The first night with a new puppy is challenging for both you and the puppy. This might be your puppy’s first night without his or her mother so you want to make sure you keep it feeling safe and comfortable.
One of the biggest parts of that is working out where should your puppy sleep and in this article, you’ll discover how to figure out where the best place is for your puppy.
Read on!
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Use a Puppy Crate
When you prepare for your new puppy, a training crate can be an invaluable tool. It creates a small, safe space for your puppy.
It creates a dedicated sleeping area for your puppy, keeps them out of trouble as they haven’t been potty trained yet, and allows you to show them that night time is for settling down and sleeping.
They might not take to it at first, and a lot of puppies will whine for the first few nights, but you want to start setting habits early. That’s why it’s important to use a crate from the first night.
Things to Add to the Puppy Crate
A crate on its own won’t be enough to help the puppy feel comfortable. Add a blanket to give your puppy some warmth and make the crate a softer setting.
Also, add a plush toy. This will give your puppy something to sleep against, and create a feeling of sleeping next to his or her mother.
You can also add a divider to the crate. This gives you control over the size of the space available for your puppy. It means you can create a warm, snug space on the first night and increase the space in the future as your puppy grows.
Where Should You Place Your Puppy’s Crate
Place the crate somewhere free of drafts and where you can keep an eye on your puppy overnight. As it is a new setting, it’s recommended you keep the crate in the bedroom to get the puppy used to the crate.
You might not get much sleep for the first night, or maybe the first few nights. But when your puppy is used to the crate and settles down at night, you can start to move the crate further away from your bed and eventually into a different room.
Have a Plan B for Where Should Your Puppy Sleep
One of the most important things to remember with a puppy is that the first 24 hours are new for you and also new for them. You won’t know ahead of time how they’re going to behave or react to the environment they’re coming in to.
When deciding where should your puppy sleep at night, preparing ahead of time is great. However, having a back-up plan or some way to adapt is going to help if your puppy doesn’t react well.
Don’t let the puppy sleep in your bed, however. It’s tempting, but it can create bad habits that will be harder to train your puppy out of later on.
Be Prepared
A new setting won’t be easy for you or your puppy so mentally prepare yourself for some rough nights and a lack of sleep.
When working out where should your puppy sleep, keep in mind the puppy’s wellbeing, how you’re going to check in on them, and their long-term training.
For more advice on caring for your pet, read the rest of our blog.
