Getting a new puppy is an amazing experience for every family and being able to play and cuddle with them throughout all the day is a wonderful time and everyone should be able to experience this.
However, this experience is never without flaws and one of the biggest issues for new dog owners can be helping a new dog get though the night.
Just like newborn babies, puppies can also struggle to get through the night without your attention and care, and learning to cope with this can be very troublesome for some new dog owners who do not know how to cope.
So you have got a new puppy and everything goes amazingly throughout your first day with them, and now it is time for you and the dog to get to sleep. You think putting them in their new bed and turning off the lights will be enough to send them to sleep.
But just as you lay down yourself you hear your new pup break into a cacophony of whining, barking, and yowling, and you know it will be awhile until either of you will be able to sleep.
If this has happened to you, or maybe it is happening to you right now, you are probably reading this guide for advice. Unfortunately this is not an issue which can be fixed quickly and the first couple nights at least will be difficult for you and your dog to get a full night’s sleep.
There is also no guaranteed single method to help your new dog get into a proper nighttime routine, however this guide will go over a good variety of different techniques, so you can see which works for you and your puppy as well.
Go through this guide by yourself or with those in your household who will be able to help you with this new puppy as a lot of these techniques work best with the help of others.
If you follow this advice your number of sleepless nights will slowly but surely decrease and you and your puppy will get more and more accustomed to living with each other. So let’s get right into it!
Create A Schedule For Your Puppy To Follow Every Day
This is probably one of the most useful techniques and is the foundation for getting a well-behaved and adjusted puppy, as well as one which is able to get through the night without waking you up.
This will mean that your puppy will be able to work out the routines of your household, and you will be able to adjust these routines to help your new puppy fit into them.
There are actually many tools and guides online to help you source information on how to make a routine for your puppy, and there is not 1 single way to do this.
Different types and breeds of dogs have different types of routines which suit them, and the more well-fitting one you pick, the better your chances are of your dog learning to sleep at the right time is.
These routines are designed, so your dog will know when it is supposed to be fed, when it is able to go out and play, when it goes to the potty, and of course when it naps and when it will sleep.
It might take a little while for your puppy to get adjusted to a schedule, but when you have your dog on one which seems to work, the best way to keep up getting good results is to ensure that you and your household stick to this schedule.
As well as helping your dog sleep well, these guides will help your dog get healthy eating habits as well as encouraging them to bond with you and your household.
These guides help your dog act more predictably, and when you can predict how your dog will act, you will know how to cope when it acts unpredictably.
Make Sure Your Puppy Has Enough Playtime As Well As Naptime
This is a point which fits into the previous point, but it is important to emphasize by itself and this is to make sure that your puppy has enough playtime as well as naptime.
This is to make sure they get enough stimulation to use all of their energy and make sure that their minds have enough to do. You will also find out quickly that your puppy will need lots of sleep and this will not always happen at the times you most expect it.
On average a puppy will sleep for about 18 hours a day, so you will want to make sure this sleeping time is interspersed throughout the time they need to get exercise.
If you are noticing that your puppy is showing certain signs of being tired while exercising like getting nippy, or barking and whining more often, this means that they will need to rest soon, and you should prepare for this.
Soon you will be able to predict when this is going to happen and cut playtime short so that your puppy is not struggling and instead gets a good night of sleep.
This will mean your dog’s sleep patterns will become more predictable, and they will also sleep better in general. This will also be inversed as trying to get your dog to sleep while they are full of energy is incredibly difficult, so getting this balance right is so important because of this struggle.
Incorporating Nighttime Bathroom Breaks
While you can hope and pray that your puppy would be able to get through the night without needing to go to the toilet, this is unfortunately not a reality as they have usually not developed enough to be able to do this.
Luckily dogs usually do not need to go to the bathroom as often as they do during the day when it is nighttime, but they will still need to do this.
Hopefully you will be able to get away with your puppy going out right before you go to sleep, right after you wake up, and hopefully only once in the middle of the night.
As your puppy matures you will soon not have to wake up in the middle of the night as it grows up, but you might have to be doing this for a while.
One of the best ways to make it, so your puppy does not have to go out during the night is to try and limit how much water they intake a few hours before they are supposed to sleep.
If you get them accustomed to this, they will get used to not drinking in this space of time, and you will not have to limit them anymore.
Getting your dog accustomed to standard potty breaks at standard times, you will be able to get into a better routine yourself, and soon you will be able to have a good sleep schedule as well.
Make Sure To Start A Bedtime Routine
Once your puppy is tired enough, they will eventually start to settle down and begin to relax and eventually fall asleep.
This will be improved if you are putting them in an atmosphere which encourages them to relax and the best way to do this is give your puppy a proper nighttime routine to be able to fall into.
The best things to do with your dog before they are going to sleep is actually what you do not do with them.
You will want to make sure to not play any games with them which require much activity from them and will keep them alert as this will just give them more energy and discourage them from being able to sleep.
Also avoid giving them toys which need them to be alert and aware, and instead give them toys which will help them get out any excess energy like a chew toy.
You will also want to keep the dog away from a high activity environment like a room with lots of people and chatter and instead keep them in a room either by themselves or just 1 or 2 comforting presences to help them relax.
This actually leads perfectly into the next point.
Give Them A Safe And Comforting Sleep Space
One of the best things you can do to encourage your puppy to fall asleep is give them an environment which encourages sleep and is comfy and cozy for them instead of somewhere they will be encouraged to stay awake.
You will want to keep this spot consistent and also keep the dog away from it when it should be awake, this makes it, so you are giving this space an association with being asleep, so your puppy knows what to do when they are there.
There are many guides online which will help you create a sleeping space for your dog and there are different pieces of advice for different dogs since different breeds will sleep in different ways.
If you give your dog a comfortable and relaxing place to sleep, they will soon understand what to do when they are there.
Bonus Tips
While the previous points on this article have given you some of the basic points which are vital to getting your puppy accustomed to sleeping in a standard pattern for their first few weeks of living with you, there are still some points which go into more specific detail on how to cope with dogs not sleeping properly.
These points may not apply to every dog owner, but consider all of them since some could be useful if implemented.
Make sure if you are waking your puppy up for their nighttime potty break, to make sure they do not get confused on what they are getting woken up for and do not think they are getting played with. Make sure to simply take them to where they go and then put them to sleep as soon as possible after.
Try to ignore and look past any whining or pleading from dogs when they want to keep playing and instead be serious in getting them to where they should sleep. The best way to do this is not respond to their pleading with silence and then take them where they should be.
Make sure to not give your puppy any food or drink before they sleep as this will drastically increase the chances of any accidents throughout the night and will usually break their schedule.
Try and get as much pre-planning done when you are getting a new puppy, this might be taking some time off work, so you can properly deal with your puppy and making sure that there is someone available to let the puppies go out throughout the night.
Hi, my name is Daniel Johnson, and I am a professional dog trainer that specializes in positive training methods. I have worked with many dogs over the years, and have provided fantastic and improved results for both the owner and the dog.
When it comes to dog training, it is important for the owner to be taught the simple but correct techniques, and the way in which you communicate with your dog is vital to this process. I recently decided to set up this blog to share my knowledge and skills with a wider audience.
