Good Nights Sleep

[Melanie Westell]

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So after 3 nights of broken sleep with our new Puppy, he slept like a dream last night. He slept from 9:30 till 5:30 this morning in his crate. No crying, no whimpering as the previous nights. We wore him out with lots of play before he went down and went in his crate on his own accord. Is this just a fluke or will this now be his new routine? If I keep to the routine of lots of play before bedtime.

 

[JudyN]

There's no way to say - like human babies, just when you think they've got into a new routine they invent a new one! Lots of play before bedtime is good as long as it doesn't leave him to excited to sleep - pups are often manic in the evening anyway so it will help use up this energy.

Have you been leaving him to cry on previous nights? The usual advice now is that it's better to respond to their needs and to have them with you if they need the reassurance of your presence. Otherwise, stopping crying is more a sign of conditioned helplessness rather than them being happy to be on their own. But fingers crossed, he is now happy in his crate overnight.

 

[Melanie Westell]

Thank you for your response. Previous nights I was setting an alarm to go down to take out to the toilet but would normally get woken by him crying. I would go down, let him do his business and put him back in the crate. He would then cry but then settle down. Each time I would leave him for a little bit longer, just like you do with a baby and controlled crying. I’ve done a lot of research and tried to persevere as much as I could. Just hoping this is him settled and the fact that he goes into his crate during the day on his own accord, I think is a sign that he sees it as his safe place and likes it.

 

[JoanneF]

Hopefully not a fluke but as Judy says, please don't leave him to cry. Remember he has just been separated from mum and littermates and he will understandably be anxious. Being with him, comforting him when he cries won't make him clingy, it will reassure him that there's nothing to be scared of and that will develop his confidence.

The puppies that stop crying don't stop because they realise everything is ok, they do it because they have given up hope that you will come to help them. It's an extreme example but in trauma victims it is the silent ones who are most damaged.

This article explains it well.

Self Soothing & Cry It Out Are Neurologically Damaging Here Is Why - Simply Behaviour Dog Training Courses