Hi

Firstly can I say we are an English family who listened to your podcasts feverently whilst on holiday in Italy this year to get ready for our new puppy which we have just brought home. They are brilliant, thank you so much!

I am a little confused as how to navigate night times with our new puppy. He is only 7 weeks old, a Jack Russell Terrier) and we are taking him out to go potty before bedtime but at 5am this morning he was barking and whimpering. I got up and put the kettle on so that I didn't go over to him in his crate whilst he was barking and when he was quiet I went over and released him (with 'its ok'... see we are well trained by creative dog training online) then took him outside where he did need to go to the potty. However once up he was not ready to go back in his crate. So I stayed up with him for an hour throwing ball, letting him walk around the kitchen then he finally flaked out and I put him back in. Should I have put him straight back in the crate after the bathroom break? Some advice on the internet says I shouldn't have got him out at all but he clearly did need to go to the bathroom (he has only had one little accident in the 3 days we have had him inside the house).

Please help!

Mrs Keely Morley

If he has to go take him out!
It's your job to set him up for success. He needs to succeed and do it outside. Make sure you either verbally praise him or giv him a treat 1-2 seconds after he did it. Or at least say good boy/girl and make a big deal out of it. My 10 month old Doberman still sometimes needs to go at 4:30 in the morning.
A good rule is no water after 7-730 at night. That way when you go out at 10 or so before sleep he will empty his 'tank'
I'd like to add. Night time is when the pack sleeps, you should put him in front of the crate and let him walk in on his own. Rather than pushing his butt in