[emerald2010]

Our 6 week English cocker spaniel puppy would sleep through the night with some moments when she cried and I'd pick her up, pet her and put her down to sleep right next to our bed. A few nights back she had repeated outbursts of crying and she has a really loud voice. I let her come into our bed, she settled down near my head, spent time searching for her mother's nipple (on my scalp) fell asleep and I put her into her bed. Mistake! Last night was a repeat except that she always woke up when put down. Loud howls (and she's only 6 weeks!) followed and then back into the bed and so on through the night! I don't want my dog sleeping with me as I'm asthmatic. That said, my sons spoiled two of our dogs by allowing them to sleep on the bed, the excuse being they were crying so much! And after my sons left for college my husband and I had to teach these dogs to sleep in their own beds which they did very unwillingly and they always snuck back into our bed. How do I deal with the puppy's howls? More importantly, how do I train her to accept her own bed? Or is it OK given her youth for her to sleep in our bed for a few weeks?
Mell

[Lucky098]

Ignore her. Let her scream and howl.

She is very young at 6wks. She shouldn't have left her mom or litter. So you are going to have to step in a little bit to replace that safe feeling of a litter.

Purchase a crate if you haven't already. Since she is so small, see if you can borrow a friends cat crate. Put in a blanket that either you or your husband have used and also stuff in there a large stuffed animal. The stuffed animal will given the sense of security. Your scent, since it is comforting her, will help her adjust to her own bed. Put the crate in your room next to your bed. If she starts howling and carrying on, you can talk to her and/or correct her without coming into contact with her face to face. I usually tap their crate if it continues relentlessly and give them correction of "eh-eh".

Because you have broken weak and allowed her in your bed when she cries, this is going to be a hard transition for both of you. I'm not going to lie to you say this will be easy. It could be easy, but it typically isn't. There are going to be many sleepless nights or nights where you are woken up several times. You just have to fight through it and stand your ground. In about a week/week and a half she should be OK with being alone.

[ella-grace202]

I have a cocker spaniel as well and when I first got him he did the same thing as well so we took him up stairs to sleep in our bed and he still does now and he is 6. let your dog sleep with you a few more weeks see how it gets on then sooner or later about 5 to6 months it should be fine but don't let it sleep with you more then a year or other whys it will get used to it I hope I helped u!

[joypulv]

Get a Baby Ben wind up alarm clock, some stuffed animals, and a crate. Put it right next to your bed and cover top and 3 sides with a blanket. Have a little treat and petting ritual before you go to bed so that she associates going to sleep with a treat and good things.

[Alty]

i have a cocker spaniel as well and when i first got him he did the same thing aswell so we took him up stairs to sleep in our bed and he still does now and he is 6. let your dog sleep with u a few more weeks see how it gets on then sooner or later about 5 to6 months it should be fine but dont let it sleep with u more then a year or other whys it will get used to it i hope i helped u!!

Horrible advice. Crate training should start when you first get your puppy. If you want your dog to sleep in your bed, fine, even though it's not recommended, if that's what you choose, then choose it, and accept it for the life of your dog.

You cannot let the dog sleep in your bed and then expect crate training a year later. Not that it's impossible to crate train an older dog, but if you've had this dog from puppyhood train it correctly now, not when it's a year old.