[minnesotamabel]

Mabel (mini poodle) came home with us 5 weeks ago and is now 13 weeks old. We let her out to go potty before bed, usually between 9-10pm and then she is up one or two more times to potty again before she wakes for the day around 5am. She doesn’t eat or drink after 8pm. She sleeps in a crate next to the bed.

I’m wondering when we can reasonably expect her to sleep through the night (ideally 10pm-6am). To be honest I’m getting really tired and am hoping the end is in sight. Our previous dog was a spoo and she slept through the night from the beginning.

Just wondering what others experiences have been...

 

[minnesotamabel]

 

[Dechi]

All dogs are different. She’s still a little young to sleep through the night. Does she wake you to go outside or do you let her out because you figure she needs to ?

Oh, and she’s so cute you can bring her to me anytime...

 

[minnesotamabel]

She whimpers and paws at the crate to wake me and she always goes pee (and usually poo too...)

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Cute little girl! Aw! Makes me miss those first few (exhausting) months.

Are you preemptively waking her up for her late night potties? The benefit of doing this is 1) she doesn't learn that fussing gets her out of the crate and 2) you can slowwwwwwly increase the duration between toilet times.

We kept careful track of Peggy's schedule in a written log (and actually still do) and tacked on an extra half hour every few days. Or if Peggy was in a really deep sleep and only reluctantly followed us outside, we'd use that as an indicator we could go ahead and add even more time. On this schedule, she was sleeping through the night by about 12 weeks, and now will easily sleep a solid 10 hours if we don't wake her up.

Note: Peggy's a spoo, with a larger bladder than your mini, but I still think the key is to do everything you can to wake them up rather than let them wake you up. And even then, be super quiet and unexciting.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Just saw your response that you've gotten into a routine where she whimpers and you let her out. I'd make note over a few nights of what times this happens, and then set a vibrating alarm to get up ahead of her. I know it's painful. But I think it'll be worth it!

 

[Rose n Poos]

Good info from PTP and Dechi. She is young still, so 1-2 times a night for another month or three may be unavoidable. Has she done this consistently since coming home? I mean, has the time lengthened at all from one go out to the next as she's gotten older?

And, just to be sure, has she been checked very recently for possible UTI and for parasites?

This might bring on further discussion, but if she's going to bed at 9ish, I'd test things out by not eating or drinking after 7p, so, about 2 hours before bedtime and see if that makes any difference. Also, the last awake go out is just before bedtime?

 

[minnesotamabel]

Good info from PTP and Dechi. She is young still, so 1-2 times a night for another month or three may be unavoidable. Has she done this consistently since coming home? I mean, has the time lengthened at all from one go out to the next as she's gotten older?

And, just to be sure, has she been checked very recently for possible UTI and for parasites?

This might bring on further discussion, but if she's going to bed at 9ish, I'd test things out by not eating or drinking after 7p, so, about 2 hours before bedtime and see if that makes any difference. Also, the last awake go out is just before bedtime?

I’m sure it’s not a UTI or parasites. We were just in for her 12 week check up and stool was clear. Our previous dog had chronic UTIs, so I know what to look for.

Her food is picked up at 8, but to be honest she rarely touches it after 5:30 or 6, I could try an hour earlier.

I fear it is just the norm for a small puppy body... wishing my human body wasn’t feeling as old as it is right now.?

This too shall pass...

 

[Mufar42]

I’m sure it’s not a UTI or parasites. We were just in for her 12 week check up and stool was clear. Our previous dog had chronic UTIs, so I know what to look for.

Her food is picked up at 8, but to be honest she rarely touches it after 5:30 or 6, I could try an hour earlier.

I fear it is just the norm for a small puppy body... wishing my human body wasn’t feeling as old as it is right now.?

This too shall pass...

Are you free feeding her? If you are it could just be her "system" has learned its ok to need to go several times during the night. You know eat some, need to go awhile afterwards and so on. I feed on a schedule as its much easier to housebreak that way. Now Renn is a standard but even my cairn who is 12 lbs learned quickly to sleep thru the night. Basically its because I learned their schedule and made sure that we pretty much stuck to it. All my dogs now go to bed for the night at 8-8:30 and sleep thru until 5:30-6. Now for the longest time our cairn went out for the last time at 10, but since my husbands health has been poor he goes to bed earlier and I always go to bed early. But we all train and raise our pups differently, in time even free feeding she will get it but I do think it takes longer, and I fully understand being sleep deprived.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

It will pass so quickly! I promise. Soon it'll all feel like a dream

But I do encourage you to break the current habit if you can. Or at least give it a moment after you hear her whining, so she associates silence with the crate door opening.

 

[Rose n Poos]

Mufar42 brought up a good point. What is her feeding schedule, how much water daily, how much food overall, and spread over how many meals? Regular intake = regular outgo .

 

[Johanna]

She whimpers and paws at the crate to wake me and she always goes pee (and usually poo too...)

She is training herself very nicely. My minipoo still sleeps in a crate because she is so wiggly, not the best bed companion! She is almost 3 years old and has very occasionally scratched the crate door and whined when she had to make a nighttime potty trip.

 

[Rose n Poos]

It's definitely not recommended as a solution, but I had 2 mini pups from the same litter. Also not recommended beyond a short time but I let them sleep together in the same crate for a few weeks during their adjustment to their new lives. They would sleep quietly for probably 5-6hours before needing to go out.

This is a different type of suggestion, but have you heard of the SmartPetLove Snuggle Puppy Behavioral Aid Toy?
A few members here have used this and found it helped a lot.

Robot Check