New puppy

[buntybanana]

We're picking up our new puppy in a few days and I'm a first time dog owner (have always had cats before). The 12 week puppy currently sleeps in the human bed with his doggo parents and his human parents, but we'd like to have him sleeping in his basket downstairs. Is this going to be super difficult at first and does anyone have any tips for the transition? I imagine he's going to find it stressful at first being away from everyone he knows. A friend suggested I sleep downstairs next to his basket for a few nights? Thanks for advice!

There’s some pretty extreme advice on here @buntybanana. I’m sure you’ll find your own way of caring for your new puppy. Rest assured, if you are kind and consistent with your puppy, you’ll be fine. Deciding from the start how you want to live your lives with a dog is important but then you all need to be consistent. Your dog needs to know clearly what your rules are. Having said that, I would never leave a distressed puppy crying for hours on end but it’s entirely normal for a puppy to cry a bit when you first bring them home.

We’ve never had dogs in bed with us, I don’t want my bed full of dog fur and smelly but that’s just me. I’m part of a big group of dog lovers and crate training is the norm.

Good luck and enjoy.

Don’t panic if he cries and don’t think you’re set forever if you sleep with him for reassurance. Some puppies settle but some do not. I’ve had dogs who go to bed the first night in a new home with barely a whimper. My current dog did not. He could scream and cry non stop for hours. I didn’t want him in my bed, I’ve never had a dog in my bed. I slept downstairs with him for around 5 nights. People worried me by saying he’d get too used to having me there but by the time he was a week old, he settled into his bed and I went upstairs to mine. I’m glad I didn’t listen to the advice of let him cry because he was a crying machine! I have a very happy and secure dog with no separation anxiety. No harm came to either us by me sleeping on the sofa for a few nights minus a bit of backache.

Enjoy your gorgeous pup. Trust your instincts.