Hey Dog Lovers,
I am here to help new puppy owners getting their puppies to sleep through the night.
Start with a crate- at least start them off in a crate to establish housebreaking and then eventually you can let them out to sleep in the bed, once they are fully potty trained. Sleeping soundly and happily acclimated to and recognizing that their crate is their “happy place”
Add a cover to the crate to create a den like space for your dog
As long as your dog is not a chewer or shredder add toys and blankets to the crate to make it comfy for your dog. If they are a chewer maybe add just a towel and a rough chew toy and get them nicer things once the phase passes of shredding.
Exercise is important especially right around bedtime. A recommended 20-30 minutes playing with your puppy a couple times during the evening to tire them out and get their pipes cleaned out as well before bed.
Mental exercise is just as important such as a puzzle feeder or some basic training for 5-10 minutes of basic commands.
NO Late night snacks!
Go for last potty break right before putting them in the crate.
Establish a bedtime routine, say it’s “bedtime” or something along those lines, engage in playtime, and a potty break them lead them to the crate and throw a treat in if necessary and close and cover for the night. The more consistent you are the sooner they will begin to understand its time for bed. Some even get excited for it.
Make it Zen and Comfy with a snuggle puppy (link) it is warm, and provides some comfort as they start to settle in. It has a real feel heartbeat and gentle warmth heat source that eases the transition. It is also washable.
Add soothing sights, sounds and smells to set the mood to sleep.
LIGHTS OUT!- no TVs, cellphones, night-lights – all needs to be off when they are going to bed.
End Goal: most puppies sleep through the night by the time they are about 4 months (16 weeks) But with consistency, help , diligence and proactive training you may get there sooner.
Just remember it will be worth it at the end of the day.
Make sure to check back weekly for: Training Tuesdays and Thursday Thoughts!
