Handle a Dog Begging for Food

Dog begging for food is one of the most common discipline issues that dog owners face. An unfortunate side effect of loving our dogs so much is that we would like to give them everything that they want. So when our dogs start begging for food, it's almost too much for us to bear... and we cave!

With a little willpower and discipline on your part, though, begging can be one of the easiest behaviors to correct. Follow these simple tips to turn your hairy panhandler into a productive member of society once more!

Do not give food to begging dog. This tip may seem like common sense, but you'd be surprised how few people consider it when they're looking into the wide, wet eyes of their beloved canine companion. That high-pitched whine is an effective tool against you, and your dog knows it. Why? Because it's worked before! Giving food is a form of affection, and giving affection reinforces the behavior preceding it. Your dog has learned that if he begs, he gets food! Take a stand and start a new trend. Find the willpower to withhold that food, and your dog will learn that he can't expect rewards for begging behavior.

Ignore begging dog. Begging is an attention-seeking behavior. Rather than give in to your dog's demands, ignore the behavior and teach your dog that it does not get results! When you talk to your dog, give him affection, or engage in direct eye contact, you are feeding his mental state. Instead, practice no touch, no talk, no eye contact.

Don't feel sorry for your dog.Your dog is well-fed. You should know; you feed him! He is not in danger of going hungry if you don't give him that scrap off the table, so don't feel sorry for him when he flashes you those doughy eyes and places a single paw forlornly on your leg. If you become concerned about how much your dog should be fed, talk to your veterinarian. This can help ease your concerns and allow you to remain calm and assertive!

Use discipline consistently. In any kind of training, consistency is the key to success. For your dog to learn that his begging behavior is ineffective, it has to be ineffective 100% of the time. Inconsistent enforcement of the rules leads to an inconsistently obedient dog! Make sure that every pack leader in the household understands and enforces the same rules.

Be patient. Few dogs change overnight. If you have followed these tips to the letter and your dog continues to beg, don't despair! See the last tip: use discipline consistently. Stay consistent and don't give up. Your reward will be a better behaved dog!

toilet train for dogs

House training (toilet training) a puppy or a dog takes time and patience and, just as with children, every puppy or dog is different and will learn at its own pace.

To make the process of toilet training successful and as efficient as possible, you need to usepositive reinforcement training. The first step is to give your dog plenty of opportunities to go outside. The second is to reward the dog every time(or as often as possible) it eliminates in the place where you want the dog to go.

The reward must occur immediately after the event (within a few seconds), not when the dog comes back inside, as the dog will not make an association between the elimination and the reward unless it is given straight afterwards. The reward can be in the form of praise (a pat on the chest or saying 'good' dog in a pleasant tone of voice), offering a food treat or giving the dog their favourite chew toy.

This system relies on you supervising the dog as much as possible throughout the day so as not to miss the opportunity to reward the dog for the good behaviour. The more often you can do this, the faster the dog will learn. You should also look out for signs showing the dog is about to go to the toilet so you can take them outside and are ready to praise them as soon as they have finished. When dogs are about to go to the toilet they tend to sniff the area, circle and then pause in the spot (though individuals may vary so owners may watch their dog to get an idea of what they do).

Remember to take your puppy or dog to the toilet area first thing in the morning, as dogs will often need to go to the toilet at this time.

Positive reinforcement also involves ignoring 'unwanted' elimination – i.e. if the dog goes in the wrong place it is best to display no reaction. You should clean the area thoroughly with a non-ammonia based cleaning product (these can be found at your local veterinary clinic or animal supplies store) to take away the scent and reduce the likelihood of the dog using the same place again next time.

Old-fashioned responses such as 'rubbing the dog’s nose in it' or administering any form of punishment will not teach the dog anything, in fact it may actually delay the learning process. The dog may instead learn that eliminating in front of the owner is inappropriate and this then makes rewarding elimination (when they do go in the right spot) difficult.

It is very important to note that young puppies often do not have full control over their urination until they are a bit older. That is, urination is a developmental process, so very young puppies can make a mistake without being able to prevent or control it

How to Get Your Dog to Sleep

Can't get your puppy or grown dog to settle down to sleep at night? Does it whine all night long? Here are a few ideas about how to change this behavior--or accommodate it in your home.

Steps

1 Identify the Problem. Puppies may miss the noise and warmth of a litter. Dogs are creatures of habit-- a change of sleeping situation may be the problem. If something stressful to the dog has recently happened, perhaps this needs to be addressed.

2 For a sleepless puppy: Make sure you have the following things: a warm bean bag or mat, and a clock that makes a rhythmic ticking sound. Put these articles under a cushion or a blanket where your dog sleeps! It should work like magic. You can also put the clock next to your dog. However you could also try putting a radio on softly.

3 If your dog is accustomed to sleeping in a crate, kennel, or other small space he or she may have a hard time sleeping in an open room. If you prefer your dog to sleep out in the open, or you don't have a crate, it may take a few nights of whining and pacing for her to get used to the new situation. Be patient! Show her where you want her to sleep, and, if she knows the command, tell her to do a "Down" and "Stay." You may need to get out of bed to correct incorrect behavior--but it'll be worth it in the long run.

4 If you want your dog to sleep in a crate, but he isn't "crate trained" it may take some time to get him used to the crate. Put special treats in the back of crate before you lead him to it. Make sure that when you say "Kennel" or "bedtime" you use a positive tone of voice--going into the crate to sleep shouldn't be a punishment. If you use it as a punishment, you may find that your dog never grows accustomed to the crate as a relaxing and quiet place.

5 Perhaps there are other issues--a big event, a change in household set-up-- that the dog is responding to. Just remember, dogs are happiest when the same thing happens everyday in the same way. A small change to you (like moving your bedroom furniture) may seem like a big deal to the dog. He'll get used to the change with patient and consistent correction from you.

6 Exercise! Dogs need about 40 minutes a day of running, panting, aerobic exercise. A restless dog at night may be a dog who needs more time tiring himself out.

7 Food. Dogs absorb energy from their food differently than humans do--because their food is a little different. Generally, dogs get a big energy push right after eating, so if you feed your dog late at night, she may be too energetic to get to sleep. Try feeding her earlier, and be sure to let her relieve herself before bedtime.

Tips

As in humans, yawning is contagious. Try yawning intentionally to your dog (puppy) and it can induce sleepiness in your dog.

Having a treat might help you lure your dog to his/her sleeping area.

It would help to have your dog calmed down, and put it in a quiet spot

Know your dog breed. Some dog breeds, such as border collies, lab, golden retrievers, and many terriers need much more that 40 min of exercise. They may need 40 minutes twice a day or up to 2 hours of exercise. Other breeds such as Bichons, mini dachshunds, great Danes need less. Size is not as important as what the dog was bred to do.

Make sure your dog doesn't sleep all day because that can make your dog awake all night and then you can't get the sleep you need.

Warnings

Be careful about the temperature of the hot item, it should be warm to the touch.

Also, a normal dog's body temperature is around 102 degrees Fahrenheit, so don't make it too cold.

Be careful about telling your dog to "stay". Stay means don't move until I tell you to, as in stay sitting until I tell you can get up. This is not something you can control after you go to sleep. By telling your dog to "stay" at night, she may not know she has to actually "stay" during other times. "Wait" or "go to your bed" may be better to use. This is picky but if you really want your dog to gave a good "stay" this is important.

First night home with puppy

The first night home with your new puppy can be a trying experience for both of you. It’s the first time your puppy has spent the night away from his mother and littermates. Because dogs are pack animals, your puppy knows instinctively that being separated from the pack is dangerous. Whining and crying at night is your puppy’s way of calling for his pack to find him. Of course it does nothing to comfort you.

With a little preparation and patience, you can make the most of the first night with your puppy.

What to do before bedtime

Take up any food or water after six or seven o’clock to make sure your puppy is running on empty when it’s time to sleep. Otherwise, you’ll be making trips to the bathroom all night, or worse, your puppy will eliminate in the house.

Shortly before you go to bed, spend some time playing with your puppy. You want him to be tired enough to sleep soundly. Definitely don’t let him nap within an hour or two of bedtime or else your puppy will be ready to play when you’re ready to sleep.

Just before bed, take your puppy outside to his soiling area and wait for him to go. When he does praise him and bring him back inside. This reinforces good behavior and begins the house training process.

Where puppy should sleep

If possible, you should let your puppy sleep in your bedroom to reduce the chances of whining or crying at night. Also, the constant contact throughout the night will help your puppy adjust to you and establish you as pack leader. One note of caution: Don’t let the puppy sleep in the bed with you. He’ll eventually expect to be allowed in the bed, and it can lead to numerous behavioral problems as your puppy grows.

If you or the breeder have started crate training, you should put the crate in your room and use that to confine him while he sleeps. If your puppy isn’t used to a crate, then tether him to your bed or close by and put down an old blanket or sheet. Keep the tether short. Puppies usually won’t soil the area where they sleep, but if he has the opportunity to wander he may get up and go during the night.

As a last resort, you can keep your new puppy somewhere other than your bedroom. Make sure you puppy proof your house first and put a sweatshirt or other article of your clothing with him for your scent. A ticking clock or a radio set to a low volume can also help soothe a puppy the first night home. You should check on him throughout the night for bathroom breaks.

Stop puppy crying at night

If and when your puppy starts crying at night, you need to decide if he has to go to the bathroom or if he’s looking for attention. If he’s been quiet for a few hours and suddenly starts to cry or whine, he may need to go out. Puppies have small bladders, so you’ll likely have to take him out at least once during the night. A good rule of thumb is to add one to your puppy’s age in months and that’s generally how long he can go without a trip outside. So a two-month-old puppy can wait three hours. That means your puppy will probably need to go out at least twice during the night.

If your puppy is crying and you’re sure it’s not for need of relieving himself, reach down and soothe him a little. Don’t be too doting or coddle your puppy. This will only reinforce the behavior and he’ll cry even more. If he continues to whine, a gruff “Quiet” and a quick, but gentle, shake by the scruff should settle the matter. If all else fails, ignore him. Tough love may be difficult, but eventually your puppy will learn that crying at night gets him nowhere. The more persistent you are in your approach, the quicker the situation will be resolved. If you’re stern one minute and sympathetic the next, your puppy will only be confused and his behavior will continue.

In the morning

Get up right away and take your puppy outside to his soiling area. Carry him. Don’t let him walk there or he may be tempted to go before he gets outside. Let him empty everything out, and praise him when he’s finished.

As with any new baby, you may not get much sleep the first night with puppy. If you’re patient and understanding, your puppy will learn what you expect of him when it’s time to sleep. You both should wake up rested and ready for the day after a few nights together.

How long does a normal puppy sleep?

The amount of time spent napping varies fromdog to dog and depends on the dog's age andpersonality. Counting little naps and longersnoozes, most puppies sleep from 18 to 20 hoursa day. As your puppy ages, he will sleep less.Adult dogs sleep about fourteen hours a day.

The various breeds of dogs also seem to have different sleep

requirements. Some very large breeds of dogs, like Newfoundlands,Saint Bernards, and mastiffs, often spend a great deal of their lives sleeping – perhaps up to sixteen or even eighteenhours a day even as adults.

Consistency Trains a Puppy

Every interaction with your puppy is a training opportunity.

Training a puppy when you first bring them home is critical. It is obvious that you need certain physical items such as a dog bed or crate, food and water bowls, puppy chow, collar, leash, toys, etc. Equally as important, all family members must decide and agree on routine, responsibility and rules.

The first few days are extremely important. Enthusiasm and emotions are up. Everyone wants to feed the puppy, play with the puppy and hold the puppy. Pre-established rules are easily broken. Everyone agreed that puppy will sleep in her crate but as soon as she's home, someone melts and insists that puppy will sleep in bed. Everyone previously agreed not to let puppy jump up on them, but in the excitement, no one even notices that puppy is jumping up. No one sleeps the first night. Puppy wins and gets to sleep in bed. The next morning we find puppy has eliminated all over the bed. So the following night puppy is banned to her crate and screams all night. No one sleeps tonight either.

Grouchiness sets in; enthusiasm is down. No one wants to get up at the pre-agreed upon early morning feeding time. Who will be responsible for house training the puppy? How are we going to sleep with her constant whining and crying?

Your new puppy has just been taken away from her mom and littermates. She is vulnerable and impressionable. What she needs now is security and routine. Set up a small room to be her very own special haven for the next couple of months. Paper the entire floor and put her food/water bowls and bed in one corner. Scatter her toys everywhere.

Play with her quietly and gently. Don't flood her with attention and activity. If she looks like she wants to sleep, leave her alone. Puppies need lots of sleep.

Decide who is responsible for feeding and cleaning up after her. Don't deviate from the schedule. Routine is especially important for your puppy. Don't spend all your time with her. If she is going to be alone during the day or night, she needs to start getting used to it now. If she wakes up from a nap and whines, resist the urge to run in and comfort her.

Since puppies are so impressionable, it is important to begin explaining the rules right away. Don't give her special license to get away with anything just because she is a puppy. If you allow her to have her way about certain things now, she will only be confused later when you decide to change the rules. Puppies learn very quickly with proper instruction. 

Never hit your puppy or give harsh reprimands. They don't mean to misbehave - they are just doing whatever comes naturally. Instead, show your puppy what kind of behavior you want. Teach her to play with her toys. Make them fun and exciting. Let her know how happy you are and how good she is when she chews them. 

Then, when you see her chewing your furniture, firmly tell her, "Off!" and immediately show her one of her own toys. Encourage her to play with and chew on it. Praise her profusely when she does so. If you don't catch her in the act, anything you do will confuse her. The only way you can instruct your puppy is to be there. If you can't be there, don't allow her to have access to places where she can get into trouble.

Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian immediately. Discuss your puppy's vaccination schedule and when she will be allowed outside. Puppies are susceptible to many canine diseases until they are fully vaccinated; so don't take your puppy outside until your veterinarian says it is OK.

Your puppy's emotional and mental health is just as important as her physical health. When your schedule your puppy's first veterinary visit, also schedule her into a puppy socialization class. She may not be able to attend yet, but reserve your place now so you don't miss out. Puppy socialization classes give your puppy an opportunity to meet a variety of people and dogs in a controlled situation and have a chance to just romp and play with other young puppies.

Sleeping Arrangements for Puppies

Sleeping arrangements for a new puppy will require some preparation. If you're adopting early, it's very likely that this will be your puppy's first night away from its mother and littermates. To get you ready to accommodate your new addition and make your puppy as comfortable as possible, we've put together some tips that should help smooth the transition.

Before settling in for the night, I recommend tiring the puppy out and making sure that any bathroom needs are taken care of. I strongly suggest you keep the puppy's resting place near your bed for the first few nights to help her feel less lonely. If you plan to use a kennel or crate, wait until the puppy is in a calm submissive and relaxed state before closing her in. It is important that she not feel trapped and that she not associate anything negative with her sleeping arrangements. Remember that your puppy experiences the world with her nose first, so providing a towel, toy, blanket or other object with the familiar scent of her mother and littermates may help her relax. You may also want to include an item or two with the scent of your puppy's new family members to help her become familiar with you and adapt to her new pack.

If your puppy tries to leave her bed, begins to whine, or tries to use chewing as a way to cope with the anxiety of being alone, give her gentle but firm corrections. The puppy's mother set very strict rules for behavior, so she should need very little correction in order to get the point.

Some puppies may miss the feeling of a beating heart next to them when they sleep. To help your puppy along some, "beating heart" plush toys can be purchased at pet stores that mimic the sound of a canine mother's heartbeat.

If you have another balanced dog that has demonstrated a gentle energy around the puppy, you can employ that dog as a surrogate teacher to help the puppy feel safe and get a good night's rest. Remember, the best teacher is a canine one!

Problem: Dog Won’t Sleep Through the Night

Help! My puppy is 1.5 months and he will not let me sleep at night. He sleeps for 1 ½ to 2 hours and then wakes up and wants to play. And so on all night long. How do I get him to sleep through the night? I'm going crazy from lack of sleep.

Advice from Cesar’s good friend and dog trainer Cheri Lucas:

Pack leaders need their sleep, so here’s my advice on how you can turn this situation around!

The concept of creating rules, boundaries and limitations is an essential component for any effective dog-training program. This is especially important when it comes to raising a puppy. Having a puppy gives you the opportunity to work with a “clean slate,” to mold your young dog into the canine companion you’ve always dreamed of. Unfortunately, you also have the opportunity to create a confused and dysfunctional pup if you’re inadvertently setting him up for failure.

When a mother dog gives birth to a litter of pups, she immediately begins creating structure and discipline for her pack. Your job as your pups’ new pack leader is to do the same. The good news is that puppies automatically seek direction and thrive on routine. The rules and boundaries you create for your pup now will have a lasting impression on him as he matures into an adult dog.

Your puppy should be eating three times a day until he is about 8 months old. You should have a solid feeding schedule that you don’t deviate from. A puppy’s digestive system works very quickly, so plan on taking him out to his potty area immediately after he eats. Stay calm and relaxed and don’t rush him. Once he eliminates, you can spend quality time playing or interacting with him.

Now here’s the important part: Get a crate for your pup to sleep in at night and to use during the day for naptime. A dog crate or kennel is the modern day equivalent to a wolf’s den in the wild. Once you properly introduce your pup to his crate, you won’t know what you ever did without this phenomenal tool!

Place the crate in your bedroom and introduce your pup to it gradually. Your energy should be calm and assertive when you take your pup to the crate the first time. If necessary, you can lure him into the crate with a high value treat such as a tiny piece of cheese or chicken. Have him stay in the crate for a few minutes with the gate closed. If he cries, ignore the behavior until he relaxes and stops fussing. Remain calm and relaxed when you release him from the crate – don’t go into an excited, “praise” mode. Practice taking him in and out of his crate multiple times throughout the day, increasing the time he stays in it.

The last meal you feed your pup should be at least 3 hours before you go to bed. This will allow your pup to thoroughly digest his food for the day before sleeping through the night. Two hours before bedtime, remove your pup’s access to water. When you’re ready for bed, take your pup to his crate while remaining calm and assertive.

If you’ve been consistent with your dog’s feeding ritual, potty breaks and exercise, he should be able to sleep throughout the night, or at the very least, for a good 4 or 5 hours without having to eliminate. He may begin to whimper because past experience has taught him that this strategy has been very effective for him to get his way. By taking him out every 1-½ hours to play, he’s essentially giving you a command and you’re obeying him! From his perspective, crying works! If you cave in and let your pup out of the crate at this time, you will be rewarding his behavior and teaching him to repeat it over and over again. Instead, either ignore the whining or correct him with a sharp sound. Chances are, he’ll eventually stop and fall asleep.

If he doesn’t settle down within 20 minutes, take the crate to another room so you can get some sleep. For the next 3 or 4 weeks, you may want to take him out of his crate only ONCE during the middle of the night. This is to eliminate ONLY. If he tries to initiate play, ignore him. You are literally taking care of business and taking him back to bed.

Puppies require more time and commitment than an adult dog in the beginning. Just remember that the structure you’re providing now will be the foundation of a perfectly balanced dog in the future! Now get some sleep!!

Surviving the Night with your New Puppy

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

-Charles Dickens (he must have had a puppy)

That Dickens quote really sums up what it's like having a puppy. There's nothing more exciting than bringing your new puppy home, playing with him and kissing him on his cute little nose... it's the best. And there's nothing more horrifying than realizing that puppies seem to pee and poo constantly and finding out that they have zero respect for your need to sleep at night... it's the worst.

We'll break it to you as gently as we can. If you have a new puppy, you're not going to get a solid 8 hours sleep for a while. If you accept that fact, it'll be easier to do the necessary training to teach your puppy to sleep through the night.

Most puppies aren't able to sleep through the night when they first come home to their new owners, but almost all puppies sleep through the night by the time they're 16 weeks old. With proper training and scheduling, you should be able to teach Fido to do it even earlier.

Sometimes even adult dogs are unable to sleep through the night without waking up for a potty trip when they first come to a new home. The stress of coming to a new environment and adjusting to a new schedule and possibly a new food can wreak havoc on your new dog's digestive system. The instructions that follow will work for him, too. The good news is that if he's 6 months or older, it'll probably be just a few nights of adjustment before you'll be able to get a full night's sleep.

Where Should Your Puppy Sleep?

This training will work best if your puppy is in your bedroom so you know what he's up to. He'll also be more likely to settle in and sleep if he's in the same room with you instead of alone in a new, unfamiliar environment.

If you aren't willing or able to have little Fido in your room at night, you can do this training with him in another room. If you do this, you might try leaving music, a fan, or a white noise machine on, since the sound may help to soothe and relax him. Since you won't be able to hear Fido if he starts to fidget or fuss when he needs to go potty, you'll need to be extra responsible about getting in there to take him out to potty at regular intervals.

You'll most likely have your puppy sleeping in his crate overnight, so, along with this article, you should also read our article about "Acclimating Your Puppy to his Crate". If necessary, you can get additional help from our articles that teach you what to do if Fido barks in his crate or goes potty in his crate.

If you're doing indoor potty training, your puppy can sleep in his confinement area with his bed and access to his potty area. If you don't want him to be by himself in another area of the house, you can crate him in your bedroom overnight. You should not create an additional indoor potty area for him in your bedroom unless you plan to have one there long-term, so using the crate overnight and his confinement zone with potty area during the day works well for many puppy owners.

Preparing Your Puppy for Bedtime

What you do with Fido in the evening will have a big impact on how well he'll sleep (and how well YOU'LL sleep) at night. Puppies sleep a lot, so he'll probably try to snooze for much of the evening. If you allow this to happen, of course, he'll wake up refreshed and ready to rock and roll at bedtime or in the middle of the night. Don't let Fido sleep too much in the evening... run around in the yard with him, play with him, have your friends come over to visit him and keep him busy. We want him to be good and tired by the time bedtime rolls around.

Fido shouldn't have food or water before going to bed, either, for obvious reasons. If he goes to bed with a full belly and bladder, you're pretty much guaranteed a rough night. Generally, it's best to avoid giving Fido food or water for 3 hours before bedtime. Rarely, a puppy needs to have access to food and water very frequently due to medical issues. This is most common with small-breed puppies. If you have any concern that this may be the case with your puppy, please talk to your vet before setting up Fido's feeding schedule.

Be sure that you have everything you'll need for a potty trip set up and readily accessible before you go to bed so you won't have to scramble around looking for it in the middle of the night. Have something to wear (slippers and robe, shoes and jacket, etc.), Fido's leash if you'll be using it, a flashlight if you need it, poo pick up bags if you'll need them. When you wake up later, you'll be glad everything's ready to go.

Be sure to give your puppy a few chances to empty out during the evening and make sure the very last thing you do before going to bed is take him out to potty, even if he's asleep and you have to wake him to do it.

Your Puppy's Overnight Potty Trip

Overnight potty trips are a little different from potty trips during the day. During the day, you play with Fido and fuss over him after he relieves himself. If you do that at night, you'll have big problems, since Fido will start waking you up just to have a party! Overnight potty trips are strictly business. Take him directly to his potty area and give him a couple of minutes to go. When he goes, calmly tell him he's good, take him back inside, put him in his crate and go back to bed.

Some dogs, especially young puppies, are so sleepy when you take them out that they just lay down in the potty area and try to go back to sleep. This doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't need to go potty... he's just so sleepy he hasn't noticed yet that he needs to go potty. If Fido does this, you should encourage him to move around a bit. You can pick him up and put him back on his feet if you need to... whatever it takes to get him to wake up and get down to business.

When you're up with Fido in the middle of the night, you shouldn't talk much to him, and you shouldn't play with him, take him for a long, fun walk or give him treats, food, water or a chew bone. If he gets to do cool stuff when he wakes up in the middle of the night, he'll start waking you because he wants some attention or a midnight snack. We want him to learn that nighttime is for sleeping and nothing fun happens when he wakes up in the middle of the night.

Overnight Scheduling for Your Puppy

Anticipating and preparing for Fido's need to go potty in the middle of the night is the key to training him to sleep though the night as quickly as possible. Most puppy owners just go to sleep in the middle of the night with their fingers crossed, hoping little Fido will be okay until morning. Not a good plan. He'll likely either have an accident in his crate or start barking and crying in the middle of the night to go potty. When he starts barking, his half-asleep, groggy owner stumbles around in the dark, looking for his slippers and MAYBE gets Fido out for a potty trip before it's too late.

Aside from the obvious problems with that plan, there's the really big problem... that Fido learns he can wake you up by yipping and yowling. Once he learns he has control of whether and when you sleep or wake up, he'll likely wake you up earlier and more often. When you plan his nighttime schedule properly and in advance, you'll be taking control and you'll be able to make wake-up times later and less frequent. A much better plan.

The way to take control of overnight potty times is to set your alarm to wake you up in the middle the night, whether little Fido wakes up or not. We want to beat him to the punch... waking him before he's so uncomfortable that he wakes up and starts to fuss. This way, he never gets into the habit of making noise to wake you.

At first, you'll probably need to set your alarm to go off a few times at night, depending on your puppy's age at the time you're starting his program. If you start him when he's 7-9 weeks old, it'll probably need to be every 2 hours, from 9-14 weeks every 3 hours, 14 weeks and up, every 4 hours. These are general guidelines, of course, and you may find that Fido needs to go out more or less frequently.

If you've already been through a few hellish nights with Fido, you probably have some idea how long he can hold it, so you can base your scheduling on that. If your puppy has been waking up screaming every 4 hours, wake him up every 3 or 3 1/2 hours. The goal is just to catch him before his need to go becomes so critical that he starts barking and howling.

Once you've got Fido on a schedule of waking up at intervals during the night, you're going to start to push it so he sleeps longer. This is where the program starts to pay off... since you've taken control of the nighttime schedule, you can adjust the wake up times and work toward the holy grail of puppy training... sleeping through the night.

Once you've been able to wake Fido up and take him out to potty on schedule with no barking, howling or accidents in the middle of the night for three consecutive nights, you can move on. What you're going to do now is set your alarm for 15 minutes later for each potty trip. So, if you've been waking Fido up at 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30, you'll now start waking him at 1:45, 3:45 and 5:45. After another three good nights, you'll move all 3 potty trips ahead by 15 minutes again.

Keep moving the potty trips ahead until the last potty trip coincides with your wake up time. Congratulations... you're now down to two potty trips instead of three! And if you keep pushing ahead by 15 minutes at a time, you'll soon be down to one, then NONE!

What if Your Puppy Barks or Cries Overnight?

Sometimes, you'll get lucky and find that Fido is so knocked out by the excitement of coming to his new home, he'll just sleep like a rock. Sometimes, you won't be so lucky. If your puppy is making noise in his crate when you first put him in, it's likely he's just unhappy about being closed in there, since all of this is new to him. You'll find help for this problem in Acclimating Fido to his Crate and What to do When Fido Barks in his Crate.

if your puppy starts barking, howling or whining in the middle of the night, there's a good chance he needs to go potty, so you should take him out for a quick potty trip as outlined above, even if it isn't his scheduled time to go. Although we don't want Fido to get into the habit of thinking he can wake you up as often and as early as he likes by barking and crying, we need to play it safe, so he should get a chance to relieve himself any time he gets noisy. You should not ignore his crying if it occurs spontaneously in the middle of the night, since you run the risk of forcing him to go potty in his crate and starting him on the path to habitually soiling his crate. This will mess up your housebreaking program and make a lot more work for you in the long run, so get up and get his little butt out for a potty trip!

Crate Training a Puppy at Night

One of the fastest and most effective ways to housebreak your puppy is to crate-train him, according to Perfect Paws. Crate training forces your puppy to restrain himself and eliminate in the right time and place, and it helps him strengthen his bladder and bowels so he can exercise intentional control. Be patient and consistent, and your puppy will learn what you want him to do.

Step 1

Purchase a sturdy crate for your puppy that is just big enough to allow him to stand and turn around. Cushion it with sturdy but soft towels or old sheets.

Step 2

Teach your puppy to love his crate. Give it a name like "place." During the day, teach him that when he goes inside his crate he gets a treat. Keep a safe chew toy inside.

Step 3

Take your puppy outside to relieve himself right before bedtime. Give him enough time to urinate and defecate---at least 10 minutes.

Step 4

Keep the crate near your bed or at least near your bedroom. Your puppy might need to go outside in the middle of the night---at least for the first few weeks. If the crate is nearby, you can hear him cry or rattle the door. If you have other dogs that sleep near you, the puppy should be nearby, too, so he does not feel socially isolated.

Step 5

Tell your puppy it's time for him to go to his "place." When he goes inside, give him a small treat and praise him for being a good boy. For the first few nights, your puppy might cry because he wants to be with you, but resist the temptation to give in. Allowing him to sleep outside the crate prolongs the training.

Step 6

Take him out early in the morning. Your puppy will probably wake up at sunrise and want to go outside. Be sensitive to your puppy's needs and forgo sleeping late for a while.

Step 7

Praise your puppy when he enters his crate, when he leaves it and when he relieves himself outside.