# Lap time vs Crate Time



## RandomGameR (Nov 28, 2010)

Is it ok to allow my new (we brought him home Friday night) 10 week old French Bulldog pup to take naps on my lap? It's very cute and all but so far when we try to leave him alone in his crate (or anywhere for that matter) he immediately starts letting out the most awful banshee screeches. They don't last more than a couple of minutes before he settles down (which is good). I just wonder if we should be enforcing "sleep means crate?"

He also goes into the crate for food and water of his own accord. He doesn't seem to mind the thing itself, it's the alone time he's not sure about.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I think it's fine! He's your puppy, if he's comfortable with you and wants to cuddle in for a nap, that's fine, IMO. And, really, sleep doesn't have to mean crate! Our puppies will nap in a variety of places: laps, crates, their beds, the couch..... 

It's great that he doesn't seem to mind the crate!  That's a start! And, it's normal for him to not like being left in it alone. AND, it's also great, really great, that he settles down after just a few minutes of screeching. You're lucky, lots of people have to endure hours of crying! 

Think of it this way, he's in a completely new place with new sights, smells, sounds, people, etc. YOU are the thing he's most comfortable with right now, you're like his security blanket. So, he doesn't want to be away from you, in a crate, by himself.

IMO, if he settles down in the crate (or anywhere else) after a few minutes, you are on the right track, and should keep doing what you're doing. Get him comfortable with "alone" time in the crate, but feel free to let him nap with you, if you're comfortable with it. Sleeping doesn't have to be done ONLY in the crate.
Some ways to make him even more comfy in the crate:
- leave an unwashed piece of your clothing in the crate; your scent will comfort him.
- put a favorite toy, and a kong stuffed with something yummy and then frozen. It will help him associate the crate with good things, AND the kong with peanut butter frozen in it will keep him busy for awhile. 
- put a kitchen timer in the crate; the ticking can be comforting to young puppies.


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## RandomGameR (Nov 28, 2010)

doxie you're a life saver with all of this advice, thank you. He is still sleeping on my lap as I type this. He's a good little bugger (or at least he wants to be, I can tell)

I definitely am lucky that he settles down so quickly but damned if I'm not super tired from getting up every two hours last night to take him out to use the potty. Lack of REM sleep makes it hard to be clearheaded about what we should and shouldn't do, so thank you again for all your advice.


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## K8IE (Apr 28, 2008)

I am also raising a new baby Frenchie.  It is totally fine to allow naps i your lap. Sheesh, isn't that one of the best things about puppies, the cuddles? haha Really though, as long as he is getting used to his crate and seeing it as a positive place and you are working on training with him, it really does not matter if he spends a bit of time just snuggling/napping with you. It is good for you both.


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## PiperPuppy (Nov 28, 2010)

Lap naps are awesome.  I love snuggling with Piper. She naps in various places throughout the day. We enforce crate sleeping at night, though. 

So glad you are enjoying your new puppy!!!!


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## Mdawn (Mar 3, 2007)

I don't really see anything wrong with letting him nap while in your lap. When my Mastiff was a puppy, when he'd fall asleep, I'd pick him up and put him in his crate but that was just my personal preference in getting him used to sleeping in his crate. However, there was a time or two, where we both took naps together on the couch. lol Nothing is set in stone. If he's able to calm down in the crate after a few minutes, then your probably on the right track.


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## RandomGameR (Nov 28, 2010)

Ugh... He was worse last night than the night before.

He took a lot longer to settle down in his crate before going to sleep, and then he woke up every hour instead of the every two hours the night before. He would go pee when we took him out but he doesn't go pee that often during the day. At about 3:00 I decided to ignore him until two hours had passed. It worked the first time, but unfortunately the second time he pooped in the crate. 

Yesterday we tried to put him in the crate until he settled down a few times. Two of those times he had accidents.

Any suggestions? I'm just worried that he's getting worse instead of better. The breeder said that the puppies only went out once in the middle of the night.


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## bulldogdavenport (Jan 15, 2011)

Tell me about it! I am having same issue, the exact thing happened to me last night and early this morning. I guess I am going to roll my sleeves up and be prepared to clean up a big mess and give a bath everyday I get home. I wonder if I should feed when I get home and not in the morning and only give her a kong and water???


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## BrittanieJo (Sep 23, 2010)

Random:

My 45 lb lab sleeps in my lap most days....so I would recommend leg work outs to support that pup later in life LOL. 

I don't think you are doing anything wrong. I do think you need to remember that for each month of life is about how long a dog can hold it's pee/poo I do believe thats the rule. Also, how big is his crate? If he has room to pee/poo in one spot and sleep in another then he will. If you have bought a crate that you can't adjust try putting a piece of wood or something in it to make it a little smaller.He should only have enough room to turn and lay down really. Also, I would say on a typical night at that age my pup was probably going out about every hour too until she got comfortable sleeping here and a little older. Try picking up his water an hour or so before bed time that might help. I should say at 6 months of age Aggie went out 3 times last night but most nights she sleeps through the night .


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

The thing about puppies being able to hold it one hour for each month of their age is only a guildeline. It certainly doesn't hold true for everyone! My first pup slept through the night once he got to be about 11 weeks, but our second puppy needed nighttime bathroom breaks until she was about 16 weeks old.

Another thing to think about is that your puppy's behavior may begin to change as he settles into his new home. Sometimes, when puppies first come home, they're pretty quiet and well behaved. But, as they settle in, they may become more verbal, or start making more of a fuss, because they're more comfortable.

Sometimes, covering the crate can help puppies settle down. And, when puppies have accidents in the crate in can help to NOT have a bed or blanket in the crate. That way, there's nothing to soak up the mess, and your puppy might realize it's icky to have a mess in the crate....

Otherwise, keep doing what you're doing, it's normal puppy stuff!


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## RandomGameR (Nov 28, 2010)

We decided to give hm less lap time and more crate time (not no lap time, though, cuz he's cute and deserves a good cuddle). He seems to like his crate more as a result. We've spent a bit of time playing with him in his crate, letting him fall asleep with us there (sometimes with our hands in there for him to lay on), and with us nearby pretending to pay no attention to him. Especially when he's napping he has little trouble with us not being around. When he wants to play, though, he gets loud again.

Unfortunately he's been having more poop accidents in his crate than we'd like. It's hard because he seems to defy all scheduling with them. We've been writing down every time he goes to the bathroom, and yesterday we were thinking it was about every 5 to 6 hours for a poop. Last night, however, he did it much more frequently. He also makes small fusses when we put him in his crate... sometimes... and sometimes the fusses escalate, which sometimes is when we find that he's pooped in there. We're trying to ignore his fusses, so he doesn't think that it's the way to get our attention, but he shouldn't have to sit in a mess.

He's such a good little guy, though. We love him so much. I'd like to get him so he doesn't poop in his crate, because he clearly finds that to be yucky. I just hope we can figure out his pattern and pre-empt these accidents.

We aren't putting bedding in his crate because when we did, he had an accident and didn't tell us for a while after. The crate is a wire crate and it came with a size adjuster. He's got enough room to turn around and lay down if he's spread out. He loves having his toys in there, but whenever he has an accident they get all messy, so right now we have most of them soaking in an enzyme cleaner in a trash bag waiting for a trip down to the laundry machine.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

Sorry you're still dealing with poop accidents! Be vigilant, and keep at it!


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