As the owner of a new puppy, you must know something: your puppy is going to cry at night at least in the first few days. In some cases, things could even get worse as days go by. You must realize and understand that the first few nights are bound to be difficult for your puppy. If you have brought him from a shelter, it is very likely that he is missing his litter-mates. Naturally, the change in environment is bound to distress him. So let us take a look at what all you can do when your new puppy cries at night.
Keep him energized during the day
An important among all puppy crying at night tips; energize and exercise him during the day. This will help him wind down and get him sleeping through the night. Tucker with him for an hour before bed and then slowly wind him down.
Related Content: What to Expect When You First Get a Puppy
Get him used to the crate
If you want to get your puppy to sleep in a crate or a wire cage for dogs, you must leave him in the cage/crate for several hours during the day. This will get him used to it and there will be lesser chances of it crying when you get it to unwind at bedtime. You can also consider having him sleep in a crate next to your bed the first few nights. Alternatively, restrict him to a small washable area until he learns to keep his room clean and dry. Confine him to a small bathroom or laundry room if you have one.
Make it comfortable
Dogs, especially very young puppies, tend to feel more secure in a den-like environment. So cover its cage or crate with a few blankets or old towels placed around the top and sides of the cage. You can leave a dim light on in the room where you have placed the cage.
Play soothing music
Leave a radio on with soft classical music while the puppy is in the cage. Music is soothing to puppies and can get them to stop crying at night.
Go cold turkey and harden your heart
There are two main reasons why your puppy crying at night could be getting worse: he is afraid or uncomfortable and/or he has simply learned it to gain your attention. Puppies often cry when they know you will give in and let them to sleep next to you or play with you at night. If you want to teach your puppy not to enter your room and sleep in its crate through the night, then you have to be firm and leave it to cry at night. Most puppies will cry a lot the first 3-4 nights but soon they will learn to sleep alone throughout the night. Do not release him from its crate no matter what.
Stimulate their mother’s body warmth
Your puppies crying at night can also get worse when they are missing their mother. Try placing a hot water bag covered by a couple of towels or blankets in the cage. A ticking cloth wrapped in an old towel can help stimulate his mother’s heartbeat. These ‘puppy crying at night tips’ can be quite effective and have helped many pet owners have a peaceful night.
House him with an older dog
Most puppies will feel safer with another dog in the same room. If your puppy does not like sleeping alone, try placing him with an older dog so he will feel safer. Simply smelling and hearing the older dog can help prevent puppies crying at night.
Let him empty his bladder at night
Most puppies cannot last for more than 6 to 7 hours without emptying their bladder. So make sure you take him out to answer a nature’s call before winding down for the night. Do not give him any food or water 3-4 hours before bedtime. This will prevent him from filling his bladder which will cause him to pee at night.
Communicate firmly
Say goodnight to your puppy and do not talk to him again. Close the door so he understands it is time for bed. He has to learn that humans communicate and play only during the day.
Be patient
No one can predict how a puppy is going to behave at night. Some puppies are angelic and rarely cry- others can be quite the screamers and can come as a shock to first time pet owners. Night time excursions are no fun but these early problems will soon go away and peaceful nights will prevail again.
Puppies have short attention span and weak bladder control. House training a puppy so that he does not cry at night is a fairly big endeavor which can take a while. We hope above ‘puppy crying at night tips’ help you make a puppy stop crying at night.
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