photo credit: Norma*Iriz*

Is your puppy sleeping through the night yet? Remember your excitement when you decided to get a puppy!  Researching the breed, picking it out, bringing it home.  Then you got your new puppy…sleeping much lately? With all the loss of sleep, you might as well have a child!  Which begs the ultimate question, when will my puppy sleep through the night?

Just like babies, most puppies can’t sleep through the night the first few days–or, possibly, weeks of coming to a new home.  Much of whether it takes a few days or a few weeks for your puppy to settle in is up to you. If you use proper techniques and training, your puppy will be sleeping through the night before you know it!

About six years ago, I brought Wrigley, my Golden Retriever, home at 8 weeks of age. At the “golden” advice of his breeder, I dutifully put him in his wire crate with comfy bedding and a toy and went upstairs to bed. Did he whine? Oh yeah, but only for about 10 minutes and he was out like a light. My breeder told me in no uncertain terms that if I gave in to my sweet puppy’s whining and ran to his rescue with cuddles and treats, I’d regret it for weeks to come. I value my sleep too much for that, so after about four nights of ignoring 10-15 minutes of puppy whining, he began sleeping through the night like a champ (not including one or two nightly potty breaks until he was about 12 weeks old)!

Here are a few tips to help your puppy sleep through the night:

Restrict your puppy’s water intake 2 hours prior to bedtime.  Your puppy just doesn’t have a large enough bladder to hold very much water for an extended period of time until about 12-13 weeks of age.  If you allow the puppy to drink freely throughout the night, it will go the bathroom throughout the night, keeping you up.

Ignore the crying. Like most puppies, he will probably whine and cry during the night.  For the first few nights for sure.  It can mean few things, 1) time to potty, 2) time to play, or 3) they are lonely.  It’s hard to know the difference at first.  If your puppy is brand new and just left his litter mates, it’s likely that he’s lonely.  It may be difficult, but it’s best to start your puppy out sleeping where you intend for him to sleep permanently–and I recommend it not be in your bedroom. If you let the puppy sleep in your bedroom in the beginning, it’ll be difficult to move him to another room later on. There’s a wonderful product called “Snuggle Puppy” that is actually heated and will help your puppy feel as if he’s still with his littermates until he settles into his new home. Once you get your puppy into a routine, the reason for this whining will cease.

You can train your puppy to sleep.  If your puppy wants to play, and you come give him attention every time he whines, then the puppy has just trained you.  You will have to put your foot down and ignore the puppies whining, that way it will learn to calm itself down and learn that nighttime is sleep time.

The whining may mean that it’s time for a potty break.  Your puppy will need nightly potty breaks until he’s around 12-14 weeks old. In the beginning, it’s wise to set your alarm to take him out every couple of hours. You’ll eventually learn his potty patterns and can adjust how often you get up to take him out accordingly. And if you have a partner in your puppy raising, you can alternate “potty duty”, so you can get some sleep.

When you get up to take your puppy to potty, make sure he knows it’s all business and no play. No cuddling and little talk except to say “go potty”, or whatever command you decide to use, and “back to bed”. No rough-housing or playing afterward, it’s right back to bed.

As with any training, it’s important to be firm and consistent.  With these steps, you and your puppy will be sleeping through the night in no time flat!

However, new puppies are not all fun and games. Puppy Potty training can be one of the hardest and most demanding times for a family and their new pet, but parents can use this opportunity as a learning experience for their children. They can use it to show just how much responsibility there is in owning a dog.

Puppy Potty Training consists of taking the dog outside often enough that they will eventually learn not to do their “business” inside the house. Most dog trainers say that to be successfully housebroken, the puppy should be taken outside at least three times an hour and immediately following every meal. This can seem like a lot of trips to the backyard, but it will significantly decrease the number of accidents your puppy will have and cut down on damage done to carpets and furniture.

If you place your children in charge of the training schedule they can gain not only a sense of responsibility, but valuable life lessons such as caring for others, to respect animals, patience and tolerance.They will also feel a sense of pride when any of the training is a success, applauding and showering their new puppy with praise when he tinkles outside for the first time. You will also notice that your children will be more wiling to take part in other dog training responsibilities.

Once the puppy is housebroken, you can have your children move on to being in charge of walking, feeding and brushing the dog, all the while they will learn what it is to provide for someone other than themselves and that hard work and persistence always pay off.

If a child is placed “in charge” of a dog there is a great amount of pride and a feeling of grown-up responsibility that comes along with the job. Children love to feel as though they have an important role in the household, and having your child participate in your dog obedience training is a great way to show them that you feel they are trust worthy and responsible.

Enroll in a local dog obedience training class, but make sure before hand that the coordinator of the training classes will allow a child to partake. Some class instructors will not like the idea, solely because the other dogs may not be child-friendly, and they will be worried for insurance reasons. Make it clear to your child to concentrate only on your own dog, no approaching or petting the other dogs in the class. This will keep all owners, dogs and children safe and happy.

The most important result in having your child guide your dog through obedience training is that by the end, your dog will recognize your child as one of his owners. This means that your dog will follow commands given not only by you and other adults, but from your child as well. This will allow your child to take on a much more active roll in your dog’s daily routine and your child will enjoy owning a dog that listens, walks well on leash and can play without incident. In other words, they will develop a friendship and your child will experience an incredible sense of accomplishment.

With the obedience training as a starting block, a child’s emotions towards your dog can transform from fear to trust and from impatience to understanding. So, in your next visit to dog obedience class, let your child take the leash, the relationship between your dog and your child will only stand to improve.

photo credit: emutree

Puppy chewing can be destructive–it’s a fact. There aren’t many things cuter than a puppy, but they do have an incredible natural drive to chew anything and everything in site during the first three to four months of their lives.

Honestly, it can be pretty disheartening to come home every day to the fall-out from the latest “chew-fest”. Puppies seem to like shoes and furniture the most, although electronics and rugs are not out of the question. So how do you get your puppy to stop chewing everything in your home?

First, ensure that’s it’s not a medical condition. An illness called Pica can cause your puppy to chew as a way to deal with nausea. Your veterinarian will be able to identify if the chewing is a result of Pica.

Second, puppy proof your house. We already know that a puppy is a mini-child, and just as you would with a toddler, you must “puppy proof” your home. Put electrical cords out of the way. Get poisonous plants, household chemicals and food out of the way of your puppy.

Third, be sure and provide a safe and secure area for your puppy to rest and play while you’re gone. It’s always a good idea to crate train your puppy at an early age, as there are times in every dog’s life where they will need to be crated. Crating provides the most security for your puppy while you’re away from the house. There are various types of crates, but I’ve had the best luck with wire crates. Until your puppy is fully potty trained, the crate should only be big enough for your puppy to be able to stand up, turn around comfortably and lay down with a little room to spare. After your pup is reliably potty trained, you can use a larger crate with no worries of potty accidents while crated.

The most common reason for chewing, other than teething? Boredom and lack of exercise. Most puppies are full of energy and curiosity, but when left alone, get bored and find ways to “learn” about their surroundings…by chewing–much the same way a baby puts everything in it’s mouth. The best way to prevent puppy chewing is by keeping your puppy occupied and be sure he gets plenty of exercise.

Training a dog not to chew is challenging, but do-able with persistence and patience. Like with most dog training, you will have to be firm and consistent.

First, remove the item that’s being chewed using a simple but firm “No” command. The “No” command should be used consistently, but not overdone, so they understand the meaning of “No”. Also, using a loud noise, such as clapping your hands or shaking a cola can with rocks or pennies in it, are both effective deterrents from chewing when the puppy is caught in the act. Reprimanding your puppy “after the fact” will do no good as he’s long forgotten the incident and won’t make the connection.

You can also use a chewing deterrent like Bitter Apple. You smear or spray Bitter Apple on the item you don’t want chewed, and the taste alone will cause the puppy to take a detour away from the object immediately.

If training doesn’t work, the chewing may be from separation anxiety, in which case, you should consult your veterinarian.

Be sure you work on the chewing early, you don’t want it to become a habit the puppy keeps into adulthood. Then you can rest assured that you’ll come home to find your shoes and furniture in tact.