I can't get any sleep! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Karateman · 07-05-2006, 05:29 AM

Help!

My 10-1/2 week old Yorkie sleeps for about 2.5 to 3 hours max and then wakes up crying/whimpering/squealing for at least 30 minutes before quieting down. Then she starts up again in about 15 mins. This goes on every nite from day one of taking her home. For the past 6 nites, I am up every hour or two.

Today I had fed her at 6:30am and left her confined to the kitchen and out of her crate. After her meal, she had again cried to be let out of the kichen, but I had ignored her in hopes she'd calm down. At 7am I had enough of her crying and got out of bed to check on her. I had found her meal thrown up on the kitchen floor as a result of her cries. She is relentless and attempts to climb out of the confined space.

Last nite and the nite prior, I had tried locking her up in the wired crate, but don't keep her in their for more than 2 or 3 hours at a time to relieve her. I'd love to keep her in the crate all nite (7 hours), but I know she'd relieve herself there as she did the first nite. She's a toy sized Yorkie, so her bladder isn't too large.

Whether she's locked up in the crate or not, she still continuously cries for me. I had read I was to ignore her and she'd give up after 5 or 15 minutes. Well, she can cry, whimper and squeal for a minimum of 30 minutes. It's driving me nuts! What should I do? I am sleep deprived!

Is it a bad idea to have her sleep with me in my bed? It seems to be the only thing to soothe her and have her fall asleep in seconds. However, I am opposed to it for she may relieve herself on my bed. She is not completely paper trained yet, but is 85% consistent.

Thanks in advance.

JeanieK · 07-05-2006, 05:36 AM

So you just get her? and this started right away?

Have you tired putting the crate in your room with you?

I'd say it will just take time. Some say a radio or a ticking clock. I also believe they have things on sale to put to bed with them to sooth them.

Ollie cried for the first week, off and on all night, and she had quite a scream. I was penning her in the crate at night, she hated it. After a week of that, I took the door off the crate and blocked off the laundry room, and put down a pee pad. That solved the problem with her..

Karateman · 07-05-2006, 05:47 AM

Yes, I just bought her last Thursday and she was acting this way nitely ever since. She seems to cry for longer periods when out of her crate because she has the freedom to atempt to claw at the confined walls/boards I had laid down t fence her in the kitchen. My bedroom is only 8 feet away as I live in an apartment, so it's not like she can't see me or sense me. I sleep with my bedroom door open for her to see me. I even put her in the crate and in my room for the first nite and it didn't help much. She'd still wake up every 2 hours and cry to be let out. The previous owner told me she never used a crate and had her sleep on the bedroom floor or in bed with her for short periods. I think this is what my puppy is use to now. I want to break that habit.

I have a pee pad, water, food, open crate in a confined kitchen setup right now. She does take well to the crate, so I don't believe it's the issue. I've tried leaving the crate door open, closed, nothing stops her cries/squeals. I haven't tried the radio on all nite as I prefer to have peace at nite.

JeanieK · 07-05-2006, 05:55 AM

You could play the raido very quietly, it can't be worse than the dog whining. Your poor neuighbors.

It is probably because she just is not used to sleeping alone, and it will just take time. Meanwhile, You could check out those things that sooth them. not sure what they are called but Petco or Petsmart should have them.

hooliacasa · 07-07-2006, 01:44 PM

I have a family bed, all my babies sleep with us because of the crying that wouldn't stop but that's me. Do you have a stuffed toy in the crate with her? Remember she is used to sleeping WITH someone who helps keep her warm and safe. Put in a soft stuffed toy or maybe one of your shirts - put the crate by your bed- maybe that will help

Lacy's Mom · 07-07-2006, 01:51 PM

You could move the crate close to your bed.
You could buy some ear plugs.
You could try the stuffed animal, favorite chew, music, ticking clock, etc.

or, what works in an instant is to put them in bed with you - that's what I have always done. Dogs are pack animals and their instinct tells them that they are unsafe when alone - your baby just wants to be with you - the protector.

Bring a baby Yorkie home is very close to bringing home a human baby!

SnowWa · 07-07-2006, 02:26 PM

My pup slept with me from the first night I got him. I just slapped a belly band around him (in case) -- and he really never wet very often at night - and he slept all night - 6 to 7 hours. Of course, when he first woke up, I took him to his potty pad or outside. Sleeping with me - my pup never cried. He just snuggled up and passed out - sound asleep.

I know a lot of people do it --but I can't imagine taking a tiny little pup from its mother and littermates and putting it somewhere alone for the first time in its life and expect it not to be lonesome, frightened, and cry.

Now - at 10 months - my pup always starts out sleeping with me, but he often spends part of the night in his own bed or on the floor beside my bed.

They had a poll here on YT - asking if people let their dogs sleep with them. 90% of the people who answered the poll said that they did.

PS -- When my pup was very tiny - my vet said to give him some cottage cheese right before he went to bed for the night. It said it was high in protein and would stick with him and keep his tummy happy and full - and that both of us would get a better night's sleep. This may be what helped him sleep so well.

Good luck! Carol Jean

Karateman · 07-07-2006, 07:25 PM

Geez, it sure sounds like the only sure thing to do at nites is to put her in my bed and that is exactly what I don't want on a nitely basis. I am afraid of starting out that way and making a habit out of it.

I really don't mind her sleeping with me if only I knew she wouldn't eliminate in bed.

Thanks for all the replies!

Erin · 07-07-2006, 08:27 PM

Just put the crate in your room. We ended up with 2 puppy crates - one upstairs and one downstairs. 2-3 hours at a time seems OK to me for a baby that young. Maybe to avoid the crying set an alarm for you to take her out every 2-3 hours. In a few weeks that will be once per night and then she will eventually sleep through the night. During the day (when she's not sleeping) you should expect to let her out more than every 2-3 hours. More like every 30 mins for a while. Welcome to puppyhood!!

patcowden · 07-08-2006, 06:16 PM

I had the same problem with my puppy. I got him when he was only 6 weeks old. I found out later that was waaay to young! I let him sleep with us to stop the crying but he wet in our bed. I found some advice on another post and tried it and it has worked beautifully! I put him in his little crate on a bench right by my bed near my head. I put him in it, turn out the light and place my fingers through the wires. He puts his head on my fingers and goes right to sleep! He usually wakes up and wimpers about every 3 hrs. I just take him to his pee pads, then he goes back to bed. So far this has worked great and I am finally getting some sleep. Good luck, I know what you are going through!
Pat

Mya's_Mom · 07-08-2006, 06:27 PM

When Mya was a puppy we found a full hour of play and attention worked to wear her out so that she slept. We still give her lots of attention before bed time. I also find that she prefers to eat later now and sleeps better.

yorkienewbie · 07-11-2006, 07:13 AM

From the first day i got my puppy, i placed the crate in the bedroom right next to me so she could see me. She used to sleep from 10p.m to 5-6 a.m with occasional whinings in some days.Now it's been a month and she still sleeps in the bedroom in her crate. Just lately she's been waking me up every couple of hours, crying and whining so i am also sleep deprived! I think this is part of the committment we agree to when we decide to get a puppy.I understand you prefer not to get her into the habit of sleeping in your bed(i feel the same way )but sometimes when my puppy wakes up in the morning around 5-6a.m i take her out of the crate and let her sleep with me(it gives me an extra couple of hours of sleep!).Make sure she goes potty (1 and 2!

) before you put her into the crate.Does she go potty during the night? If so, make sure she has dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime and no water at least an hour before she goes to bed.Good luck!

browniesmom622 · 07-11-2006, 07:30 AM

put a sheet over the crate it worked for us from day one with all 3 it makes them feel safe i would also leave some sounds mabee a radio or something and give her a SAFE cuddly teddy bear

candybaby · 07-11-2006, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karateman

Geez, it sure sounds like the only sure thing to do at nites is to put her in my bed and that is exactly what I don't want on a nitely basis. I am afraid of starting out that way and making a habit out of it.

I really don't mind her sleeping with me if only I knew she wouldn't eliminate in bed.

Thanks for all the replies!

I had the same problem with both of my puppies, I read in a trainng book (forgot which one) to put them in the crate next to your bed and when they wine to hit the top of the crate firmly and tell them, "no" don't use their name though just say, "no" continue to do this everytime they cry or whine and they will stop. It worked with both of mine and now they just go right to bed in their crate no problems what so ever. Then I let them sleep with me a night or two because they already learned how to sleep in their crate

.

candybaby · 07-11-2006, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by browniesmom622

put a sheet over the crate it worked for us from day one with all 3 it makes them feel safe i would also leave some sounds mabee a radio or something and give her a SAFE cuddly teddy bear

Oh, yes the sheet over the crate works well

07-05-2006, 05:29 AM	#1
Karateman Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Posts: 20	I can't get any sleep! Help! My 10-1/2 week old Yorkie sleeps for about 2.5 to 3 hours max and then wakes up crying/whimpering/squealing for at least 30 minutes before quieting down. Then she starts up again in about 15 mins. This goes on every nite from day one of taking her home. For the past 6 nites, I am up every hour or two. Today I had fed her at 6:30am and left her confined to the kitchen and out of her crate. After her meal, she had again cried to be let out of the kichen, but I had ignored her in hopes she'd calm down. At 7am I had enough of her crying and got out of bed to check on her. I had found her meal thrown up on the kitchen floor as a result of her cries. She is relentless and attempts to climb out of the confined space. Last nite and the nite prior, I had tried locking her up in the wired crate, but don't keep her in their for more than 2 or 3 hours at a time to relieve her. I'd love to keep her in the crate all nite (7 hours), but I know she'd relieve herself there as she did the first nite. She's a toy sized Yorkie, so her bladder isn't too large. Whether she's locked up in the crate or not, she still continuously cries for me. I had read I was to ignore her and she'd give up after 5 or 15 minutes. Well, she can cry, whimper and squeal for a minimum of 30 minutes. It's driving me nuts! What should I do? I am sleep deprived! Is it a bad idea to have her sleep with me in my bed? It seems to be the only thing to soothe her and have her fall asleep in seconds. However, I am opposed to it for she may relieve herself on my bed. She is not completely paper trained yet, but is 85% consistent. Thanks in advance. Last edited by Karateman; 07-05-2006 at 05:33 AM.

07-07-2006, 02:26 PM	#7
SnowWa YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: USA Posts: 2,992	My pup slept with me from the first night I got him. I just slapped a belly band around him (in case) -- and he really never wet very often at night - and he slept all night - 6 to 7 hours. Of course, when he first woke up, I took him to his potty pad or outside. Sleeping with me - my pup never cried. He just snuggled up and passed out - sound asleep. I know a lot of people do it --but I can't imagine taking a tiny little pup from its mother and littermates and putting it somewhere alone for the first time in its life and expect it not to be lonesome, frightened, and cry. Now - at 10 months - my pup always starts out sleeping with me, but he often spends part of the night in his own bed or on the floor beside my bed. They had a poll here on YT - asking if people let their dogs sleep with them. 90% of the people who answered the poll said that they did. PS -- When my pup was very tiny - my vet said to give him some cottage cheese right before he went to bed for the night. It said it was high in protein and would stick with him and keep his tummy happy and full - and that both of us would get a better night's sleep. This may be what helped him sleep so well. Good luck! Carol Jean __________________ http://tinypic.com/ipxhmb.jpg A Yorkie is worth a thousand words.

07-07-2006, 08:27 PM	#9
Erin Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chicago Suburbs Posts: 3,306	Just put the crate in your room. We ended up with 2 puppy crates - one upstairs and one downstairs. 2-3 hours at a time seems OK to me for a baby that young. Maybe to avoid the crying set an alarm for you to take her out every 2-3 hours. In a few weeks that will be once per night and then she will eventually sleep through the night. During the day (when she's not sleeping) you should expect to let her out more than every 2-3 hours. More like every 30 mins for a while. Welcome to puppyhood!! __________________ Erin, Sammy & Loki Sewing patterns and tutorials @ www.dogundermydesk.com

07-08-2006, 06:27 PM	#11
Mya's_Mom YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Brampton, Ontario, Canada Posts: 689	When Mya was a puppy we found a full hour of play and attention worked to wear her out so that she slept. We still give her lots of attention before bed time. I also find that she prefers to eat later now and sleeps better. __________________ Regards,Cyn Driving the grammatically correct insane, one posting at a time

07-11-2006, 07:30 AM	#13
browniesmom622 Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: ny Posts: 11,253 Blog Entries: 5	put a sheet over the crate it worked for us from day one with all 3 it makes them feel safe i would also leave some sounds mabee a radio or something and give her a SAFE cuddly teddy bear __________________ We Love our Yt Angel! My Website< > FB page

07-05-2006, 05:36 AM	#2
JeanieK Donating YT 12K Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Council Bluffs Iowa Posts: 12,552	So you just get her? and this started right away? Have you tired putting the crate in your room with you? I'd say it will just take time. Some say a radio or a ticking clock. I also believe they have things on sale to put to bed with them to sooth them. Ollie cried for the first week, off and on all night, and she had quite a scream. I was penning her in the crate at night, she hated it. After a week of that, I took the door off the crate and blocked off the laundry room, and put down a pee pad. That solved the problem with her..

07-05-2006, 05:47 AM	#3
Karateman Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Posts: 20	Yes, I just bought her last Thursday and she was acting this way nitely ever since. She seems to cry for longer periods when out of her crate because she has the freedom to atempt to claw at the confined walls/boards I had laid down t fence her in the kitchen. My bedroom is only 8 feet away as I live in an apartment, so it's not like she can't see me or sense me. I sleep with my bedroom door open for her to see me. I even put her in the crate and in my room for the first nite and it didn't help much. She'd still wake up every 2 hours and cry to be let out. The previous owner told me she never used a crate and had her sleep on the bedroom floor or in bed with her for short periods. I think this is what my puppy is use to now. I want to break that habit. I have a pee pad, water, food, open crate in a confined kitchen setup right now. She does take well to the crate, so I don't believe it's the issue. I've tried leaving the crate door open, closed, nothing stops her cries/squeals. I haven't tried the radio on all nite as I prefer to have peace at nite.

07-05-2006, 05:55 AM	#4
JeanieK Donating YT 12K Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Council Bluffs Iowa Posts: 12,552	You could play the raido very quietly, it can't be worse than the dog whining. Your poor neuighbors. It is probably because she just is not used to sleeping alone, and it will just take time. Meanwhile, You could check out those things that sooth them. not sure what they are called but Petco or Petsmart should have them.

07-07-2006, 01:44 PM	#5
hooliacasa Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Missouri Posts: 195	I have a family bed, all my babies sleep with us because of the crying that wouldn't stop but that's me. Do you have a stuffed toy in the crate with her? Remember she is used to sleeping WITH someone who helps keep her warm and safe. Put in a soft stuffed toy or maybe one of your shirts - put the crate by your bed- maybe that will help

07-07-2006, 01:51 PM	#6
Lacy's Mom YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 3,065	You could move the crate close to your bed. You could buy some ear plugs. You could try the stuffed animal, favorite chew, music, ticking clock, etc. or, what works in an instant is to put them in bed with you - that's what I have always done. Dogs are pack animals and their instinct tells them that they are unsafe when alone - your baby just wants to be with you - the protector. Bring a baby Yorkie home is very close to bringing home a human baby!

07-07-2006, 07:25 PM	#8
Karateman Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Posts: 20	Geez, it sure sounds like the only sure thing to do at nites is to put her in my bed and that is exactly what I don't want on a nitely basis. I am afraid of starting out that way and making a habit out of it. I really don't mind her sleeping with me if only I knew she wouldn't eliminate in bed. Thanks for all the replies!

07-08-2006, 06:16 PM	#10
patcowden Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 21	I had the same problem with my puppy. I got him when he was only 6 weeks old. I found out later that was waaay to young! I let him sleep with us to stop the crying but he wet in our bed. I found some advice on another post and tried it and it has worked beautifully! I put him in his little crate on a bench right by my bed near my head. I put him in it, turn out the light and place my fingers through the wires. He puts his head on my fingers and goes right to sleep! He usually wakes up and wimpers about every 3 hrs. I just take him to his pee pads, then he goes back to bed. So far this has worked great and I am finally getting some sleep. Good luck, I know what you are going through! Pat

07-11-2006, 07:13 AM	#12
yorkienewbie Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 120	From the first day i got my puppy, i placed the crate in the bedroom right next to me so she could see me. She used to sleep from 10p.m to 5-6 a.m with occasional whinings in some days.Now it's been a month and she still sleeps in the bedroom in her crate. Just lately she's been waking me up every couple of hours, crying and whining so i am also sleep deprived! I think this is part of the committment we agree to when we decide to get a puppy.I understand you prefer not to get her into the habit of sleeping in your bed(i feel the same way )but sometimes when my puppy wakes up in the morning around 5-6a.m i take her out of the crate and let her sleep with me(it gives me an extra couple of hours of sleep!).Make sure she goes potty (1 and 2! ) before you put her into the crate.Does she go potty during the night? If so, make sure she has dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime and no water at least an hour before she goes to bed.Good luck!