[walv]

Hello- looking for some advice on apparent crating regression. This is my first dog, and definitely the first time crating a dog.
My puppy is 8 months old, and we’ve had her since she was 2 months old. She has slept in her crate every night since. She got through her “get me out of here” yelps pretty quickly (within the first week) and then slept through the night without issues. Occasionally asking to be let out in the middle of the night for potty breaks. These last 3 weeks she appears to be/ and what feels like taking advantage of these potty breaks, as she’s asking to go out every single night, and on certain nights 2-3x a night. When she does go out at night it’s strictly potty time. There’s no talking, petting, or anything- out to the grass then straight back into the crate. Nothing has changed in our routine, no change in food. She goes on walks every evening, I take her out to potty 2-3x times before actually going to bed, I cut her water off 2 hours before bed. I’m out of ideas, so any guidance would be super helpful!

 

[Raindrops]

I think you are right in that she has learned to take advantage of potty breaks. At 8 months she should be entirely capable of holding it all night. If not then she may need a vet check. I would try to wait her out and see if she settles down on her own.

 

[walv]

I think you are right in that she has learned to take advantage of potty breaks. At 8 months she should be entirely capable of holding it all night. If not then she may need a vet check. I would try to wait her out and see if she settles down on her own.

Thank you, I will talk to her vet. Because the one time I ignored her, she cried off and on for hours and when I finally took her out she had diarrhea. I don’t know if she got stressed out enough to the point of diarrhea. Or if she had to go diarrhea from the beginning, and that’s why she never settled?

 

[PeggyTheParti]

A little adolescent sleep regression is normal, but this seems excessive.

First, I hear Peggy drink multiple times throughout the night. I would recommend never restricting water. That alone can make a dog restless. I suggest mounting a water bowl inside the crate so it doesn't interfere with floor space.

It's also helpful to provide a small snack before bed, as an acidic stomach can cause both restlessness and digestive woes such as morning vomiting.

Does she pee and/or poop every time she gets you up?

If not, you've simply taught your puppy that you come when she calls at night, so this will take a little effort to correct. She just needs to learn your expectations. Once she does, you can hopefully be confident she'll only bark when it's urgent and respond accordingly.

Does she get up at the same time(s) each night?

If so, set an alarm for a little earlier and preemptively take her out for potty. And then slowly push that time later and later until she's sleeping through the night. I personally wouldn't expect her to quit those nighttime outings cold turkey.

Other things you can do:

-Ensure her crate is big enough for her to fully stretch out. Otherwise she will have a restless sleep and be anxious to stretch her legs.

-Cover her crate with a black, lightweight blanket, open only on the wall side for air flow. Reducing light and stimuli promotes deep sleep.

-Make sure she's getting adequate physical and mental exercise during the day...but not too much. You want her relaxed, not over-adrenalized.

-Does she sleep in your room? If not, consider moving her crate. Being near you might be enough to soothe her back to sleep.

 

[walv]

A little adolescent sleep regression is normal, but this seems excessive.

First, I hear Peggy drink multiple times throughout the night. I would recommend never restricting water. That alone can make a dog restless. I suggest mounting a water bowl inside the crate so it doesn't interfere with floor space.

It's also helpful to provide a small snack before bed, as an acidic stomach can cause both restlessness and digestive woes such as morning vomiting.

Does she pee and/or poop every time she gets you up?

If not, you've simply taught your puppy that you come when she calls at night, so this will take a little effort to correct. She just needs to learn your expectations. Once she does, you can hopefully be confident she'll only bark when it's urgent and respond accordingly.

Does she get up at the same time(s) each night?

If so, set an alarm for a little earlier and preemptively take her out for potty. And then slowly push that time later and later until she's sleeping through the night. I personally wouldn't expect her to quit those nighttime outings cold turkey.

Other things you can do:

-Ensure her crate is big enough for her to fully stretch out. Otherwise she will have a restless sleep and be anxious to stretch her legs.

-Cover her crate with a black, lightweight blanket, open only on the wall side for air flow. Reducing light and stimuli promotes deep sleep.

-Make sure she's getting adequate physical and mental exercise during the day...but not too much. You want her relaxed, not over-adrenalized.

-Does she sleep in your room? If not, consider moving her crate. Being near you might be enough to soothe her back to sleep.

Thank you! 🙏🙏🙏