What’s your evening puppy routine?

[Spotty528]

Just that really. Our pup is 14 weeks. He usually naps for around an hour from 4.30-5.30sih. DH gets in from work at 6.30pm and pup has a bonkers hour or so then usually settles on DH lap in the kitchen while I do dc bedtime. Pup is then asleep on DH lap by around 9, last wee and then into bed. I’m wondering if we’re getting into a bad habit with this routine of him settling on DH lap and really we should be leaving him to settle himself. I’m not sure what would happen if DH ever wasn’t here!

Is this something that will change as he gets older maybe?

Our pup does not chill out that long in the evening, sadly.

However she also only likes sleeping on laps and I’m really pushing for her to sleep on her own sometimes (she’s fine at night just not the naps!)
She was ok at first and then we had a few family dramas and it was easier to just let her settle on us,
I am regretting it now as it seems she can’t settle alone. If I fight her on it though she just stays awake all day - and no break from and overtired bitey puppy is hell.

If you can encourage him some nights to settle himself I’d say it’s probably a good idea - however I assume he’s be happy if you substituted if DH wasn’t home, and he’s unlikely to be home alone all night so maybe it’s fine!

Our puppy is now 15 months so not quite a puppy but we did pretty much the opposite and he never really settled with us in those first few months, always alone in his crate usually. It’s good in most respects because he’s happy for us to leave him and doesn’t need constant attention but he’s not particularly cuddly now so in some ways I wish we had been a bit cuddlier with him at the beginning!

So last night pup was still active and hadn’t settled to sleep by 9 so DH put him in his pen. He whined for about 10 minutes and then stopped. I’m really pleased, I think we’ll continue doing it so he learns to settle himself to sleep.

He wakes between 5 and 6 but as a household we go to bed early and get up early so I need him to be in our routine.