Whining after Potty

Usually my puppy goes to sleep at about 11:30 in his cage no problem. By 1230 he starts whining..I take him outside, he goes potty, i praise him. When we come back inside he doesnt want to go in his cage. I try to coax him with toys and treats. I end up just picking him up and placing him in. He whines for about the next 25 minutes but then falls asleep. Is this normal? Am I doing anything wrong? Is there anything I should be doing differently? I just feel so guilty when the puppy whines, I feel like I should be doing something different. I dont want him to hate the cage, or me.


By the way, I also dont go near the cage or give him any attention when he whines becuase I dont want to reinforce the whining with my attention.