EDIT: I don't recommend trying your puppy on anti-anxiety medications at this young age. Separation anxiety is normal for young puppies and should be dealt with without medication (although I'm sure there are exceptions).
Giving your puppy a used shirt of yours to sleep with is a great idea. It will also help the puppy to bond to you. I did that when Mishka was 7-9 weeks. Definitely give your puppy soft toys to sleep with. Your puppy is probably used to sleeping with its Mom and siblings and misses that. My 12 week old still drags all of her toys (especially soft ones) into a pile and sleeps on them as if they were her siblings.
Let your puppy sleep near you at night. I put Mishka's crate on the floor by my pillow for the first 2 weeks, then gradually moved it farther away until it was where I permanently wanted it at night in our bedroom. I talked to her when she cried and stuck my fingers in the crate; I'd also move so that she could see my face. You want to teach the puppy that crying does get their needs attended to so they do have some control over their environment. But, that crying won't get them out of the crate just because.
Set your alarm for every 2 hours. The general rule is a puppy can hold their bladder for one hour for every month of age until about age 6 months (then I'd have to look up what the rule is). Puppies can hold their bladder a little longer at night but not by much. Get up every two hours and take her to the bathroom and check on her. Give the puppy at least 10-15 minutes to try and go potty if they are not awake yet. The puppy will probably really need to go though and not take long. Offer the puppy water and a few bites of kibble or just a treat when you put it back in its crate. This will help prevent hypoglycemia in the night. Then you just put the puppy back in its crate, say "night night" or whatever phrase you choose, and crawl back in bed. |