puppy sleep questions...what should we do?

[lucyvanpelt]

me again, with more questions about our puppy...

we wondering what the best way to get him to sleep at night is.

right now, between 11 and 1, we get him ready for bed. we take him out to pee and then come back in and let him go crazy for a while (at night, after he's been outside, he likes to run laps around the living room for some reason).

once he's calm, we bring his crate up to my room and then bring him, lower the light and relax with him. but no matter how calm he is, as soon as we get him upstairs he's wide awake. finally, he's tired and we put him in his crate and pet him till he's sleepy. then i lock the door and shut out the light and that's the end of it...about 1 or 2 am.

it takes him at least 1/2 hour in my room to wind down. should we be letting him or should we, at bed time, just put him in the crate and lock the door. keep in mind, i'd be lying right next to him in my bed. i know he'll cry if he's not sleeping and locked up.

and is 1 am too late for bed time for him?

hope this question isn't too confusing (lack of sleep!)

THANKS! lucy

[BMDLuver]

They are the same thing. Lack of sleep is normal. It will take the puppy a while to get into the house routine. Keep it the same always, as much as possible, and the transition will be much smoother. Sleep will return in a month or two to you!

[tenderfoot]

I would think she would be ready for bed much earlier - puppies need a lot of sleep. In nature they would settle down after the evening hunt and sleep through the night all snuggled up next to each other.
I would encourage you to let her out to potty and take her straight to her crate. Don't coddle her too much as it becomes expected after a short time. You are there if she needs you, so don't over emotionalize (is that even a word?) bed time. Put her to bed and you go to bed - she might fuss for a minute but ignore minor fussing and go to sleep.
To tell the truth - we sleep with our puppies in our bed from the start. It is very natural for them and they sleep soundly through the night. It also creates a very strong bond and gives them a good emotional foundation for life. The pack sleeps together and we are the pack.

[coppperbelle]

I would suggest an earlier bed time . I think routine is the key. It is not necessary for you to go to bed at the same time every night but it is for the puppy. Another thing I noticed is that you allow him to run around before you put him to bed. Running around probably overstimulates him and this is why he is having trouble settling down.

[hddlstn02]

Originally Posted by tenderfoot

To tell the truth - we sleep with our puppies in our bed from the start. It is very natural for them and they sleep soundly through the night. It also creates a very strong bond and gives them a good emotional foundation for life. The pack sleeps together and we are the pack.

This may be a bad habit to start, but I agree w/ TENDERFOOT. At first, I put Bailey in a crate & he stayed there until I was up for the day. Then, he started only waking me up at about 4-5 am, so after he went out & pottied, I would let him get in bed w/ me... He loved it! (He's so chunky that he can't get on or off of my bed by himself.) Next, I just started putting him in bed w/ me when I went & he did great waking me up to go potty, etc. Finally, one nite it was very warm in my room & didn't want him to get too hot (he has extremely thick fur!) so I just put him on the floor, where he was much more comfy, & prayed that he would wake me up... He did! And when he woke me up at 5 am, he went out & did his business then came back in & cried to get in bed w/ me.

He is always out like a light when he's in bed w/ me too. I do think that they sleep much better knowing that some one that loves them is next to them.

I thought maybe at first I was pushing him too fast w/ letting him out of his crate so early, but now I'm glad I did. Don't get me wrong, he had a few accidents, but not too many. He's doing so good w/ training now too, but I'm sure he'll have an accident again one of these days. I think he's just getting used to the feeling of having to go & learning how to hold it for a few more seconds too.

Sorry, didn't mean to ramble there.... I know this is about sleeping & not pottying.

Anyhoo, I'd try putting him in bed w/ you unless you don't ever want him to sleep w/ you, because I'm sure he'll very accustomed to sleeping in bed!