Yelping & crying at night

by Sue
(S. Yarmouth, Ma)

How do I stop him from crying & yelping all night?

I keep him VERY busy in an effort to wear him out so he'll sleep well. We go out right before bed. It isn't that he needs to potty.

He just doesn't want to be penned up.



Hi Sue
This is a VERY common issue with puppies, and there's no magic answer I'm afraid!

It sounds as though you're doing everything right, it's just a matter of time and patience.

Most puppies cry, whine, howl and so on, for the first few nights. Some pups are more stubborn and persistent than others, and can keep it up for a week or more. Eventually though, if you're patient and don't give in to their whining and complaining, they all give up and settle down.

It's very important to never take your pup out of his crate/pen/room etc. when he's crying and howling. Puppies learn through association, and if he even gets a whiff of the fact that his crying could lead to freedom, he'll crank it up and keep at it for longer, and probably more loudly, the next time!

The exception to this is if he's been shut up for hours, has gone to sleep/been quiet, and then suddenly starts to whine and cry. In that case he probably needs a potty break. It's best to give him the benefit of the doubt, rather than risk spoiling your potty training progress. But all night-time potty breaks are strictly no-nonsense affairs - up, outside, back to bed! That's it, no playing, no interaction and so on. This isn't for fun, it's just a necessity.

I recommend that you read the submission on this page from another visitor who had a very similar problem. If you scroll down the page and click on the 'visitor comments' link, you'll see how well this advice worked for her. It will work for you too, honestly!

Best of luck with your puppy, and here's to a good nights' sleep in the near future! :o)