Bringing home your new puppy for the first time is a great feeling and a day of total excitement. Getting through the first night with your little one can be a different story altogether. Having a new puppy in the house can be quite chaotic and the most trying time is those first few nights when you will not get a full 8 hours no matter what you do. The simplest way to handle this, and cut back the craziness as much as possible, is to be prepared and have some good tricks up your sleeve.
If you've been reading about housebreaking and caring for a new dog, you will without doubt have read about the significance of crate training from the 1st day you bring your pup into the house. If you have spent the time to introduce the pup to its crate and have made it a cushy, positive place for the dog, this should make the nights much easier.
Your new puppy will have little bladder control and this equates to most of the disturbances you'll get in the middle of the night from your puppy. You can expect that your puppy will have to go out to the toilet once every 2-4 hours for the initial few weeks. There are ways in which you can cut down on the amount of times necessary to take out your puppy in the night and eliminate accidents.
Tips to make the night go smoother
Keep your dog active and awake for the last 2 hours before going to bed. If your dog has been napping and lounging around all evening, they will be keen to go and full of energy while you're attempting to sleep.
If possible, don't let your dog drink or eat past about 7pm unless they require water because of warm conditions. This may give you a better chance to rest for a couple of hours before needing to take dog out for a pit stop.
Take puppy out to the toilet just before bed. Keep an eye out to confirm your dog really eliminates and does not just sprinkle, then go back indoors. You do not want to make this a wasted trip, and you especially don't want to get up in the following half hour to do it again.
Be ready to get up every couple of hours to take your puppy out to the toilet. Set your alarm for every 2-3 hours and take your puppy outside. You may have to wake your dog up, but it's much better to establish your own timetable to take them outside. If you wait till they tell you they want out, they'll learn that barking and whining wakes you up and this will form future habits.
Keep your pup near you at night. If feasible, have them in their crate in the bedroom with you. You may have the pup in the bed with you if you want but consider conscientiously the implications;
the pup may soil the bed,
the pup will get used to the bed and it's got to be an all or nothing proposition - you cannot choose to allow them in the bed sometimes and not others,
the dog will grow up and you will have a full sized dog on your bed in the end
If the dog is not ready to spend a full night in its crate, you may think about tethering the dog in the bedroom. To do this use a short tether, giving the dog a bit of room to move about, though not enough that they will want to eliminate within the area.
If it is not possible to have the pup in the bedroom with you, you may have the dog spend the night in another room. To make the dog more relaxed isolated in another room, try leaving soft music on, a fan, or white noise of some type to help soothe it. You'll need to be super watchful in ensuring the pup gets out to the yard at frequent intervals in the night since you won't be able to hear the pup whine to get out.
Have all that you need to take your puppy out for a pit stop prepared and accessible. Having these things prepared and laid out will make getting up in the middle of the night a lot simpler. Have something to wear,eg a housecoat and slippers, a leash if you use one, and waste bags handy.
When you bring your young pup out in the middle of the night, particularly if you had to wake them, the pup might be so knackered that they sit right down and attempt to fall back to sleep. Gently get the pup to move around and stay awake. Chances are they still have to go to the bathroom but could be too tired to realize it right away.
Keep overnight pit stops as short as practical and stick to the business to hand. Playing with your dog will only teach them that if they wake you in the night they're going to get to have a play date. Be sure to keep everything calm and serene. Still be sure to praise the dog for doing its thing.
Following these tips and being prepared for what's ahead should make your first few nights with your new puppy run a lot smoother. Having said that, there is always unforeseen problems. Try not to get annoyed with your puppy, these first few days are all about welcoming the puppy and getting it used to its new home and family.
If you've been reading about housebreaking and caring for a new dog, you will without doubt have read about the significance of crate training from the 1st day you bring your pup into the house. If you have spent the time to introduce the pup to its crate and have made it a cushy, positive place for the dog, this should make the nights much easier.
Your new puppy will have little bladder control and this equates to most of the disturbances you'll get in the middle of the night from your puppy. You can expect that your puppy will have to go out to the toilet once every 2-4 hours for the initial few weeks. There are ways in which you can cut down on the amount of times necessary to take out your puppy in the night and eliminate accidents.
Tips to make the night go smoother
Keep your dog active and awake for the last 2 hours before going to bed. If your dog has been napping and lounging around all evening, they will be keen to go and full of energy while you're attempting to sleep.
If possible, don't let your dog drink or eat past about 7pm unless they require water because of warm conditions. This may give you a better chance to rest for a couple of hours before needing to take dog out for a pit stop.
Take puppy out to the toilet just before bed. Keep an eye out to confirm your dog really eliminates and does not just sprinkle, then go back indoors. You do not want to make this a wasted trip, and you especially don't want to get up in the following half hour to do it again.
Be ready to get up every couple of hours to take your puppy out to the toilet. Set your alarm for every 2-3 hours and take your puppy outside. You may have to wake your dog up, but it's much better to establish your own timetable to take them outside. If you wait till they tell you they want out, they'll learn that barking and whining wakes you up and this will form future habits.
Keep your pup near you at night. If feasible, have them in their crate in the bedroom with you. You may have the pup in the bed with you if you want but consider conscientiously the implications;
the pup may soil the bed,
the pup will get used to the bed and it's got to be an all or nothing proposition - you cannot choose to allow them in the bed sometimes and not others,
the dog will grow up and you will have a full sized dog on your bed in the end
If the dog is not ready to spend a full night in its crate, you may think about tethering the dog in the bedroom. To do this use a short tether, giving the dog a bit of room to move about, though not enough that they will want to eliminate within the area.
If it is not possible to have the pup in the bedroom with you, you may have the dog spend the night in another room. To make the dog more relaxed isolated in another room, try leaving soft music on, a fan, or white noise of some type to help soothe it. You'll need to be super watchful in ensuring the pup gets out to the yard at frequent intervals in the night since you won't be able to hear the pup whine to get out.
Have all that you need to take your puppy out for a pit stop prepared and accessible. Having these things prepared and laid out will make getting up in the middle of the night a lot simpler. Have something to wear,eg a housecoat and slippers, a leash if you use one, and waste bags handy.
When you bring your young pup out in the middle of the night, particularly if you had to wake them, the pup might be so knackered that they sit right down and attempt to fall back to sleep. Gently get the pup to move around and stay awake. Chances are they still have to go to the bathroom but could be too tired to realize it right away.
Keep overnight pit stops as short as practical and stick to the business to hand. Playing with your dog will only teach them that if they wake you in the night they're going to get to have a play date. Be sure to keep everything calm and serene. Still be sure to praise the dog for doing its thing.
Following these tips and being prepared for what's ahead should make your first few nights with your new puppy run a lot smoother. Having said that, there is always unforeseen problems. Try not to get annoyed with your puppy, these first few days are all about welcoming the puppy and getting it used to its new home and family.
About the Author:
Pamela Noble writes articles on pets and pet products for Dogfolks.com. You can find more information on pet products and crates on the Dog Folks website.
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