First few nights.... decisions on sleep arrangements!

[phonicscloud]

Our last puppy was some 20 years ago, advice was then put them in the kitchen and leave them to it overnight. I remember it was painful but don't think it went on too long......

Maybe as I'm old now but I don't think I could do it, just ignore howling and barking. I would prefer long term he slept in the kitchen. I have a pen, with a crate, but I don't want to shut him in crate, he can have the run of the pen with newspaper down. So do I sleep on kitchen floor for a few nights - but then what when you move on...... or do I have him next to my bed a few nights and gradually move him away....

What are your experiences please?

It's really up to you. Either should work, really. I'd probably opt for sleeping in the kitchen if it's comfortable for you? If not, have him by your bed then gradually move him away.

I have no backbone, because I was adamant that my dog wouldn't be allowed to sleep in my bed.

Only, dog wasn't a fan of that regime. Barked his absolute tits off, all night long, every single night. Put up with it for about 2 months, then caved in. And now you can guess where he sleeps. :p

I wish you more success than I had. ;)

I am not sure how helpful this will be, but here is my experience.
Like you, our dogs had always slept downstairs in the kitchen. When our rescue dog Sophie arrived to live with us aged 18 months, I assumed that that’s where she’d sleep …however the first night brought crying and whining and I couldn’t bear listening to it. Partly because I’m older and knackered and really need my sleep! but also because I had a kind of epiphany and realised why on earth can’t she sleep with me? She’d just crossed Europe in a van to get here, of course she’s scared. So we brought her basket upstairs and she slept like a log in it. And now she still sleeps all night, very peaceful, in our room, in her basket, and I can’t remember why I thought it was so important that she sleeps downstairs.
I wish you joy with your new puppy, whatever you decide.

We are struggling with this at the moment, we have had our 14 wk old pup for 3 weeks and are still sleeping g on the floor in the kitchen with her. She finally goes in her crate fine, settles well, and can sleep 11-6.30. But on the odd occasion we have tried to leave the room after she’s settled (and asleep) she’s woken multiple times and barked.

Not sure where to go from here. Can’t sleep on the floor forever!

My pup sleeps in a pen in the kitchen. It took 2 weeks to get her used to it. The first week I slept in the kitchen. She woke fairly frequently for a wee or a cuddle. The second week I sat next to her until she'd fallen asleep and then crept to the sofa in the next room. If she whimpered I heard her and could get to her quite quickly. Week 3 I slept in my own bed but I invested in a cheap camera with audio so I can hear if she wakes and needs to go out. Good luck!

It depends a bit on the dog. With our first dog, we put her downstairs and she cried all night, got so upset she dirtied. We moved her upstairs next to our bed, then onto the hall, then the bottom of the stairs and back into the living room over a week and a half.

With dog 2, we allowed dog1 upstairs (she’s only allowed upstairs when we say and usually only once a week). Dog2 wasn’t bothered about being downstairs straight from the off. He only woke up because he needed to go out not because he was distressed downstairs.

When I got my pup last year at 8 weeks old, for a few nights I slept in the living room on the sofa and she slept in her crate. I let her out to pee a few times through the night. Then I went upstairs and still came down to let her out every few hours for a few more weeks. She cried the first couple of nights for a minute or so then settled. She's 13 months now and still sleeps in her crate. Never had an accident in there and refuses to sleep overnight anywhere else now. You need to do what works for you

@phonicscloud Advice now is not to leave them to cry. It can be quite a long process. Focus on crate/pen training during the day, lots of treats in the crate/pen when its open. At night sleep beside them and then move away gradually. Or have them in your room and move them downstairs gradually. We slept on the couch for a few weeks before we eventually got back into our own bed. It took a week or so before she'd even sleep in the crate, even with us in the same room. The one thing I wouldn't recommend though is newspaper. It'll teach bad habits and take longer to toilet train, they should be going outside through the night if they need to toilet.

We had our puppy sleep in his crate in the kitchen from the first night. The first night he wasn’t keen and I was up and down to him but the second night he was quite happy and slept through the night. He had one of my worn PJ tops (that he still has not for cuddling) and sleep music on. He doesn’t bother with the sleep music now though but he’s a great sleeper.

Keep an open mind about it and see how your pup is. Ours slept soundly on his own from night 1, we couldn't believe our luck! We'd planned on letting him out during the night to toilet but didn't want to disrupt everyone's sleep so we set him up in a pen with his bed one end and puppy pads the other. As he got older he just stopped needing to use them. Good luck.

I couldn't leave a new pup downstairs on their own, just feels so cruel. Ours has always slept in a crate next to our bed. I can hear when he needs a wee or poo and can jump up quickly. Lots of accidents for first few weeks during the night so keep them near I say.

Ours has slept in crate from day 1. We never slept downstairs with her. Settled really quickly and doesn’t need toilet during night - I suspect we’ve been really lucky. We’ve had one night with a bit of barking - until we realised cuddly giraffe was not in her crate. I really like having upstairs as dog free zone.

Put him where he was to sleep from day 1 and left until 7am. No problems

If you’re on FB look at Dog training advice and support. They have great advice on settling a new pup. Start with them where you want them to sleep. Mine never slept upstairs. Near the door to the garden is best for night time wee visits.
Also be flexible. My first needed me sleeping by her. My second couldn’t have cared less!

I’m another one who says try it & see. Our last dog slept in with us from the age of 2 because she developed epilepsy. New puppy slept through in the kitchen from night one. She’s had a bed in her crate but door open (& bottom end of the kitchen penned off) for 2 months. She’s been having a wee every other night throughout. We’re now having a new kitchen put in & I’ve had to crate her with the door shut in the living room. She’s slept without issue and without accidents.

Thanks all for sharing experiences. Still not sure what to do but thinking crate by my bed. He arrives Friday

We had our pup next to our bed then gradually moved the crate out of the room. Took about 3 weeks to move it out. We just inched it out bit by bit.

Now he sleeps in our office. Never had any issues.

It meant we got sleep but able to hear when he woke to take him outside.

Would take this approach again if we ever have another puppy.

I put pup in crate in kitchen and came down when he cried

He cried once in the first night, and one more time the next night and that was that. But maybe it helped that our older dog (same breed) was asleep in basket closet to crate.

A different experience from me. I'm a first time dog owner and my puppy is now 9 months old and sleeps really well. My comfy bed and my sleep are very important to me so, having read all the advice on the Dog Training and Advice Facebook group, I decided to have the puppy in the bedroom to try and ensure maximum sleep for both of us.

At first his bed was on my bedside table (right next to my head!) so that I could easily reach a reassuring hand in. I took him out to the garden twice on the first night and once on the second night, then he slept soundly from 10pm to about 6.30am from the third night onwards.

We moved his bed to the floor when he got too big for the bedside table, but we have a sofa at the foot of the bed, so it is easy for him to jump up and get to me if he needs to. He generally spends all night sleeping on the bedroom floor or sofa and then gets on the bed when the alarm clock goes off.

Apart from the first 2 nights (and a couple of 5am wake ups in the hot weather) we have both slept soundly every night. I think that being together at night has also made it easier for me to leave him during the day; he has access to me 24/7, so if I pop out for one or two hours during the day he is fine with that.

I know that sharing a bedroom with a dog is not to everyone's taste (and if I had younger children who might need me in the night I probably wouldn't fancy it either) but it's worked really well for us.

Good luck with your puppy.

The first few nights our dog was in a crate next to the sofa and I slept on the sofa. Each night I moved the crate further away. I think it took about two weeks for her to be downstairs alone. Once she started sleeping downstairs alone I put her crate (with the door open) in the playpen (with the door closed) with some water and a toilet area.

@QueenOfToast I think that being together at night has also made it easier for me to leave him during the day; he has access to me 24/7, so if I pop out for one or two hours during the day he is fine with that.

Interesting, cos I've always said I think the fact my dog is used to sleeping alone made it easier for me to leave her. Maybe there's no link at all