How to Keep a Two-Month-Old Puppy Asleep at Night

A comfortable blanket encourages your puppy to sleep soundly.

Puppies require a lot of sleep as they grow up. From an early age, teach your puppy to sleep during the night with consistent feeding and waking times; a set schedule will encourage your puppy to sleep when you do and not wake you up. Because a young, two-month-old puppy may need one bathroom break during the night until it grows to about six months old, expect to awaken once to take it outside. Taking steps to train your dog to go to sleep at the same time each night will guarantee both you and your puppy a good night's rest.

Things You'll Need

• Dog crate
• Dog treats
• Clicker training device
• Dog toys
• Old sweatshirt
• Blanket
• Ticking alarm clock

Instructions

1. Train your puppy to sleep in a crate to prevent household accidents and to encourage it to sleep undisturbed through most of the night. Teach the puppy a command to go into the crate before bedtime, such as "go to bed." For a few days in a row, say "go to bed" and throw a few treats into the crate. When the puppy goes into the crate, praise it or click a clicker training device. Repeat this exercise 10 times in a row each day until the dog comes and calmly goes into the crate when you command it.

2. Feed the dog two hours before bedtime so that it will not become hungry during the night and try to wake you to feed it. After feeding, take away the food and water so that the puppy will not have to eliminate as frequently during the night.

3. Play vigorously with the puppy 30 minutes before bedtime, engaging the puppy in interactive play with different dog toys and having it run and play fetch to tire it out. Do not let the puppy nap within one to two hours of its bedtime as this will decrease the time it will stay asleep at night.

4. Take the puppy out to its elimination spot right before bedtime so that it will not wake up and need to eliminate during the night.

5. Line the puppy's crate with a sweatshirt or other item of clothing you have recently worn so the puppy can smell your scent, which will soothe it into a comfortable sleep. Place a comfortable blanket for it to sleep on as well, and a ticking alarm clock to comfort it and keep it asleep. If possible, place the crate in your bedroom so that the puppy is not alone during the night, which will encourage it to sleep more soundly.

6. Cover the crate with a towel or blanket to keep the inside dark, allowing the puppy to sleep longer. Because a two-month-old puppy is usually not able to hold its bladder for more than about three to four hours at a time, you may need to wake up at least once during the night to walk the dog to its elimination spot outdoors. Keep this walk short, only allowing the puppy to eliminate, then command it back into the crate.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase a crate that the puppy can comfortably turn around in, lay down completely and stand up in without crouching, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

• If your puppy whines during the night, and has recently eliminated, ignore this behavior because giving it attention may encourage it.

• Until your puppy reaches six months of age, it may eliminate in its crate if not taken out once during the night, setting a bad precedent for later house training.

• Do not carry a sleeping puppy to its crate and place it inside. When the puppy wakes up, it will become distressed at its confinement and may injure itself trying to get out of the crate.

• Never use the crate to punish your puppy; this will cause the dog to associate the crate with something bad and it will not sleep peacefully in it, if at all.

References

• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: Weekend Crate Training
• 2ndchance; Ain't Misbehavin' -- Training Your New Puppy; Ron Hines, DVM
• Placerville Veterinary Clinic: Puppy Care and Training
• German Shepherds: Bringing Home Your New Puppy
• Veterinary Partner; Crate Training Puppies; Kathy Diamond Davis
• Cesar's Way: Tips for Your Dog's Sleeping Arrangements
• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: House Training Your Puppy