[DaniK]

Hi everyone - just joined the forum. We brought our Vizsla pup home 2 weeks ago - he is now 10 weeks old. He has a crate in the kitchen which he is relaxed in - takes himself off to sleep there during the day, enjoys his chewies in there and so on. He has cuddlies and blankets in there and a t-shirt of mine. We leave a low light on all night. The crate is in the kitchen for easy access to the garden for toilet stops. The first week we had him my partner and I took turns to sleep in the snug next to the kitchen so that he would know we were close by and so that we could get him out quickly for the toilet. Some nights he would settle after the toilet quite quickly, others less so. We would sit on the floor next to the crate and cuddle him until he was really sleepy or even asleep and then put him back. He was/is still having lots of cuddles and close time during the day. We're now both sleeping upstairs but are responding to him waking, going down to pop him out for the toilet. This is once or twice a night, the second time usually around 4-4.30am. The issue is that he will not settle and barks and howls and cries relentlessly.after that toilet break. We keep everything very quiet and low key. We have tried ignoring it but he keeps going - it was nearly 2 hours this morning, and it starts as soon as we leave the kitchen. So even if he is asleep when he's back in his crate, he starts with the howling and barking the minute we leave the room. Eventually, I have come down, put him out for toilet again and then put him back in his crate and just sat quietly in the room, ignoring him. He quietens down but just resumes the noise as soon as I leave, even if I am just popping to the toilet myself! Some people suggest putting the crate in our bedroom but it is a long way down to the garden and we wouldn't get him out in time for toilet. He is getting there with the potty training but he isn't there yet and still has several accidents a day. I, in particular, am getting very sleep deprived and stressed which is really impacting how I feel during the day. I play with him regularly and we do short bursts of training and carry him out and about to familiarize him with the outside world. Socialization is very difficult during strict lockdown. He won't be able to go for proper walks until he's had his second vaccinations - around the end of the month. He does sleep a lot during the day, we have tried keeping him awake more to make him more tired at night but when he's sleepy, he's sleepy! I don't know if we are creating separation anxiety or if it was wrong to let him tell us when he needed the toilet so that he now knows making a noise gets attention. He seems to be getting more, rather than less, insecure. I really don't know what to do for the best, any insights or suggestions would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[texasred]

What you are experiencing is pretty normal.
Your pup was use to sleeping with littermates, and not being all alone.
It takes time for them to adjust.
Go back to sleeping near him, as he is not ready yet. You can do it by either being downstairs with him, or pickup a second crate for the bedroom.
It does get better. Plenty of new puppy owners are sleep deprived for the first few weeks. Some pups settle in their crates faster than others. They just need reassurance, that they are okay alone. That you will be there, if they really need you for something.

 

[DaniK]

Thank you for that. I did wonder if we had perhaps retreated back upstairs to sleep prematurely. Other puppies I have had have settled very quickly into sleeping alone. They weren't Vizslas, though. I'd prefer him to sleep downstairs until he is house-trained, as it will be stressful trying to get him out for the toilet in time from the bedroom. I think too we will set an alarm and try and pre-empt the whining for the toilet so that he doesn't associate making a noise with us appearing.

 

[Veronique]

Hi everyone - just joined the forum. We brought our Vizsla pup home 2 weeks ago - he is now 10 weeks old. He has a crate in the kitchen which he is relaxed in - takes himself off to sleep there during the day, enjoys his chewies in there and so on. He has cuddlies and blankets in there and a t-shirt of mine. We leave a low light on all night. The crate is in the kitchen for easy access to the garden for toilet stops. The first week we had him my partner and I took turns to sleep in the snug next to the kitchen so that he would know we were close by and so that we could get him out quickly for the toilet. Some nights he would settle after the toilet quite quickly, others less so. We would sit on the floor next to the crate and cuddle him until he was really sleepy or even asleep and then put him back. He was/is still having lots of cuddles and close time during the day. We're now both sleeping upstairs but are responding to him waking, going down to pop him out for the toilet. This is once or twice a night, the second time usually around 4-4.30am. The issue is that he will not settle and barks and howls and cries relentlessly.after that toilet break. We keep everything very quiet and low key. We have tried ignoring it but he keeps going - it was nearly 2 hours this morning, and it starts as soon as we leave the kitchen. So even if he is asleep when he's back in his crate, he starts with the howling and barking the minute we leave the room. Eventually, I have come down, put him out for toilet again and then put him back in his crate and just sat quietly in the room, ignoring him. He quietens down but just resumes the noise as soon as I leave, even if I am just popping to the toilet myself! Some people suggest putting the crate in our bedroom but it is a long way down to the garden and we wouldn't get him out in time for toilet. He is getting there with the potty training but he isn't there yet and still has several accidents a day. I, in particular, am getting very sleep deprived and stressed which is really impacting how I feel during the day. I play with him regularly and we do short bursts of training and carry him out and about to familiarize him with the outside world. Socialization is very difficult during strict lockdown. He won't be able to go for proper walks until he's had his second vaccinations - around the end of the month. He does sleep a lot during the day, we have tried keeping him awake more to make him more tired at night but when he's sleepy, he's sleepy! I don't know if we are creating separation anxiety or if it was wrong to let him tell us when he needed the toilet so that he now knows making a noise gets attention. He seems to be getting more, rather than less, insecure. I really don't know what to do for the best, any insights or suggestions would be helpful. Thanks.

We are 14 weeks old. He slept in the crate by our bed the first 3 nights. Our breeder gave us a toy and blanket he had when with the mom/litter - I think that helped a lot. After night 3, we moved his crate downstairs for the same reasons as you are. Do you feed him in the crate? We exclusively feed him in his crate. We also got a special cover for his crate to keep him cozy and dark - we use it for his daily naps too. We keep him on schedule - 10:30am-12:00am morning nap, 2:00-4:00pm afternoon nap - all in his crate. We put white noises too for every nap. Bedtime is 10:30pm and he started sleeping at 7am or 7:30am when he was 11 weeks - so maybe give it 1 more week. Try tapping on his crate and say "shhhh" - that is what my dog trainer said to do and it worked. Vizsla's are very sensitive and really, really want to be next to their humans. Good luck!

 

[DaniK]

We are 14 weeks old. He slept in the crate by our bed the first 3 nights. Our breeder gave us a toy and blanket he had when with the mom/litter - I think that helped a lot. After night 3, we moved his crate downstairs for the same reasons as you are. Do you feed him in the crate? We exclusively feed him in his crate. We also got a special cover for his crate to keep him cozy and dark - we use it for his daily naps too. We keep him on schedule - 10:30am-12:00am morning nap, 2:00-4:00pm afternoon nap - all in his crate. We put white noises too for every nap. Bedtime is 10:30pm and he started sleeping at 7am or 7:30am when he was 11 weeks - so maybe give it 1 more week. Try tapping on his crate and say "shhhh" - that is what my dog trainer said to do and it worked. Vizsla's are very sensitive and really, really want to be next to their humans. Good luck!

Thank you. We do similar things but he is getting worse. We have spoken to a trainer and he said our pup is developing separation anxiety and so we have some things to try, daytime and nighttime. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep makes it hard to keep to strict routine. He can now go 5 hours between toilet breaks but just won't settle afterwards. It is hard.

 

[slim]

We had to go and give him a little tickle/hug when he would cry at night. Later that became just talking to him to let him know we were still nearby, and then talking from the next room so he could hear but not see us.

If we happened to make a noise in the night and woke him up, we would need to settle him down and get him to sleep again so that was a delicate couple of weeks, but now he sleeps through, no issue.

It took a long time for him to not have to be corralled into the crate in the evening for bedtime though! Actually he only really got used to this when we spent time at other places and he learned on his own to consider the crate as his safe space.

 

[Veronique]

Thank you. We do similar things but he is getting worse. We have spoken to a trainer and he said our pup is developing separation anxiety and so we have some things to try, daytime and nighttime. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep makes it hard to keep to strict routine. He can now go 5 hours between toilet breaks but just won't settle afterwards. It is hard.

I am really sorry you have to go through that - it is so hard!! You are such a loving and responsible puppy parents! Hang in there!