sleep pattern

Question
I have just gotten a Golden Retriever Pup. He is 9 weeks old. So far the crate training is going well. My problem is at night. He is waking about every 2 hours to use the bathroom. He is very bad about barking and wanting to play after which is a bit of a problem for me at 2am and 4am. Is this normal behavior? Also when can I expect my puppy to sleep for longer periods at night and is there anything I can do to fascilitate it. Thanks for the help

Answer
I have a one year old golden. And he didnt wake up in the middle of the night when i got him as a pup. But your dog is different than mine. Its okay if he has to go but i agree it is a problem if he is barking. One way you could stop this is by putting him in his crate and when he starts barking, go to him and shake the side of his crate saying " Quiet!". Say it in a firm commanding way. Your not asking him. But theres no need to yell and he wont be scared of you. Do this every time he barks and soon he will get the point that barking will get him something negative instead of playing. As for him sleeping irregularlly, its completely normal. My dog Max used to sleep most of the day when he was a puppy. Your pup will get into the right sleeping patterns as he ages, so no worries. Dogs will bark and do things that we dont like. They do this because they think that they will get what they want if they do this. Keep that in mind, because in the future, if he does something like barking at you because he wants to play, just do something he doesnt like and he will eventually stop. I think the most important words in training are CONSISTENCY, PATIENCE, and POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT.A puppy's mind is like a blank piece of paper. It is your responsability to put good habits in it rather than letting the bad habits get in and then you correcting them with alot of time. Sorry I typed a long essay, I wanted you to do the best with your puppy. If you have anymore questions feel free to ask. Bye. ^_^

P.S> I wouldnt mind giving you a small dog behavior training course through email. If your interested, email me again.

P.S> Once again sorry, i typed this huge essay.