My puppy whines a lot at night, what can I do to stop the whining, calm him...

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BooNaanie Justice Miller

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...down, and get myself some sleep? My puppy that I just got yesterday (1/2/08) whined a lot at night and I am pretty sure that he will whine again tonight. He is a 9 week old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and I love him to death. But I don't know if he whines because he misses his family, feels lonely, feels scared, wants attention, needs to potty, or if he just doesn't like his crate. Can anyone please help me because neither me nor my puppy Nuvo are getting any sleep (well he is because he naps a LOT during the day but I'm getting none so far) is there ANYONE that can PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!
 
Welcome to puppy parenthood!!! It can be very difficult to tell whether your puppy needs to go out or is just lonely- its a trial and error thing.

First of all make sure that his environment is safe and he percieves it as such. You can do this by making sure he has something soft to lay on, a fuzzy toy to cuddle up against (romove this toy if he tries to chew it), and you can get a hot water disk that provides warmth. Most puppies cry their first few nights- its pretty tramatic to be taken away from your home and your family all in one day. He will get eventually over it.

After you are sure he feels safe, try to ignore the whining if you can- sometimes it helps to massage the puppy to sleep and then leave. Over time you will get to know what is a "I've really gotta go" cry and what is just protesting. Your puppy can only hold his badder for up to 3 hours when he is moderately active and maybe longer when he's sleeping, so if it has been 3 hours since his last potty break, take him out, make sure he empties himself and then you will know that you can ignore other whines.

I just want to say one more thing. With many young puppies you can get away with comforting them when they whine- the danger is that you could be reinforcing the whining. I always say that if the animal is stressed (in this case scared) and not in a thinking mode to begin with, your chances of that are pretty small- but they do exist. So if it seems like he's just having a really hard time, you may very well be able to massage him to sleep again. If that makes things worse- stop doing it.
 
Have him sleep with you. Your warmth is what he was missing from his mother or another option is lay alots of soft blanket in his box along with your clothes...the scent of your smell might comfort him.
 
DON'T pay any attention to a whining puppy that you're trying to crate train. It completely ruins the entire training.

It was probably just the first night, but expect it for a few days. If it gets really bothersome, but the crate in another room.
 
The first step is to take Nuvo out for a long walk or playtime right before bedtime. Get him as tired as you can - a tired puppy is a quiet puppy.

Go out to a local petstore and buy some Kong toys or hollow bones. These are hollow; you can stuff them with food or treats. When you feed him his dinner, save about half to stuff inside Kongs. I like smearing a little honey or peanut butter on the inside, so the kibble sticks. Mix in a few treats with his food as well, then put it in his crate. Never force him to go in his crate - if he's reluctant, show him the stuffed Kong, then put it inside and close the door. Leave him get fruterated trying to get at it for a couple minutes, then open the door. He will probably rush inside.

He's not used to sleeping in a crate, and he misses his mother and siblings. Whining in the crate will sometimes stop after a week, and sometimes after a few months. If you follow the tips above, it should be minimized.

For the long run, make him really enjoy his crate. Throw a couple treats or interesting toys in at random times during the day for him to discover. Feed him his meals in it and give him any new toys that you buy in it, and he'll learn to love it. Keep his crate in your room, so he can smell and hear you. Once he really likes it, try leaving him alone for short periods. Start out with only three minutes or so, and gradually increase it.

Good luck!
 
Try giving him a chew toy to take up his time. Play with him more than you normally do.Make sure when ever he tries to nap wake him up and get him all hyped by playing. Try playing fetch and tug o war but don't yank to hard cause that will damage his teeth, tug with the amount of strength he is pulling with. If it continues maybe see a pet training course or your vet cause he could have some sort of wierd condition
 
Purchase a heat disc from the link below. He is crying for all of those reasons. I found when I gave my dog a hot water bottle that she calmed down as it was like the warmth from other dogs. However, it really isn't safe. The heat disc is safe and stays warm and chew proof (except for crazy chewers as our terrier chewed the nob off ours) I have just ordered 3 more and I even use it for me.
Do not open the crate door or go and see the pup when she is crying. If you have to go to the crate make sure she stops crying before you let her out, or she will continue to whine and cry. Try putting a clock near by so the tick can simulate its mothers heart beat. If you don't have a heat disc and have to wait for one try putting a blanket or towel int he dryer and then putting it in with her before she goes to bed.

Make sure during the day she's allowed to go in and out of her crate whenever you can supervise. That way she will understand she's not in trouble at night and she will feel safe and secure in the crate too.
 
crate him in your room. put a blanket over his cage and make sure he goes potty before bedtime. try putting a bed in his cage and some treats
 
New pupies whine at night because they miss their mother and littermates. I was told that a putting ticking clock wrapped in a towel will calm them because they think it's their mother (Ticking is like heart beat).
 
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