How to help your puppy sleep quietly at night

After a few days in his new home, poor little Yankee was having a little difficulty adjusting to his new setting.  After his first few days his Mom says he is still crying at night.  I discussed the things that help make transitions easier.  One disadvantage for Yankee was that since his Mom works during the day he is spending the day at Grandma's house until she comes home from work.  It is a lot for a puppy to transition from one home to two homes.  But puppies are very resilient and Yankee will adjust to his new routines very soon.

Every puppies experience will be a little different.  I wanted to share some things I have read that help a puppy to sleep quietly at night...

Most puppies when moved to a strange place, cry for the first week or two. It is completely normal and it is because they are frightened, they do not understand where their littermates went or where their mother is. They basically want attention and many new dog owners become worried that the dog is just not happy with them. The best way to sort the problem out is to ignore it. It can be hard to do because it is the same as hearing a baby crying for help and not going to help them. It tugs on the heart strings and it is difficult to ignore.

However, if you do ignore the problem then the puppy will eventually realize that crying does not help and that they will still see you in the morning. Some puppies do not cry at all, others cry for a few nights, whilst some simply will not give up for a week or two. So, just persevere and you will notice that the problem does go away, just as long as you do not give the puppy any attention whilst it is moaning.    Anonymous

 Here are my best tips for night time....

- Use the crate as a bed for all the puppies naps during the day so he associates his crate with sleep

- Use a carpet sample in his bed, since that was what he is use to***

---Use the 'blankie' for the litter smells.

-  Routine is very important.  Keep to a regular schedule.

-  Make sure the puppy is very active in the late afternoon so he is plenty tired.

- Don't let puppy nap a few hours before bedtime

- Take puppy out to the potty right before bed.  

- Put him to bed at a regular time, when the rest of the house is quieting down.

- Put him in his crate, and close the door.  If he cries you cannot take him out or you are rewarding him for crying and he will cry to get his way.

- Keep the puppy crate in your bedroom so he can be near his new pack.

- If he won't settle down after half an hour, then move him to another room, so you can get your rest.

- Bring him back to your room the next night, and try again.  Eventually he will see it as a reward to be in your room, and he will realize that crying only moves him to another room.

***You may remember from an earlier post that I chose to use carpet for the puppies bedding because then he will know that carpets are beds, and not places to pee.  So far it looks like this theory is really working!

Feel free to comment on this post, or email me to share any ideas that work for you!