Are you the proud owner of a new puppy?
Are you curious as to what age a young dog will sleep right through the night?
If the answer is yes, then the first thing we want to say is big congratulations on bringing your new puppy into your home.
Here at Pupster Passion, we really love all dogs, but there is a special place in our hearts for young puppies!
So we wish you all the best on your exciting new life journey together.
So let’s look into younger dogs sleeping through the night, as you welcome one into your new home.
How Long Until Puppies Sleep Right Through the Night?
It varies from puppy to puppy, depending on their individual character, breed, sex, lifestyle, etc.
But as a general rule, we find that puppies will usually sleep right through the night at around sixteen weeks or four months old.
When they are very young, they will wake up needing the toilet three or four times during the middle of the night.
As a bit of an aside, since we are talking about potty training, we do have a step-by-step for pet parents that are away longer stretches.
As they age, up until they get to four months old, they will wake up less frequently during the night.
And then around the four-month-old mark, you will notice they start sleeping right through the night without waking up.
But you can help your new puppy’s sleeping progress by doing some basic housekeeping and training techniques. Let’s take a look…
Advice to Help Your Puppy Sleep Through the Night
Here are some tips for helping your puppy sleep:
- Use a crate with a blanket over the top.
- Give your pup a hot water bottle to sleep with
- Take the puppy to its potty area right before bed.
- Ignore any crying or whimpering
- Tire the dog out before bedtime
- Give them a little snack.
- Stick to a regular routine
- Make sure the room is dark and quiet.
Use a Crate With a Blanket Over The Top
Using crate training for your puppy to sleep in is an excellent idea.
Some people are not sure about this and feel it is cruel or unfair to lock the puppy in a crate overnight.
But actually, crate sleeping is perfect for dogs, they feel snug and safe in a crate, and once they get used to the space, you will notice they prefer it.
For extra snugness, you can throw a thick blanket over the crate to keep it dark and warm (like a little cave).
Give Your Puppy a Hot Water Bottle to Sleep With
Your puppy will miss its Mom! So having a nice warm hot water bottle to curl up against will be really reassuring.
Take The Puppy to its Potty Area Right Before Bed
The very last thing you should do with your puppy is take it to the area where it goes to the toilet and encourage it to do its business.
Ignore Any Crying or Whimpering
Once you put your puppy in the crate for the night, you must ignore any crying or whimpering you hear from the dog.
Yes, this is really tough, but it is one of the best things you can do for the puppy; think of it as tough love.
Tire The Dog Out Before Bedtime
Earlier in the evening, give your pet dog a lot of exercise and stimulation.
Try to run it around so much that it gets exhausted, then quieten it down before putting it to bed for the night.
Give Them a Little Snack
About an hour before bed, give your pup a little snack, nothing too heavy, just one or two small nibbles to keep the hunger pangs at bay during the night.
Stick To a Regular Routine
Creating and sticking to a really tight routine is important for the new puppy as they get used to their new home life.
The stable pattern will make the crate, sleep, and potty training much more effective and efficient.
Make Sure the Room is Dark and Quiet
Make sure the puppy sleeps in a quiet, darkroom. This type of space gives the pup the best chance of sleeping right through the night.
A Useful Video on Getting Your Puppy Sleeping Right Through the Night
In this handy little video, the dog trainer Samantha and her super cute beagle Molly share their tips on young dogs and sleeping right through.
She is a big fan of using dog crate training as a way to help the pup with this and recommends to do from the first night the dog comes home.
She suggests that the crate needs to go into your bedroom at night. She says this is the best place to put the dog crate.
So that your pet pooch doesn’t feel lonely, is much better able to sleep, and if the pup does need to go for a potty break in the middle of the night, then you can hear them before an accident occurs.
Ok, so thanks for reading this blog post; we hope that it will help you have fewer sleepless nights with your pup.
If you can remember that they need love, attention, training, and routine, you will be on track.
But if you really struggle with lots of difficult nights with the dog and it doesn’t seem to be getting better, you really should speak to your vet.
Get the vet to give the dog a good checkup for any underlying health concerns (such as a bladder infection) that might be causing the sleep problems.