Puppy Training & Sleep

Puppy training and sleep go together like peanut butter and jelly. Puppies need training and puppies need sleep. Who would have thought puppies need training to sleep? But it is true. Away from his mom and siblings, or his pack, your new puppy needs to learn when sleep fits into his daily routine, where he will sleep and how to put himself to sleep. Just like a baby, your little puppy has a lot to learn.

Puppies are babies, and we all know babies require lots of sleep. A puppy can spend as much as 18 to 20 hours a day sleeping, including nighttime sleep and daytime naps. Since sleeping is such a big part of your little puppy's life, it is a good idea to work with your puppy to develop healthy sleep habits.

As it relates to puppy training and sleep, the use of a crate is a highly recommended option. In fact, the American Veterinary Medical Association advocates crate training. Of course, much of your puppy's sleep time will take place wherever he falls as he naps the day away. At night, however, the use of a crate for sleep provides your puppy with a sense of routine. Since dogs entertain a pack mentality, placing the crate in your bedroom where your puppy can see, hear and smell you reassures your puppy he's not alone.

When puppy training to sleep in a crate, you need to establish a routine. Stop food and drink at 7 p.m. and take your puppy out to potty just before bedtime, which should be no later than 11 p.m. If you discover that your puppy is not able to wait until morning, schedule a time around 2 a.m. to wake your puppy for a potty break. Your waking him up will prevent your puppy from learning that barking inside his crate means he gets let out. Make the trip outside a low-key affair. This is not playtime. As your puppy grows, these 2 a.m. outings will not be needed.

There are a variety of pet crates to choose from for puppy training and sleep. Keep in mind that if you have a large breed dog, your dog will grow. To eliminate the need to purchase a larger crate at a later date, purchase the larger crate while your dog is a puppy. Then securely place cardboard or plywood to create a smaller space for your puppy to sleep. In a crate, a dog should have just enough room to lay down comfortably, stand and turn around. If he has more room, he may resort to using part of his crate as a place to go potty. To make your puppy's crate comfortable, purchase a padded crate mat or place several bath towels inside his crate. You can include a few favorite puppy-safe toys.

Utilizing a crate for puppy training and sleep enables you to establish a safe place for your puppy that is his own space. Just because you start him sleeping in a crate does not mean he will always have to sleep in a crate. However, if you start off allowing him to sleep in your bed and then decide to crate train, it is much more difficult. Having a crate trained puppy provides a place for you to keep your puppy during the day when you are not at home to supervise your puppy's play. It also makes transport to the vet go much smoother when your puppy is already accustomed to a crate.