By Sarah Groves Dog Training - your puppy training specialist covering Neath, Port Talbot and Swansea
‘I’ve just brought my puppy home – what’s the best way to settle them at night?'
'Where should my puppy sleep on their first night home?'
'Should I sleep downstairs or upstairs?'
'What if he starts crying?'
These are just some of the many 'first night at home' puppy questions that I get asked!
Now, generally, there is no ‘THIS IS WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE DOING OR ELSE’ rule about this, HOWEVER, as a puppy trainer who has helped many puppy owners to problem solve for many years, from my experience there is one way which works better for the majority
So here are some of the three most popular options:
Option A) Pop the puppy in his crate and leave him cry it out until he gets used to it (not recommended).
Option B) Sleep downstairs with puppy for a week and then go upstairs hoping that puppy will be used to sleeping downstairs.
Option C) Start with puppy in their crate upstairs in your bedroom and when they are settled, start to move the crate away until pup is in desired location.
So, let’s look into all of these options individually and take a look at the pro’s and con’s of each!
Option A - pop puppy in his crate and leave him cry it out until he gets used to it
Now this isn’t an option that I would recommend, but it is something which happens a lot, so I wanted to talk into it.
Your pups first week at their new home can be a little scary for some – your puppy has just left their mum, littermates and the only home they have ever known – so going from there into your home might feel a little overwhelming at first!
Your puppy will be seeking safety, reassurance and comfort!
If you want your puppy to feel safe and comfortable in their crate and being alone at night (or in the day) then this method is most likely to have the opposite effect.
It’s highly likely that your puppy will start to build negative feelings about their crate, and will not want to go in there again in the future.
Not only that, you will be battling with feelings of frustration, guilt and will likely have more sleepless nights than necessary while you listen to your puppy crying (potentially on and off all night).
Even if your puppy DOES eventually start to settle after a couple of nights, it’s likely that you will find it difficult to crate train in the day time as your pup will just not want to go in there for longer than the second that it takes for them to eat a treat.
Option B - Sleep downstairs with puppy for a week and then go upstairs hoping that puppy will be used to sleeping downstairs
Now this is an option which most puppy owners take, and for some it works quite well!
However for others, the transition from sleeping downstairs, back to your own bed can be the biggest concern!
The positives to this option is:
You will be able to quickly let your puppy out to the toilet when they wake up, minimising any toileting in their crate through the night
You are starting your puppy off with sleeping in the place that you will eventually want them to fully settle in.
The cons:
You will likely have a restless sleep as all of a sudden you are on the floor/on the sofa – much more uncomfortable for yourself to get a good rest.
When you do finally decide to go upstairs after a week of sleeping downstairs, your pup may start to cry - the separation is just too much too quickly.
You are then battling with feelings of guilt, worry and concern to whether it’s a good idea to continue seeing to puppy when they are crying, have questions of ‘should I let them cry it out (which will build to the problems of option A) and will worry that you have started a problem of ‘having to sleep downstairs forever’.
For some puppies, sleeping downstairs with them for just a week and then moving back all the way upstairs just isn’t long enough for them to feel fully safe and have a good sleeping routine to the point where they just don’t care if you’re there or not anymore.
So my favourite option for everyone is option C.
Option C - Start with puppy in their crate upstairs in your bedroom and when they are settled, start to move the crate until pup is in desired location
This option gives the best of both worlds – why battle with uncomfortable nights downstairs when you can sleep in your own bed?
First of all I would set up the crate right next to your bed (if possible). Make sure it is warm with blankets and spacious enough for your puppy to curl up or stretch as they please.
Make sure that puppy has had all of their needs met and is tired.
The only downside to this set up is that when puppy wakes you up for the toilet, you will have to travel all the way downstairs to pop them out into the garden – but hopefully this will quickly become a thing of the past as your puppy grows and is able to hold their toilet in for longer.
After a week or two (depending on the individual puppy), your pup will start to become accustomed to the night time routine, and will likely take themselves into their crate when they know it’s bed time.
Once you get to this point, and when your pup seems pretty much settled through the night, you can start to slowly create distance by moving the crate to a different part of the bedroom.
After a few nights at a different part of the bedroom, create some more distance again.
Eventually you will be able to increase the distance further and have the crate in your desired spot.
It’s important to note that some puppies will be able to cope with a transition from upstairs to downstairs quicker than others, so take things slowly and try things out – if your pup starts showing signs of discomfort, then go back a step for a little while and then once they are comfortable, start increasing distance again.
Need puppy training guidance and live within Neath, Port Talbot and Swansea?
Visit my webiste HERE for details on The Puppy Solutions Program - a bespoke training program designed to provide you with up to date training help, guidance and support that you need!