First things first. Congratulations on welcoming your new pet into your family!
Here at PupsterPassion.com headquarters, we love puppies! They are the cutest, funniest little balls of love.
So we really hope that you and your pet pup live long and happy lives together.
In this post, we are going to discuss your new puppy’s first night in the family home.
Puppy First Night – Things to Think About
Here is an easy set of jobs you need to think about:
- Firstly take them to their potty area.
- Bring them into just one room and let them explore
- Slowly introduce them to the rest of the house.
- Carefully introduce the new puppy to any other pets you have
- Keep taking them to their potty area.
- Show the puppy their bed, toys, food bowls, etc.
- Let the dog sleep if it wants to
- When you go to bed, put the puppy in its crate or pen.
- Give the puppy a hot water bottle to sleep with
- Ignore the whining and whimpering
- Get up during the night and take the puppy out to go to the toilet.
- A few tough days to start with will make all the difference.
And now we can look at each one of these points in more detail.
Firstly Take Them to Their Potty Area
Before you bring your puppy into your house or apartment, the very first thing you should do is take them to their potty area.
Give them a few minutes to get used to it, and if they do their business, give them lots and lots of praise.
House training your puppy is essential, so starting with the task is really useful.
Bring the Dog into Just One Room and Let them Explore
Introduce the dog to one room at a time. Let it get used to it and explore around as much as it likes.
Keep a close eye on its body language. If it looks anything like it needs the toilet, take it back outside to the potty area.
Slowly Introduce Them to The Rest of The House
One room at a time, let the new puppy explore and get used to its new living quarters.
Remember, this can be scary and overwhelming for the pup, so take it slowly and give him or her lots of praise and treats for all good behavior.
Carefully Introduce the Dog to Any Other Pets You Have
If you have other pets such as an older dog or a cat, carefully make introductions.
Keep a close eye out for any signs of aggression from the older animal, and don’t leave them unsupervised until you feel confident nothing bad will happen.
Most likely, all the animals are going to feel a bit overwhelmed. But the puppy, especially, since it is brand new to everything and needs time to adapt to the others.
Keep Taking the Dog to Their Potty Area
Every hour or so, in particular, after naps, feeding and drinking, take the new puppy to their potty area.
Always give them lots of praise after they get the job done. Being super consistent about this and your life over the next few months will be much easier.
Show Them Their Bed, Toys, Food Bowls, Crate, etc.
Let the puppy see and explore all their new stuff. This will be interesting and fun for the puppy.
It is also important for helping the pup feel safe, secure, and welcome in your house.
Let the Young Dog Sleep if it Wants To
Puppies know when they need to sleep, you do not need to try and manage when they do and don’t sleep.
If you have young children, make sure they know not to wake the new puppy when it is sleeping.
When You Go to Bed Put The Puppy in its Crate or Pen
It would help if you made your young dog sleeps in a small, enclosed dog crate or pen.
Please do not think this is cruel. It is actually perfect for your pet dog to sleep in a crate.
A small, safe, secure area for them to sleep in is really good for them. Once they get used to it, they will really appreciate it.
Give the Dog a Hot Water Bottle to Sleep With
Putting a (not too hot) hot water bottle in the puppies bed will help it feel safe and secure.
Remember this the dog’s first night with your family and the very different surroundings so that it will be missing its mom.
Snuggling up with a nice warm hot water bottle will help it drift off to sleep.
Ignore the Whining and Whimpering
This is probably one of the toughest things about your puppy’s first night at home.
You have to be strong; after a short while of crying, the puppy will get tired and fall asleep.
After a few nights, the puppy will stop crying when you put it to bed and will get comfy and go right to sleep.
Get Up During the Night and Take them Out to Go to the Toilet.
Your puppy will need to go to the toilet two or three times during the night.
Set the alarm, get up, and take your new pup to its potty area.
This won’t last forever, but you need to do it while they are very young and not house trained.
A Few Tough Days to Start with Will Make All the Difference
If you set off following these rules. If you work hard on house training.
If you manage to keep your dog in the crate at night and you can ignore the whimpering.
This will really make a big difference in the future.
Plus, keeping the pup in the kennel for the night will avoid any risk with a senior dog being territorial and getting its nose out of joint by bringing in this little stranger.
You will have a much easier time training your pooch and welcoming him or her into the house and the family.