# Morning whining in the crate



## VDAL (Mar 3, 2011)

OMG!
Today my nuka gave a nice concert.She's 11 weeks.We've got her on sunday.For a night we keeping her in the crate(wire).I've already made her to not whine when she's getting in to the crate.I was gaving her treats to look for it in it and I'm leaving dimmed light on.Crate is in kitchen(I don't want to have her in bedroom).Instead of improving behavior in crate it seems like it's getting worse.She woke up us today at 2 am,after half an hour my husband took her for a walk cause she didn't stop.She took her time to pee so it wasn't like she whines cause she had to go.We went to bed and again whining.We decide that we not gonna react so she doesn't learn that she has as whenever she "calls".Till 5.30 barking,whining,growling you name it.I've got up and again She wasn't really excited to go outside 
I was so mad that i didn't even talk to her through whole walk and I think She knows that something is wrong cause since we came back from walk she didn't came to me to lay down next to me like she always do 
Can you guys give me advice what i can do to stop whining in morning?
We want to put her in basement, but I'm also consider now to break the rule: no dogs in bedroom if this will help


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

At 11 weeks, she still needs to be let out a time or two in the middle of the night/early morning to potty. Regardless of whether she goes right away... she still has to go. Some dogs are picky about their pee spots and will carefully select where they go even if their need is urgent. 

I personally keep my dogs' crates in my bedroom. I think it really helped with crate training... it helped them to learn that the crate was a safe and good place to be. We got Luna at 10 weeks and the only time she ever whined in the crate, right from day one, was when she had to potty.

You simply CANNOT get mad at your puppy for being a puppy. Whining in the crate is normal and she may have a legitimate reason for whining (having to potty). She is baby, and babies whine. She absolutely does not understand why you are upset with her, and it is just confusing her and will make things worse.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

She might be whining because she needs to go out. I'd take her out once in the middle of the night. No fanfare, no fun, no walk, just go and stand like a statue at the potty place until she goes.

She might be whining because she's insecure and anxious to be away from her pack. Personally, I didn't like being alone at night when I was a toddler either. I woke my parents up whining at night because I was scared and anxious. Puppies are the same way at this age.

She might be whining because she's not really tired and she's bored. In that case, she needs --yes!-- more exercise and mental stimulation during the day.


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## jrod (Jan 10, 2011)

The first couple nights were the hardest for us with Baron. At first we put the kennel in our bed room because I read a lot on these boards and other sources that the dog may be more comfortable knowing you are near by. The first night we got up about 4 times to let him out to pee and settle back down. He wasn't too bad the first night but I think that is because he was just worn out from the new transition. Night #2 was the worst night, I actually laid and fell asleep laying against his kennel. If I moved away from the Kennel he would whine like crazy. 

The third day we had him we had our vet visit. We asked our vet what she recommended and she told us to put the kennel as far away from us as possible, make sure he went to the bathroom, and then go to bed. We asked how long was too long for his initial whining and she told us if you put him in there at midnight and he was still whining at 5am it was too long. We followed this advice and he only cried for about 20-25 minutes and then slept most of the night. He woke us up crying around 3 or 4am, took him outside to potty then back in the kennel which he cried again but this time for only 5-10 minutes. He maybe had 2 accidents in his kennel the following week but after that. Now at 12.5wks he loves his kennel will sleep a full 7 hrs and not mess his kennel at all.

Maybe we just got lucky with our boy as I know all dogs are different. Oh, we also put a blanket over the kennel/crate to make it feel more den like along with placing the blanket he laid on during our drive home from the breeder and the toy. That pic you can see in my avatar


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## VDAL (Mar 3, 2011)

She's not picky about hers spots.If she got a go she go 
During a day She plays a second and then bam she lays down and falling a sleep She sleeps almost all the time.When I got her.I was taking her for at least 30 minutes walk.30 minutes walk(always in different areas to get her used to to neighborhood)after that we were going to my yard and playing for few minutes,but after 2 minutes she was stepping on stairs of my deck and showing me that she want to go home.Two days ago when we start going on a walk,after a minute she will sit and start whining and pulling to go home.So I thought 30 minutes are to long for her.So I've started taking her for 15 minutes and play.Still she didn't want to go,she want to stay home.Yestarday we went to vet.She's in perfect health.
At home I'm trying to teach her commands like stay, sit, come etc.
I'm trying to hide some toys or treats and tell her to look for it.So it's not like she's not having activities.Now I'm even thinking to keep her awake whole day so she can sleeps at night 
I will try to put her in my bedroom.I don't know if crate is gonna fit 
By saying I was mad I was thinking that inside  cause I still praised het for doing good things on walk


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## DanielleOttoMom (May 11, 2010)

I take Enzo out about 1-2 times a night myself he is 12 weeks old. I don't talk to him (*DONT* need to stimulate or excite) they must learn this is potty time *ONLY*. Then its right back into his crate that we keep in our room. Otto my 1 year is another story I got him at 8 weeks. Every dog is different please keep that in mind. He lays on the floor in our bedroom. at night. I will tell you honsetly he hated the crate I had to get up with him 3-4 times a night. Nothing was working. He would cry and cry in his wire crate for hrs if I let him. One day he laid on the floor in our room and went to sleep. I let him stay there and this worked out. (no more crying) So now that is his place and has been his place scene he was 16 weeks old. Otto did and stil does alert me when it was time to go out side. This decreased potty times to 1-2 times a night. 

So I suggest do what works for you and your family. But remember that a pup is like a new born baby (you cant get mad for her being a baby) Set an alarm on your phone and wake up and take her every few hours before she wakes you up. You might want to take her crate in your room so she can be with you. (this also might cut down on crying) GSD are velcro dogs the like being with there humans. This is a good thing  Good luck!


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## bruiser (Feb 14, 2011)

I keep Bruiser's crate in my bedroom and my son's (we take turns) at night. I think I was really lucky that Bruiser was only awake one night and started sleeping through the night. We say it's time to go to bed and put a couple toys in the crate with him and turn off all the lights. He chews on his toys awhile and then eventually falls off to sleep.

The only times we have trouble getting him down is if he didn't get enough exercise/stimulation during the day. We try and take him on 2 or 3 short walks a day in addition to brief training/fun exercises.

I saw this somewhere that "a tired pup is a happy pup" and so much easier to train and be around.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Call me the mean mom if you want, but I have never really taken pups out for the midnight potty break. Lakota came home at 8 weeks old. I kept her crate in the bedroom. All my dogs sleep in my bedroom. If you keep the pup isolated it will cry becuase it is lonely. I usually take the dogs out around 10pm and we are up at 5am. When I get up I get that pup right outside A.S.A.P. I don't leave a night light on, we all go to sleep. When you get up you cant expect the pup to sit quietly in the crate, I take care of all the critters first, then I can relax and enjoy a cup of coffee.
I guarantee if you put the pup in your basement, it will cry even more.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

kiya said:


> Call me the mean mom if you want, but I have never really taken pups out for the midnight potty break. . .[snip]... I usually take the dogs out around 10pm and we are up at 5am. .


See, to me that _is_ the middle of the night!  I go to bed around 10pm and get up at 7:30 or 8:00. Thus, the need for a midnight potty break.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Emoore said:


> See, to me that _is_ the middle of the night!  I go to bed around 10pm and get up at 7:30 or 8:00. Thus, the need for a midnight potty break.


Ha! I don't even get to sleep that late on weekends. I'm lucky & grateful to sleep till 6:30! Thats really late for me.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

I was just about to start a thread complaining about Kopper whining in his crate at 7am when I want to sleep 'till 8, but I'll restrain myself.


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## warpwr (Jan 13, 2011)

Our 11 week old goes to the crate at about 11PM and whines to go blitz starting around 7AM. 
The first night she whined all night, the second maybe half the night and by the third night she had settled in real well.
We keep her crate in our bedroom but we are going to switch to a tie-down soon, like this weekend. Dogs are pack animals and don't like to be separated from their pack, so if you want the dog in the other room it may take longer for the whining to go away.
A 30 minute walk may be too strenuous for an 11 week old, I'm no expert but ours is only going around the block now and that seems enough.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

warpwr said:


> A 30 minute walk may be too strenuous for an 11 week old, I'm no expert but ours is only going around the block now and that seems enough.


That would probably depend on how fast you're walking, wouldn't it? Is it a 30 minute stroll with stops to pee and rest? Or a 30-minute, 2.5mile power walk?


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## VDAL (Mar 3, 2011)

It's about mile walk.She likes to run sometimes so I let her run back home.
I will try today to put her in bedroom, we will se if this gonna help.Two days in a row she gave me wake up call at 5 am, that was fine, but 2 am?! Come on and she went to bed at 10 pm.Well in a day we taking her out 4 times, every 4 hours so maybe She's going by schedule  every 4 hours


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I keep the crate in the bedroom too. They always settle down and fall asleep pretty quickly, and when they wake me up in the middle of the night I KNOW they have to go outside, so that's what we do. 

I can't even imagine making an 11 week old puppy scream for an hour at 2:00 AM - they have very little bowel and bladder control at that age and you're lucky that you didn't find a mess in the crate by the time you got there to let her out. 

Either she's crying because she has to potty (take her out!) or she's crying because she woke up alone and didn't like being away from her packmates (let her sleep in the room with you!). Either way this is an easy fix. 



kiya said:


> Call me the mean mom if you want, but I have never really taken pups out for the midnight potty break.


It's not about being mean, you've probably just had pups that have been able to hold it longer. I've had a 9 week old puppy that was able to hold it all night from the very beginning, and I've had pups who were several weeks older than that who were still not able to do so. When Halo woke up shrieking in the middle of the night she had to go NOW!!!! Once I was not fast enough throwing on my robe and slippers (it was winter) and by the time I let her out she'd already peed. I picked her up and rushed her outside trying not to get it all over me, but of course there were puppy feet flailing about and I ended up with puppy pee on my face and in my hair.  Good thing I take a shower every morning! 

I don't take mine out during the night on a set schedule, I let the puppy tell me when they need to go out. If they wake up and fuss, outside we go.


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## valreegrl (Nov 11, 2009)

Same here. Puppies that young sleep in the crate in our room. I do last potty break right before I go to sleep. When the pups whine during the night, we go outside for a quick potty. No talking, no pets, no play at that time. Its potty, reward for potty then back to bed. 
I don't begin to ignore whining in the crate until they have worked up to "holding it" for at least 3-4 hours, usually around 14-16 weeks. 
And around 16 weeks is when they move out of my bedroom as well.


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## VDAL (Mar 3, 2011)

Like i was wrighting before few time in my replies  we took her outside when she was whining, but she took her time to do the pee and i know her if she got a go she goes.So whining it wasn't about that.Maybe cause she was lonely.
Also I've mentioned before that We do take her out just before we go to bed and belive me 2 days in a row she wake up whining about 5 am so i took her out automatically.We also feeding her like a 6 pm last time.
and like i said before my #1 rule in a house NOW DOGS IN BEDROOM.I love my dog but she needs to know were is her place.She got all house to run, my bedroom is the only place that she can't go.If I had to put her there that will be last resort.I read somwhere that it's easier to increase bondries then decrease it for a dog.
Guess what.Yestarday I came back from work about 11 pm,It was freezing rain in Chicago, so I was feeling bad that I have to take care in that kind of wheather.We took a walk about 40 minutes cause she kind of enjoy that kind of wheather.Both wet like **** came back home.I've dry her out.Put blanket over crate, turn a night light on,put my T-shirt to her crate(so she can smell it) throw a treat in it.She got in.Gave her another treat cuase she was calm and went straight to bedroom(now whining she was calm) .I've set up my alarm so i will take her out before she whines and quess what?I woke up in a middle of a night(I gave her 4 hours for sleep cause that how I take her in a day)She's sleeping.So I was listening for few minutes nothing.I felt a sleep.At 5 am I woke up cause I was scared that maybe she peed cause it was impossible that she wait so long without whining.She was still sleeping :d I get up and took her for a walk.She did her pee after few minutes and poo.I was sooooo happy.
So I don't know what was it night ago.She got a bad dream or maybe cause we were in vet and she got some shots.I don't know but last night was beatiful


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