How to Train a Puppy to Use the Pad and to Sleep at Night

Having a puppy in your home is similar to having a toddler. Puppies can get into a lot of trouble if left unsupervised, and they aren't potty-trained on their own. They may have difficulty sleeping through the night at first, especially in a new place or in the absence of their mother and litter-mates. But you can train your puppy to use a pad instead of having accidents, and to sleep comfortably through the night. It will just require time and patience.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog crate
  • Blankets
  • Ticking clock
  • Hot pad or hot water bottle
  • Towel
  • Dog treat
  • Puppy training pads
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set up a crate for your puppy to sleep in and to stay in when you are away from the house. For sleeping, the crate should be large enough for puppy to turn around and lie down comfortably, but not much more. If you want a larger crate puppy can grow into, get a divider for it and divide off a portion that is the right size for right now, then expand it as puppy grows. The reason for the small size is that it will keep puppy cozy and also he won't want to soil his sleeping space, so it should help to prevent accidents. Put soft blankets inside the crate, and wrap a ticking clock and a hot water bottle or hot pad inside a towel to put in there as well; the noise of the clock and the warmth of the bottle and towel will remind your puppy of snuggling up with his mother after he was born. Give puppy a special treat every time you put him in the crate, so he will begin to look forward to being in there; the treat could be a special toy or bone he only gets when he is in his crate; if you use food as a treat he will have to go to the bathroom, so it's better to keep food out of this routine.

    • 2

      Put puppy in the crate at night, and position it in a quiet room with little to no light. A small amount of light in another corner of the room will help puppy sleep without keeping her awake. If you can keep the crate in your own bedroom where she can see you, she will be reassured by your presence and also take the cue from your own sleeping that she should be sleeping as well. If she wakes up at night, ignore her for a few minutes. If she persists, try calming her with a few soothing words and a pat on the head. You may have to do this regularly, the same way you would for a young child. But eventually she will go to sleep.

    • 3

      When you take puppy out of the cage in the morning, put him immediately on a training pad and do not let him leave the pad until he uses it for its intended purpose. If he tries to walk away, simply put him back on the pad. You may want to use a cue word, such as "potty," to tell him what to do. Eventually he will associate that word with the action you want him to perform.

    • 4

      Always put puppy on the training pad a few times a day when it is likely she will need to use it. This includes any time after she wakes up from a nap, about 30 minutes after she has a meal, after coming out of her crate during the day, and any other time of the day that you notice she is sniffing around the floor. When puppy sniffs, she's looking for the right spot to go to the bathroom; show her the right spot by putting her on the training pad.

    • 5

      For a while, keep the pad on the floor even after puppy has used it. The scent of using it before will remind him to use it again. When he gets older he will be comfortable enough with this routine that he will use a fresh pad without a reminder.