does anyone have any tips/tricks on how to keep a 8 week old GDS pup from barking and whining in his crate all night.

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does anyone have any tips/tricks on how to keep a 8 week old GDS pup from barking and whining in his crate all night.

I would take him out for potty before crate, and then NEVER reward the whining and barking, even with negative attention.

Some say that it's not so great to move the crate into your bedroom. I haven't had a puppy, so I'm not an expert on that, but I have had good results with keeping the crate in my room for a while when I first adopt a shelter dog.

I have found that some dogs are better with a cloth draped over the back of the crate at night to make in more den-like, and that some dogs feel more secure when the crate is backed up to a wall rather than in the middle of the room.

I put a towel or other sturdy washable cloth in the crate, or a mat. Some dogs don't want that and push it away (or eat it), but you'll find that out quickly. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I think the biggest thing is not to reward the whining. This will pass!

You are the first person EVER with this question <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
So you want to sleep, the dog wants to whine to get you to come see it. under no circumstances WHATSOEVER are you to enter the room while the dog is whining (also, the crate should not be in your bedroom until he is older and understands hisw role in the pack). maybe he has to pee, maybe hes hungry....or maybe (the 98% solution) you're a sucker like we all are. dont let him beat you. he will whine and cry for hours sometimes, but will eventually tire of it when he sees you do not enter. if you can, once hes been quiet for some time, a few minutes or even less, just walk in to see him. bam, you just rewarded silence.
That should work, if not, there are lots of other ways, starting with moving the crate as far from your bedroom as you can so you cant hear his whining. keep us updated and i can give you more techniques, as can others. This will work though, given enough discipline on your part.

give it good week, and be mentally tough, knowing this is for the better. The little turkeys are cute and can be quite persistent <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I like crating dogs/pups in the bedroom.

I put a black sheet over my pups crate at night, not being able to see me helps her shut up and settle down. Now whenever I tell her "stop it!" she stops whining, but that doesn't work when they're 8 weeks old <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

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You are the first person EVER with this question <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />....

<img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Absolutely! It was so shockingly unusual that I had to log on!

Any new dog pup or older gets today's spent tshirt to sleep with until tomorrow, when it gets refreshed.

Smells, they get. Free bonding. A comfort to them when your not there.
just works!
Might be from Monks of New Skete, the old school 1st edition "How to be your dog's best freind" I think, though that was many years ago, and volumes of dog blather since.

Well, not to put a damper on things... <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I do not believe an 8 week old pup is capable of holding it all night long (assuming 8 hours). I also don't believe in long term "rewards" for whining/barking/sniveling/etc. in the crate.

I *heart* speed potty training. A lot!!

Here's what we do with 8 week olds.

1) We know it will be sheer hell through the night for several weeks.

2) Hubby and I agree to take turns.

3) 8 (or 9 or 10) week old whines and cries, he/she is taken out of crate directly to the potty area. No petting, no cuddling, no nothing other than a "Good Potty!!" when that business happens. Back to the crate for he/she, and back to bed for us. No verbal punishment OR reward for false alarms.

Yep, we are typically doing shifts every 2 or 3 hours with an 8 week old. Yep, it's tempting to play with or cuddle with that cute little puppy, even in the middle of the night. Nope, we don't do that no matter how cute and cuddly that puppy is.

What you DON'T want is leaving the pup for longer than is reasonable for them, and ending up with a "youth" dog who is now comfortable relieving in the crate. That's a much more disgusting problem.

LOL - within the last year, a breeder asked us if we had drains in our camper where we installed custom crates for travel. WHAT?? Why would we need drains??

A few weeks of suffering and little sleep with a baby pup to "do it right" DOES pay off in my opinion. Best wishes with your new pup!

Beth

Aha! Beth's protocol makes sense to me! (See how much more you know when you've actually HAD 8-week-old pups? <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

thanks all. in the past i have only purchased adult dogs to work. now because i have young kids i broke down and bought a puppy this time around, now i remember why i never wanted one. too much work.

sleepless in st.louis

Thanks beth, excellent points with such a young dog. Do what she says!