How long will our puppy continue to whine at night?
We just got a 6wk old American Bulldog puppy. We are house training her, but for now she goes in a large cage at night to prevent accidents. That is when the howling and whining starts. All night long. Can anyone tell me how long this will last? Nobody in our house is getting any sleep. Thanks.
You probably know by now that 6 weeks is about 2 weeks, minimum, too young to have this puppy away from her litter-mates and it’s not surprising she’s reacting to finding herself alone in a strange place. Her whole world has just fallen apart.
Take her crate into your room with you overnight and have it alongside your bed so when she starts crying, you can hold your hand to the side, and reassure her that she’s okay, you are still there. You will probably have to set your alarm for around 4.30 because a puppy of this age cannot go through the night without needing to empty. It’s a good idea to anticipate her need to go out too, for now, because if you react to her crying by getting her out of the crate, this will give her the wrong message. Take her out, go with her, loads of praise when she goes. Bring her straight back in, no playing, and crate her with a biscuit. Tell her to settle down, go back to bed and shut off the light until it’s time for you to get up. After 4 weeks or so, she should start to be able to go through most of the night.
It won’t last, but having a young puppy is roughly 6 weeks of hard work!! Then it gradually eases off.
Add – while the ‘ticking clock’ thing might work, it has nothing to do with mum’s heartbeat ….. mum should have been away from her litter long before they come home (it’s part of weaning and making it possible for a puppy to actually be ready to go home!!). It might replace the sound of litter-mates, but certainly not mum!!
How To Stop A Dog From Whining – Video 7 of Series – How To Train My Dog