How to Train a Puppy to Sleep
Bringing home a new puppy can be an exciting time for all involved. This new member of the family will bring with him joy, love, and fun. But also expect this new bundle of joy to bring many sleepless nights. As cute and cuddly as a puppy can be during the day, understand that it usually takes about 16 weeks before the puppy will sleep through the night. With appropriate steps, you can train your puppy and move toward more restful nights.
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Instructions
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How to Train Your Puppy to Sleep Through the Night
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Monitor and control your puppy's activities in the evening before bedtime. Instead of letting him take evening naps, keep your dog active by playing with him, taking him for a walk, or inviting guests over. Also, restrict your puppy from eating or drinking before bedtime to prevent late night bathroom breaks. Just before your puppy's bedtime, take him outside to relieve himself.
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Prepare the sleeping location. The ideal location for a puppy's crate is in your bedroom so that the puppy can feel comfortable and secure. Puppies also are more likely to tune into your sleeping patterns when sleeping in the same room. If this is not possible, prepare the crate in another room with some quiet background noise, such as white noise or light music. If your puppy is in another room, you will have to check on him throughout the night to take him to the potty as needed. Have everything needed for a late night walk readily available for quick retrieval in the middle of the night.
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Schedule nightly potty breaks. The younger the pup, the more often he will need to relieve himself. Set an alarm to wake you every few hours -- about every two hours for a seven- to nine-week-old pup, decreasing in frequency with age. By setting a schedule for taking your dog out, you can control the situation and your dog will not learn the bad habit of barking to wake you in the middle of the night.
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Adjust how you handle late-night potty breaks. Late-night potty breaks should be focused on getting your puppy to the designated potty break location and getting him to relieve himself. This is not the time to play games, feed, or even talk much to your puppy since these enjoyable activities may encourage a puppy to continue to wake up throughout the night. If he falls asleep while outside, wake him and encourage him to relieve himself before returning inside.
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Respond quickly to his barking. If your new pup begins barking in the middle of the night, he may be signaling that he needs to relieve himself. Although you do not want him to start a habit of waking you with barking, it is important to take him outside to do his business. If he soils his crate, it can hinder housebreaking your pet.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep the lights dimmed and voices hushed when taking a dog on nighttime potty breaks.
Include a chew toy or blanket in a dog's crate to make the crate more inviting and comforting.
Responding to a dog's bark in the middle of the night may teach him that this is a way for him to get your attention. Respond quickly so he does not associate extended barking with your attention.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Small retriever puppy is sleeping image by Yulia Podlesnova from Fotolia.com
