Why does my young puppy cry at night? Is it separation or health?

Poor Koko! The most common reason that puppies tend to cry at night, is when they are separated from their families - this often happens if they are crated in a different part of the house at night. Dogs are very social animals, and young puppies in particular would normally never be alone when they are sleeping - so they will often bark and cry if they are separated from you. I would recommend having Koko sleep in a comfy dog crate, right beside your bed. If needed, you can even place the crate on a low table or chair so that she is at eye-level with you - this way, she is in her own separate space but she can hear you and smell you beside her. This is also a good arrangement because it allows you to hear her if she cries to go out during the night - many puppies this age can't "hold it" for more than a few hours at a time, so nighttime potty trips are often needed for a while. Once she is older and sleeping through the night with no problem, you can gradually start to move the crate further away from the bed, or even eventually into another room if you prefer.

Congratulations on your new puppy. This is all very normal behavior and is generally short-lived. For now, make sure to take the puppy outside anytime she cries or wakes up in the middle of the night. This will generally decrease as she gets older. Give her vigorous play sessions right before bed as this will help her to be more tired. You can play some classical music and give her a teddy bear to snuggle with in her bed. Just make sure to remove any eyes, tags or Anything else that she may chew off and potentially swallow. Your labrador is not likely to allow her to suckle and will likely correct this behavior. Just make sure she is not too rough with the new puppy. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I would try putting Co co in a crate at night. Keep in mind she's quite young, and it will take time for her to adjust to being in a new home away from her mother and siblings. It's truly like having a newborn baby in the home! But the good news is that puppies will get better at sleeping at night faster than babies. If you are comfortable with it, you can have her sleep with you at night in your bed. That might make her feel more comfortable. I hope you get some sleep!

Young puppies will whine or vocalize when cold, hungry, sick, injured or if left alone for long periods of time. You can make sure he is fed, warm and has company. To diagnose illness or injury, he would need to be physically examined by your veterinarian.

It can be hard for a 7-week-old puppy to be comfortable sleeping by himself in a crate, as normally puppies this age would still be sleeping all snuggled up with their mother and littermates. I'm not sure where Jasper's crate is in your home, but I always recommend putting it in the bedroom right beside your bed at first - you can move it later on if you want to, once he's a bit older and sleeping through the night without any problems. This way, he's much less likely to whine and cry because he knows you're right beside him. If he does fuss a bit, you can talk softly to him and rest your hand on top of the crate for him to sniff. For small puppies, if needed, you can even get a soft-sided pet carrier and have him sleep in this on the bed at first. You can gradually transition him to the floor once he's comfortable and no longer crying at night.

Excessive crying can be a sign of a health issue, so I would have him seen by a vet immediately (take along his mother and siblings as well). Newborn puppies are extremely fragile, and very susceptible to cold and low blood sugar, so any potential problems with them need to be check out by a vet right away to give them their best chance at survival. His crying could signify problems in feeding (not getting enough milk), cold, or low blood sugar. Please take him into an ER vet or find a vet on call to see him now.

Move his crate into your room. As he acclimated, you can gradually move it out. You can also try a cover, nightlight, leaving a radio on low and place a heating pad under the crate to provide warmth. Use on with a thermostat and make sure he cannot get to it or urinate on it. A pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, may decrease any anxiety.