How to Train a Labrador Puppy to Sleep Outside

Hello Nell, The best solution might be for her to sleep in her crate inside your home. If she was not disturbing your neighbors, then you would need to let her cry it out outside until she gets used to sleeping out there again. By using a crate, you can teach her to sleep by herself but she will be inside so she should not bother your neighbors. When she goes to the breeder's house, if they work on crate training with her, then she might come back used to sleeping in the crate. If that happens then it will be extremely important for you be firm and let her cry if she pitches a fit when she comes back home. If the breeder has already gotten her used to the crate, then it should only take a couple of nights before she gives up and starts sleeping in the crate at your house. If you give in and go to her or let her out, then it will take several days before she stops crying and you will need to be even firmer. If the breeder does not train her for you, then you will need to place her into the crate with a safe chew toy and night and let her cry. Sleeping in the crate is not only safer but it can also help her learn independence, self-soothing, self-entertaining, and prevent future separation anxiety. It also makes it far easier to crate her later in life when she needs to be boarded, is sick, injured, traveling, or needs to be left alone inside. Essentially, crating a puppy during the first couple years of life prevents bad habits from forming, keeps them safe when you cannot supervise them, helps prevent separation anxiety by teaching independence, and leads to a lot more freedom later in life. Try to remember the benefits when you are trying to be firm. She is old enough to go all night. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Amanda, There are outdoors dogs who are happy. The key is how much time will you be spending with him in any location realistically. At this age he will need a lot of mental stimulation, a moderate amount of exercise, and a LOT of socialization. If you are able to take him lots of places, spend time walking and training him multiple times of day and generally giving him what he needs in the kennel and day to day, then he could be happy, but that will require a lot of time, intentionality, and commitment from you. Right now is the most crucial age for familiarizing him with people, puppies, new places, and other things he will experience in life. If you do decide to re-home him, many reputable breeders will take puppies back or there are pure bred rescues who foster dogs in there homes before adopting them to a carefully selected family. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Omar, I would need a bit more details about the situation to answer that question. Is the room flat or slanted? Can pup wander off the edge? What is the temperature outside at night? Is this a long term situation for nightly sleeping. Please describe the location and situation more, and I would love to help you. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Ashley, First, at this age pup is vulnerable to other animals in the yard - even raccoons, so I would begin the sleep outside in an area where other animals can't get to her, like a kennel run with a dog house, or a porch that's screened in, or even chicken coop type area with a top and side wire fencing for protection. Make sure she can't be prey for another animal while a puppy unable to defend herself, and make sure she has a secure location to go to to sleep in, like a dog house. The secure location will also help her feel a bit more secure - although I would still expect some crying at first. Check out the Surprise method from the article linked below. Practice that method with her for 1-2 hours at a time during the day without the small dog present - to get her used to being outside by herself. That method was written for crate training, so you will modify it. When she barks, ignore the barking. Whenever she gets quiet, toss several treats out a window or door - toss the treats in an area where she can easily locate them - but not right in front of the door - since you want her to learn to hang out further from the door, not right at it. Surprise method: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Also, know that pup is bored. Make sure you are giving her interesting bones and toys that she can't tear apart and won't chip to occupy her. You will have to endure some crying. Typically it takes puppies two weeks to adjust to being alone, and every time you give into the crying it will continue for that much longer. Start the process earlier in the evening so that the crying isn't happening while everyone is trying to go to bed - and especially practice for shorter periods during the daytime without your other dog present. Allow the dogs to spend time together stuff but give her opportunities to adjust to being outside on her own as well when everyone isn't so tired. A lot of this process is also dependent on how close your neighbors are and whether pup will keep them up. Also, be sure to practice a lot of mentally and physically tiring activities during the day. Have training sessions where pup practices new or slightly more difficult commands that what they already know, incorporate a lot of obedience and focus work into heeling walks, and give pup interesting mental toys to play with during the day. Mental stimulation can actually make physical exercise twice as tiring for a dog and encourage a calmer mindset. You want pup to be tired and calm come nighttime. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello, letting Bruno sleep on the balcony at night depends on several things. Is it a safe environment? Will he disturb others? Will you be able to hear him out there if he needs you? Will Bruno be in a crate? Personally, I would keep him inside for safety and as well for him to feel secure and not afraid. I would set up an exercise pen area where he still has room to move around but feels safe - he'll sleep better that way and won't feel uncomfortable at every noise. He's pretty young to be left on his own at night. Here is a great article on setting up the pen: https://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/how-to-set-up-puppy-long-term-confinement-area. You can also crate him inside at night - many dogs prefer this "den" area. Here is a guide on helping a dog like a crate: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crateAll the best!

Hi there. Without being able to ask follow up questions, I will do my best to answer your questions fully! I would wait until they are about 25 pounds. You won't have to worry about predatory animals coming in and getting them. I live in Colorado and we have problems with large birds, foxes, coyotes, and even some mountain lions in our mountain areas, going into yards and basically hunting smaller dogs. That is my main concern. If you don't live in an area with extreme temperatures, or crazy wild animals, you can start leaving them out now. As long as they have plenty of water and shelter, and are eating at their normal times, you can start the process. And to answer your other questions, they have eachother. So I don't think they will mind too much that the Yorkie is an indoor dog. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thanks for writing in!

Hi there. You can make it as comfortable as possible for him. Provide him with toys and blankets. I have also had customers have success with feeding their dogs their meals in the dog house. It creates positive associations with the new location. He may need a few nights to adjust, but he will learn to like his new home.

Hello! Yes she is old enough to sleep outside. As long as she has plenty of water and shelter from the hot and cold, she will be just fine.

Hello Deshan, First, pup will have to be closed in there, since she will want to be as close to the family as possible, but you can help her adjust to being in there and sleep at night. Check out the Surprise method from the article linked below. During the day I suggest applying the principles of that method to the kennel. Close pup in the kennel and leave, but be where you can hear her without her seeing you. She will likely cry. As soon as she pauses the crying briefly, return and sprinkle in treats, then leave again. Follow the rest of the steps from the method below for extending the time. Surprise method - you can also follow the other methods found in the article below, like playing with her in there. https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello, I would continue to let her sleep inside. It's safer, more comfortable, and she'll get a better sleep (so you will too). She may be fearful at night which is not a nice situation for her, and if she is crated at night inside now, I think it is best to continue it. Once the cold weather arrives, keeping Pippa outside all day may be a problem (frostbite, etc.) so make sure the cat has a nice favorite retreat and that way Pippa can be inside when the weather is nasty. I would try introducing the cat and Pippa slowly again. Take a look here: https://wagwalking.com/training/get-along-with-cats. As long as Pippa learns to ignore the cat, they should be able to tolerate each other without being friends. All the best to Pippa and the cat!

Hello Mallory, At this age its possible she will occasionally need a potty trip for the next month, but if pup wakes up before it has been 5-6 hours the wake up is likely due to wanting attention and can be corrected or ignored before its been 5 hours. By 6 months pup likely won't need a potty trip at night even occasionally anymore. If pup wakes up after 5-6 hours I would take pup potty outside on a leash, keep the trip as calm as possible - no treats, no play, no feeding breakfast yet, and little talk, then immediately return pup back to the crate after, and do the following when pup cries after being returned to the crate, or if pup cries before its been 5 hours. First, work on teaching the Quiet command during the day using the Quiet method from the article linked below. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Second, during the day practice the Surprise method from the article linked below. Whenever pup stays quiet in the crate for 5 minutes, sprinkle some treats into the crate without opening it, then leave the room again. As she improves, only give the treats every 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hour, 2, hour, 3 hour. Practice crating her during the day for 1-3 hours each day that you can. Whenever she cries in the crate, tell her "Quiet". If she gets quiet - Great! Sprinkle treats in after five minutes if she stays quiet. If she continues barking or stops and starts again, spray a quick puff of air from a pet convincer at her side through the crate while calmly saying "Ah Ah", then leave again. Only use unscented air canisters, DON'T use citronella! And avoid spraying in the face. surprise method: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Repeat the rewards when quiet and the corrections whenever she cries. When she cries at night before it has been 8 hours, tell her Quiet, and correct with the pet convincer if she doesn't become quiet and stay quiet. Don't give treats at night, only during the daytime practice. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello! Here is information on nipping/biting. Nipping: Puppies may nip for a number of reasons. Nipping can be a means of energy release, getting attention, interacting and exploring their environment or it could be a habit that helps with teething. Whatever the cause, nipping can still be painful for the receiver, and it’s an action that pet parents want to curb. Some ways to stop biting before it becomes a real problem include: Using teething toys. Distracting with and redirecting your dog’s biting to safe and durable chew toys is one way to keep them from focusing their mouthy energies to an approved location and teach them what biting habits are acceptable. Making sure your dog is getting the proper amount of exercise. Exercise is huge. Different dogs have different exercise needs based on their breed and size, so check with your veterinarian to make sure that yours is getting the exercise they need. Dogs—and especially puppies—use their playtime to get out extra energy. With too much pent-up energy, your pup may resort to play biting. Having them expel their energy in positive ways - including both physical and mental exercise - will help mitigate extra nips. Being consistent. Training your dog takes patience, practice and consistency. With the right training techniques and commitment, your dog will learn what is preferred behavior. While sometimes it may be easier to let a little nipping activity go, be sure to remain consistent in your cues and redirection. That way, boundaries are clear to your dog. Using positive reinforcement. To establish preferred behaviors, use positive reinforcement when your dog exhibits the correct behavior. For instance, praise and treat your puppy when they listen to your cue to stop unwanted biting as well as when they choose an appropriate teething toy on their own. Saying “Ouch!” The next time your puppy becomes too exuberant and nips you, say “OUCH!” in a very shocked tone and immediately stop playing with them. Your puppy should learn - just as they did with their littermates - that their form of play has become unwanted. When they stop, ensure that you follow up with positive reinforcement by offering praise, treat and/or resuming play. Letting every interaction with your puppy be a learning opportunity. While there are moments of dedicated training time, every interaction with your dog can be used as a potential teaching moment.

Hello Pam, Is Tito aggressive or attempting to dominate, or friendly and jumping to say hello out of excitement? If pup is aggressive, I highly recommend hiring a professional trainer who specializes in behavior issues like aggression to help you in person with the underlying aggression. This should also involve safety measures like a muzzle or back tie leashes to keep training and interactions safe. A dog who is jumping up aggressively needs to be very carefully trained with a professional in most cases. If pup is simply trying to say hello and overly excited, and it's scaring people due to his size and not knowing he is friendly, check out the article I have linked below, especially the Leash method with guests (to prevent him from being able to jump at all while practicing with those who aren't comfortable with pup). https://wagwalking.com/training/train-australian-shepherds-to-not-jump Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Katherine, I would ask your vet about that, since that's more of a medical question than a training question. As far as the pooping in the crate, make sure that the crate is only big enough for pup to stand up, turn around, and lie down. Too big and pup won't be motivated to hold it in there. Also, make sure there is nothing absorbent in the crate, such as a soft bed and towel. Instead, use something non-absorbent inside, like www.primopads.com or k9ballistics crate mats. When pup does have an accident clean it thoroughly with a cleaner that contains enzymes. Only enzymes will fully remove the accident smell and any remaining smell will encourage future accidents. Another option is to have pup sleep in an exercise pen with the floor of the pen covered with disposable real grass pads. You can gradually decrease the number of pads once pup is doing well going potty on them. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello! You are doing the correct thing with giving him toys and making his house comfortable. It can take him a little more time to adjust, as he is still pretty young. Another option is to try feeding him outside if you haven't already. By the time he is 6 months of age, he should be a little more comfortable with sleeping away from everyone. Just continue to be consistent and he will get there.