How Can I Sleep Through the Night With a New Puppy?

A new puppy can make an exciting addition to the home, but it also requires tremendous patience. As the puppy adjusts to its new surroundings and adapts to domestic life away from its mother, it may exhibit skittish qualities or require constant attention. This, of course, can take its toll on your sleep habits at night, as the puppy whimpers, scratches and barks for your continuous validation and reassurance. You can make it through this difficult period, especially if you make the right preparations.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog toys
  • Leash
  • Dog bed
  • Crate
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Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare your puppy for bed. Immediately before turning the lights out for the night, take your puppy outdoors to relieve itself. In addition, spend a few minutes walking, wrestling or throwing a tennis ball, in order to help the animal to become tired. This will increase the likelihood that your puppy ventures to sleep worn out with an empty bladder.

    • 2

      Allow the puppy to sleep in your room. If you absolutely insist on acclimating the puppy to the process of sleeping outside the room, you can keep the animal in another part of the home, but understand that this may lead to considerable barking and whimpering while the puppy learns to adjust. Since dogs are pack animals that loathe separation from the pack, you may find it easier to sleep if you just allow the dog to sleep in a soft dog bed or cushioned dog crate beside your bed.

    • 3

      Take your puppy outside if it begins to whimper in the middle of the night. Incessant crying or whimpering may indicate a plea for attention, but if the animal begins whimpering after a prolonged silence, it may simply need to relieve itself. Young puppies have tiny bladders and need to go as often as every two to three hours. Do not deny your puppy this need, even if means getting up repeatedly during the night.

    • 4

      Acknowledge your puppy's presence without submitting to its will. If your puppy barks or whines constantly simply for your attention, begin by giving the animal a soft pat on the head or other brief acknowledgment, indicating that there is no cause for alarm or discomfort. If the whimpering continues, command the animal to quiet down in a firm, authoritative, but nonaggressive voice. If the barking continues, ignore the whimpers. It may mean that you achieve limited sleep for a few nights, but ultimately your new puppy will adjust to the routine.