know, he's an animal, so he's not wailing for absolutely no reason. He's wailing because (1) he needs to pee, (2) because he's uncomfortable, (3) because he's scared and lonely, OR (4) because he's learned the behavior is rewarding.

I'm sure it goes without saying that you let him out right before bed, and that you've had him checked out for possible chronic UT issues/infections. That mostly eliminates options #1 and #2.

Following all that, I would:

Further reduce the risk of #1 by taking his water away an hour or so before bedtime. Also, set your alarm and PLAN to get up in the middle of the night, at least at first. Yeah, it sucks. I got up in the middle of the night with my dog EVERY NIGHT until he was probably 14 or 16 weeks. But at least for now, plan to give him the opportunity to go out and pee around 2 or 3am.

Address #3 as a potential issue. Put an old dirty t-shirt in his crate so he has something comforting that smells like you. Does he have toys in his crate? Give him something to entertain his mind his mind if he happens to wake up in the middle of the night. A quiet TV Or radio might also help.

If you know he doesn't need to potty, and he has things to entertain and comfort him ... DO NOT GIVE IN TO HIS WHINING. Ignore him. Otherwise you are just reinforcing the behavior. Behaviors that are NEVER reinforced will extinguish.

[maybedog]

Have done all that! He has slept a few nights but is not consistent. Thankfully I don't have close neighbors! They would think I was killing him. I don't think he cries when he is in a crate during the day. I have someone come to let him out if I'm going to be gone for 5 or more hours and have been told all is quiet until he actually see her. My next step is to give him a sound machine. I did use that in the beginning set on the heartbeat but it didn't seem to make a difference.

[cowboymom]

He doesn't do it during the day b/c he knows you really aren't coming back.

Just leave him, no matter what. Dry up the water and take him out before bed and tell him very clearly good night and then be gone until morning. He'll figure it out if you're consistent.

[Marshfield]

Tempi was six months old before her bladder would let her sleep through the night.

[RaeHughes]

My younger BC (just turned 1) was still needing to go out around 3am at 6 months. It took her until 8 months to reliably sleep through the night with age-appropriate exercise, training and playing. All I did was take her out, toilet her and then pop her straight back in her crate and go back to bed. Even tho' I was

[SkipChange]

Don't take away his water and let him have water in his crate at night.

I know this is opposite of what most people will tell you, but it's worth a try since you're waking up in the night anyway...

My Aussie puppy absolutely will not stop whining unless she has water available at all times. It took me a long time to figure that out because everyone tells you to take water away from puppies after dinner, but dogs are individuals. I'd try a water bowl at least once. If it doesn't work, you can go back to withholding water to help his bladder.

[cowboymom]

well you will get a variety of answers...

My 4 month old chi pup is sleeping well through the night, no problems. She's sleeping in bed with me which helps but we have to make her wake up the morning and she hasn't woken me in the night for at least a couple weeks.

If your pup is left alone during the day he might be saving up all his "surviving alone" energy during the day and just need more upkeep at night. My pup is with people and busy most of the day. We wear her out!

[maybedog]

He is busy most of the day. I try to wear him out! I'm sure he would be more than happy to sleep with me at night but I don't want that. I have let him out in the morning and brought him back to bed for about an hour but that was before he could jump off the bed. He can't be trusted unsupervised, he's into everything! He must think he has a fancy hyphenated name
Deziel-No!

[cowboymom]

My parents' dog has been pretty much renamed by the entire family as HunterNo!

Maybe develop very clear "you're getting out of your crate right now" signals so he will start to realize if he's not getting that signal he's not coming out too. Our dogs don't bother to really get up unless I say good morning to them, otherwise they know they might as well stay in their beds b/c we're not doing anything fun.