by Debbie
(Getzville, NY)
I have a 6 week old puppy that cries throughout the night while in his crate.
I do give him breaks. I have had him for only 2 days, and want him to be OK when in his crate, to enjoy sleeping and feeling secure in it.
Hi Debbie
I think you’re expecting too much from this little guy right now – at 6 weeks old he’s too young to even have left his momma and littermates and it’s totally normal for him to be crying in his crate at night (or even during the day).
At this age he really has very little bladder or bowel control and he won’t be able to ‘hold it’ if he needs to go. It’s a bit too early to be crate training him, and if he does manage to keep his crate clean at this age he’ll be doing exceptionally well.
The majority of puppies need at least one, usually two, potty breaks during the night when they’re 8 weeks old, and may continue to need to go out during the night until they’re anywhere from 10 – 16 weeks old, depending on the individual puppy. It’s important to get up and take your puppy outside when he cries at night, but don’t make it a fun exercise of he’ll wake up just for company. If he cries when you put him back, ignore him until he falls asleep – but do take him out again next time he wakes up and repeat the whole process.
You’ll be losing some sleep for a week or so as he adjusts, but that’s normal, and if you follow these guidelines he should learn given time and patience. At 6 weeks old he’ll need to go out every 30 mins to an hour during the daytime too, and he’s probably scared and lonely and will need to be close to you to feel secure. Just remember he’s a tiny baby and give him lots of love and be patient.
You’ll probably find this Bringing Home A New Puppy page helpful as it has lots of tips and advice to help you. Best of luck with your pup.