Tips for teaching puppy to settle

[BallisticPuppy]

She’s 11 weeks old, brilliant at night, but I’d like tips on getting her to setttle in the day other than on my lap.

She will take herself off to a bed in front of the fire with a chew toy. Or a blanket near the kitchen, but as soon as I do anything interesting like try and make tea she’s there sat right behind me.

I never taught a settle command but I did lots of just getting on with stuff whilst he followed me around. Eventually as he got older he decided this was boring time and would take himself off for a snooze.

I think you have to accept it
Let her do it
As she gets older she’ll learn it’s boring

Other options are to put a gate up
Or try it when she has an amazing chew
To make it even more worth her staying there.

We taught ours a ‘place’ in the kitchen so she’s not underfoot but can follow if she wants

Why don’t you want her following?

It’s dangerous in the kitchen and also I want her to be ok on her own rather than having her pine if I’m having a shower.

We have taught 'down stay' which is kind of the same idea as settle. We use it a lot when we are eating. We obv had to teach the down command first then we gradually built up the stay command. To begin with this was just a minute or two. But he is 19 months now and stay for as long as needed.

Don't all puppies do that? My 1 year old dog still watches me when I'm in the kitchen occasionally. The puppy loves you, she's following you around plus when you'll be making tea she'll probably linger anyways lurking for food. They do grow out of it to an extent.

I used to enforce naptimes. Put the little horror in her crate and sing lullabies to her. She would do proper full on tantrum for about 60seconds, then fall over and glare at me (how could I be so mean as to make her nap???) then fall asleep.

She's really good at napping now.

I can see my singing sending her to sleep ...not! That's part of it the enforced napping. Before she turns into a monster.

11 weeks is very young. You need to time things like showers for when she’s napping.

Tips on how you got her so settled at night? 🙏🏼

We get our puppy soon. I’ve got a heartbeat simulator, wheatbag cuddly creature that warms in the microwave, cosy blankets...

Oh and someone mentioned DAP - a spray to hell then settle, but I’m a bit hesitant. Any thoughts?

@AtrociousCircumstance.
If you’re on FB look at the group dog training advice and support. They have files on bringing a pup home and toilet training etc
TBH no spray will stop a baby pup missing it’s mother and siblings. You need to have it sleep next to you to help it settle really.

She is absolutely fine at night and has been from the first night. We picked her up early and she was knackered by bedtime. Popped her in the crate by our bed with a hot water bottle in a towel and the blanket the breeder gave us. There was one whimper and then she slept through till she woke us neeedng a pee.

It's more her settling in the day. I think I need to be more patient!

Mine is two and he still follows me around during the day! I can leave him in the living room while I cook or have a shower but if I get up to go upstairs or similar, he'll be right there by my ankles!

Dogs like company and generally love being with their families. It's part of dog ownership I'm afraid! As they get older they will get used to settling alone, though.