Excessive Crying at Night! Help! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

TJCYorkie · 08-08-2006, 05:26 AM

Hello Everyone! I am new to the site, and I am a brand new Yorkie owner as well! We just picked up Maci on 8-6-06, and she is 8 weeks old. I am looking forward to chatting with you all!

We have purchased a "crate" for her to sleep in at night. It is actually a travel type carrier that is large enough for her to stand up in, and turn around in. I don't believe it is overly large for her at all.

We have Maci's crate in the laundry room because that's where we would like her to sleep since it is nice and tiled. However, the past two nights have been horrible for sleeping. We place her in the crate at night, and she will constantly whine, cry, and bark all night long with very short periods of sleep. We feel we are being mean to the dog by leaving her there, and not attending to her. Are we? I have read that we should not go to the puppy because she has to learn this is sleep time, and if we do go to her we will have bigger training issues on our hands. Is this correct?

We have even put a nightlight in the room, and we have a small radio playing talk radio for her to try to calm her. She has her toys and chewing bones in there with her as well. Nothing is working! She just doesn't like the crate. Even when we place her in the crate during the day when need to leave, she goes nuts! I don't want her to be so upset, but we are a little frustrated on what we can do. She sleeps fine when she is next to us or when she is just in the same room as us.

Any suggestions? Please help! I just want her to sleep and be healthy; I hope all of the stress in the crate isn't hurting her!

Thanks!!!

blondflava · 08-08-2006, 06:05 AM

If the puppy is not used to being in the crate, it's really new and stressful situation for her... They always recommend leaving the pup in the crate a few minutes at a time and slowly expanding the time. Also, if the crate is small, and the door is closed, she probably wakes up to go potty. Usually they don't mess where they sleep. I think xpen set up with her bed, toys and pee pad would be a better idea. Then you might want to start slowly with a crate and keep it a nice enjoyable experience with treats etc. I tried crate but switched to xpen, now JJ wakes up at night whenever he needs to, goes potty, eats sometimes and goes QUIETLY back to sleep until other members of family are up. He sleeps in the kitchen (tiles!), and I've only had him for a little more than a week. Good Luck.

Timmy · 08-08-2006, 06:07 AM

First of all to YT You will find loads of information here.

I went through the same thing with Mimi. She whined all night long when we first brought her home the only difference is that her crate was in my bedroom. I went through several sleepless nights because she would not stop crying. I was trying to be the harder one but my fiancee spoiled it. When I would wake up at night for some odd reason she was in the bed with us. My fiancee felt bad that she was crying and his excuse was "she is a little girl... I can't let her cry" So Mimi has been sleeping on the bed with us.
Timmy was the total opposite..he slept fine in his crate but I felt bad that she was on the bed and he wasn't therefore they now sleep with us.

I know this is not much help but after 1 month of not sleeping we gave in. I have to confess...I love having them in the bed with me. My fiancee is in the military and he's been gone for 2 weeks now so they keep me company at night.

newmommy · 08-08-2006, 06:22 AM

im not much help, mine sleeps with me, but welcome to yt, im new here too

chachi · 08-08-2006, 06:24 AM

You could try putting the crate on a nightstand by your bed so she could still see you

Erin · 08-08-2006, 06:41 AM

She doesn't dislike the crate, he probably dislikes being alone. As far as ignoring her - you are still going to need to let her out at least twice at night to potty. Also, she's only 8 weeks old. Can't you move the crate to your bedroom or somewhere, just for at night. We had two wire crates, one upstairs and one downstairs. I like the wire ones because they can easily see you. Loki FREAKED at his plastic carrier so we never ended up using it, but he did fairly well in the wire crate (he loves it now!)

Also, she might freak when you put her in there because she knows she will be in there for a long time. You need to practice with the crate. Put her in the crate and leave the door open, but praise her for going in there. Give her a treat. Then close the door for 30 seconds and open it. Then put her in there for 3 minutes and leave the room, and come back. Sometimes I ask Loki to run to his crate just for a treat, just like I'd ask him for a sit or a shake. It's just a reminder that the crate is a good thing!

When she does cry, wait for her to quiet down for a few minutes and THEN go in. I don't think you need to leave an 8 week old puppy alone all night, as long as you make it clear it's not *playtime* When she is quiet for a few seconds (gradually longer) then let her out and reassure her, let her potty, etc. 8 weeks is pretty young. I let Loki out in the middle of the night for months.

TJCYorkie · 08-09-2006, 05:32 AM

Good News!

Maci slept in her crate all night last night and never made a peep until this morning! She went a good 7hrs! Plus, she even used the pee pad that we placed in her crate!

I spent a good amount of time training her on the crate as suggested. I first placed the treat in the crate, and she went in and got it. I then started placing her in the crate for longer periods of time each time, and then rewarding her after letting her out. Thanks for the tip!

We did leave the television on last night, which might have calmed her as well. Who knows...we'll just have to keep experimenting!

Erin · 08-09-2006, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJCYorkie

Good News!

Maci slept in her crate all night last night and never made a peep until this morning! She went a good 7hrs! Plus, she even used the pee pad that we placed in her crate!

I spent a good amount of time training her on the crate as suggested. I first placed the treat in the crate, and she went in and got it. I then started placing her in the crate for longer periods of time each time, and then rewarding her after letting her out. Thanks for the tip!

We did leave the television on last night, which might have calmed her as well. Who knows...we'll just have to keep experimenting!

Yea!! Good for Maci. I just want to point out one thing. Placing the pee-pad in the crate is not the traditional use of the crate. Ideally you want her to hold it while in her crate and the pee pad encourages her to go potty in her crate. So, if you are planning to "crate train" her in the traditional sense, you should remove the pee-pad from the crate because you do not want her to learn it's OK to potty in there. UNLESS you *always* plan on using pee pads inside the crate, then it's fine. If you plan on training her to go outside, then don't put the pad in the crate. If you are ONLY planning to use pee-pads, then I suppose that is a good way to get her started since she will choose to go on the pee-pad by default.

Does that make sense? I just want to make sure you are clear on what set-up is best for each situation. Good luck!!

Gracie2006 · 08-09-2006, 05:56 AM

She is probably afraid of being abandoned again. This is a common fear at 8-12 weeks of age. From day one, I put Gracie in a small crate on my bed, where she can see me. Not one peep out of her all night. Now if I could figure out how to quiet her during the rest of the day when I leave her sight! Have you tried the comfort pup bed? It has a battery operated heartbeat that these little ones really love. Also, a dairy snack like puppy milk or cottage cheese just before bed might help her sleep.

TJCYorkie · 08-09-2006, 05:56 AM

We basically put the pee pad in the crate so if she needed to go potty before we let her out then she wouldn't make a mess all over her bed and blankets. Is this wrong? Does this send mixed messages to her? If I take the pee pads out of the crate, then she'll more than likely just make a mess on the bed/blankets.

We are training her to go potty outside as well. Take this morning for example. I came down and let her out, noticed that she did use the pee pad, took her outside right away and she went pee & poo again.

About how often should an 8/9 week old puppy need to be taken out anyways? I have heard every few hours?

Erin · 08-09-2006, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJCYorkie

We basically put the pee pad in the crate so if she needed to go potty before we let her out then she wouldn't make a mess all over her bed and blankets. Is this wrong? Does this send mixed messages to her? If I take the pee pads out of the crate, then she'll more than likely just make a mess on the bed/blankets.

We are training her to go potty outside as well. Take this morning for example. I came down and let her out, noticed that she did use the pee pad, took her outside right away and she went pee & poo again.

About how often should an 8/9 week old puppy need to be taken out anyways? I have heard every few hours?

If you are training her to go outside, don't put pads in the crate. The crate is supposed to teach her to hold it. It means you'll have to let her out of her crate in the middle of the night and about every 30-60 mins during the day. I did this for about 2 months. Otherwise you will teach her bad habits that will be extremely difficult to break later.

Every dog is different, so don't count on "every few hours" I had to let Loki out every 15-20 mins for weeks and 30 mins until he was 6 months old. He could hold it about twice as long in his crate as he could when he was out of his crate. Now I can leave him about 6 hours in the crate, but he still "asks" to go out every 1-2 hours. He's almost 2. But he also drinks 2-3 times as much water as he should

Anyway, you'll learn. If she is having accidents, then take her out more often! At some point you may have to take the blankets out so she doesn't pee on them, but it's temporary. Loki now had a bumber, mattress and crate cover. Trust me, crate training is a dream. I NEVER have to worry about him messing his crate any more, and I never come home to a puddle. He sleeps the whole time, so any time he is left in his crate we just make sure he gets extra exercise!!

08-08-2006, 05:26 AM	#1
TJCYorkie Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 271	Excessive Crying at Night! Help! Hello Everyone! I am new to the site, and I am a brand new Yorkie owner as well! We just picked up Maci on 8-6-06, and she is 8 weeks old. I am looking forward to chatting with you all! We have purchased a "crate" for her to sleep in at night. It is actually a travel type carrier that is large enough for her to stand up in, and turn around in. I don't believe it is overly large for her at all. We have Maci's crate in the laundry room because that's where we would like her to sleep since it is nice and tiled. However, the past two nights have been horrible for sleeping. We place her in the crate at night, and she will constantly whine, cry, and bark all night long with very short periods of sleep. We feel we are being mean to the dog by leaving her there, and not attending to her. Are we? I have read that we should not go to the puppy because she has to learn this is sleep time, and if we do go to her we will have bigger training issues on our hands. Is this correct? We have even put a nightlight in the room, and we have a small radio playing talk radio for her to try to calm her. She has her toys and chewing bones in there with her as well. Nothing is working! She just doesn't like the crate. Even when we place her in the crate during the day when need to leave, she goes nuts! I don't want her to be so upset, but we are a little frustrated on what we can do. She sleeps fine when she is next to us or when she is just in the same room as us. Any suggestions? Please help! I just want her to sleep and be healthy; I hope all of the stress in the crate isn't hurting her! Thanks!!!

08-08-2006, 06:05 AM	#2
blondflava Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Kearny, NJ Posts: 1,183	If the puppy is not used to being in the crate, it's really new and stressful situation for her... They always recommend leaving the pup in the crate a few minutes at a time and slowly expanding the time. Also, if the crate is small, and the door is closed, she probably wakes up to go potty. Usually they don't mess where they sleep. I think xpen set up with her bed, toys and pee pad would be a better idea. Then you might want to start slowly with a crate and keep it a nice enjoyable experience with treats etc. I tried crate but switched to xpen, now JJ wakes up at night whenever he needs to, goes potty, eats sometimes and goes QUIETLY back to sleep until other members of family are up. He sleeps in the kitchen (tiles!), and I've only had him for a little more than a week. Good Luck. __________________ Izabela ... and Pepper Rest in peace, Kora, you're always in my

08-08-2006, 06:22 AM	#4
newmommy Keep Me Away From eBay Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Arizona Posts: 2,109	im not much help, mine sleeps with me, but welcome to yt, im new here too __________________ There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face!!

08-08-2006, 06:24 AM	#5
chachi I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 37,147	You could try putting the crate on a nightstand by your bed so she could still see you __________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431 Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427

08-08-2006, 06:41 AM	#6
Erin Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 3,306	She doesn't dislike the crate, he probably dislikes being alone. As far as ignoring her - you are still going to need to let her out at least twice at night to potty. Also, she's only 8 weeks old. Can't you move the crate to your bedroom or somewhere, just for at night. We had two wire crates, one upstairs and one downstairs. I like the wire ones because they can easily see you. Loki FREAKED at his plastic carrier so we never ended up using it, but he did fairly well in the wire crate (he loves it now!) Also, she might freak when you put her in there because she knows she will be in there for a long time. You need to practice with the crate. Put her in the crate and leave the door open, but praise her for going in there. Give her a treat. Then close the door for 30 seconds and open it. Then put her in there for 3 minutes and leave the room, and come back. Sometimes I ask Loki to run to his crate just for a treat, just like I'd ask him for a sit or a shake. It's just a reminder that the crate is a good thing! When she does cry, wait for her to quiet down for a few minutes and THEN go in. I don't think you need to leave an 8 week old puppy alone all night, as long as you make it clear it's not playtime When she is quiet for a few seconds (gradually longer) then let her out and reassure her, let her potty, etc. 8 weeks is pretty young. I let Loki out in the middle of the night for months. __________________ Erin, Sammy & Loki Sewing patterns and tutorials @ www.dogundermydesk.com

08-08-2006, 06:07 AM	#3
Timmy Mimi & Gabby too! Donating Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Vineland, NJ Posts: 3,208	First of all to YT You will find loads of information here. I went through the same thing with Mimi. She whined all night long when we first brought her home the only difference is that her crate was in my bedroom. I went through several sleepless nights because she would not stop crying. I was trying to be the harder one but my fiancee spoiled it. When I would wake up at night for some odd reason she was in the bed with us. My fiancee felt bad that she was crying and his excuse was "she is a little girl... I can't let her cry" So Mimi has been sleeping on the bed with us. Timmy was the total opposite..he slept fine in his crate but I felt bad that she was on the bed and he wasn't therefore they now sleep with us. I know this is not much help but after 1 month of not sleeping we gave in. I have to confess...I love having them in the bed with me. My fiancee is in the military and he's been gone for 2 weeks now so they keep me company at night.

08-09-2006, 05:32 AM	#7
TJCYorkie Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 271	Good News! Maci slept in her crate all night last night and never made a peep until this morning! She went a good 7hrs! Plus, she even used the pee pad that we placed in her crate! I spent a good amount of time training her on the crate as suggested. I first placed the treat in the crate, and she went in and got it. I then started placing her in the crate for longer periods of time each time, and then rewarding her after letting her out. Thanks for the tip! We did leave the television on last night, which might have calmed her as well. Who knows...we'll just have to keep experimenting!

08-09-2006, 05:56 AM	#9
Gracie2006 Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Sequim, Wa Posts: 4,541	She is probably afraid of being abandoned again. This is a common fear at 8-12 weeks of age. From day one, I put Gracie in a small crate on my bed, where she can see me. Not one peep out of her all night. Now if I could figure out how to quiet her during the rest of the day when I leave her sight! Have you tried the comfort pup bed? It has a battery operated heartbeat that these little ones really love. Also, a dairy snack like puppy milk or cottage cheese just before bed might help her sleep. __________________ Gracie loves Bailey. Holly loves Tucker. Proud member of the YT Gracie Girls.