Crate Training Puppies at Night - Do's and Don'ts
Crate training puppies at night is something that a lot of people find challenging. Whether you can get your puppy into their crate to go to sleep or you can't even get to that point, it's something that is a little tricky at first. Do you know why night crate training is so hard though? The main reason is because your puppy can't hold their bladders that long!
Your puppy can only hold their bladder for about an hour before they have to potty. Even if you avoid giving them food and drink a couple of hours before you put them to bed, they are still going to need to go in the middle of the night. So if you wake up to the sound of them whining, it's probably because they really need to go!
Remember, dogs will do whatever they can to keep their sleeping area clean!
The best way to go about crate training puppies at night is to set your alarm to go off one to two times while you sleep. Each time it goes off, take your puppy out to their specific potty area and let them go. Then, put them back in their crate and they should fall right back asleep! That should help them get through the night and it should help you to get the sleep you need.
Imagine if you had to use the restroom in the middle of the night and needed someone to open the door to let you go. You would probably whine too, right? I know I would! So just keep that in mind if your little friend wakes you up and you won't be so annoyed. After a couple of months they will get to the point where they can make it through the night without any problems anyway.
What if your puppy whines throughout the night even after you allow them to potty outside?
Sometimes, your puppy will continue to whine even when you give them a chance to relieve themselves. This is because they are testing to see whether or not they can get you to let them out of their crate whenever they whine. A lot of people fall for this trick and the whining never stops!
What that means to you is that you are going to have to ignore their whining until it stops. Your puppy will eventually learn that they can't get your attention simply by whining. It might be annoying for you at night but you have to resist giving them attention or they will never stop.
Fortunately, there is a little trick that you can do if they won't stop whining (and this is after you have given them a chance to potty): Grab their crate from the back and lift it up slightly. Gently move it back and forth until your puppy stops crying. You might have to do this a couple of times but it should make your puppy quiet down.
It's definitely better than taking them out and letting them sleep with you!
So remember, crate training puppies at night really depends on you paying attention to your little pup's needs. Allow them to potty, and give them a chance to go back to sleep, and you will stop 90% of the whining. For the rest, ignore them long enough for them to stop, or try tilting their crate a little bit. They'll eventually learn that it's not worth it to cry and you will be able to look forward to sleeping through the night again!
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