Sleeping Well at Night

Where should your puppy sleep?

There are two ways you can approach those first few nights.

Start as you mean to go on

Personally, I start from day one with my puppy sleeping on their own, preferably in a crate.

Your puppy will make a bit of a fuss on the first couple of nights. Alternatively, the first night may go surprisingly well and the fuss starts a night or two later.

I hate getting up in the night, so I choose to make my night shorter. I might go to bed at around 10.30pm and be prepared to get up at around 5.30am.

You can start with the crate near you if you prefer

You may prefer to have your puppy’s crate in your bedroom for the first night. Over the next few nights, you can gradually move the crate further away until it is where you eventually want your puppy to sleep.

I’ve known people use this approach very successfully. But pup is still likely to make a fuss on the first night away from you.

Neither method is about being right or wrong. Choose the approach that suits you and your puppy and then be consistent.

Settling your puppy for the night

It’s a good idea to settle your puppy 10–15 minutes before you go to bed.

That gives them the opportunity to settle without your own bedtime becoming the signal that everything suddenly stops.

Your puppy may whine or fuss for a while. For most puppies this improves quite quickly and, within a few nights, they begin to understand the routine and settle more easily. Don't respond, don't keep going back to check. A firm, 'settle' might help.

One important rule

Don’t teach your puppy that crying brings you running.

I have helped people who haven't been to bed since they got their puppy because they kept going back when puppy cried. One person who came for help had been sleeping on the sofa for 18 months!

If you have decided to get up during the night to toilet your puppy, set an alarm and get up at the planned time rather than waiting for your puppy to cry for you.

See the Toilet Training section for more guidance on overnight toileting.

There is, of course, a difference between a puppy having a normal grumble about being left and a puppy who is genuinely distressed.

If you feel your puppy is distressed rather than simply fussing or protesting, go to them. If the problem continues, get professional help rather than leaving a puppy that is genuinely struggling.

Think beyond tonight

Your puppy needs to grow into a dog that feels safe and confident when left alone.

Start teaching this from the beginning. Let your puppy spend short periods without you, even if at first that simply means you are in another room.

You are not trying to make your puppy cope with hours alone. You are teaching them, little by little:

“I’m safe. I can settle. And they always come back.”

Struggling to see whether things are improving?

Use the Puppy’s First Nights Diary for three nights.

It will help you see when your puppy settles, when they wake and whether a pattern is beginning to emerge. Small improvements can be difficult to notice when you’re tired!