Where Should My Puppy Sleep the First Night? Helpful Tips

The first night with your new puppy can be a little daunting. In this blog post, we will explore where to put your pup on the first night and how to make it as easy as possible for you both. There are many considerations – whether they should sleep in their bed or yours, if they should sleep in the same room as you or not. These tips will help ensure that things go smoothly! So, where should my puppy sleep the first night?

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My little Shih Tzu

It’s just a little after 11 PM, and I am in the living room watching TV. My little new puppy is curled up on my feet, sleeping. His tail wags now and then, from whimpering to dreaming about his first day at home.

I know he misses his mommy, but we are here for him now, so he doesn’t have to worry about anything anymore.

I can see out of the corner of my eye that he is stirring again, maybe tossing a toy around in one of his paws or chasing something in another dream adventure. Does he probably need some fresh air or perhaps another round with the chew-toys before bedtime?

From what they said at the store, this might be his first night-time without mom.

It was definitely exciting and fun. Thunder, my little Shih Tzu, was so small. I couldn’t believe how tiny he was, but it made me want to scoop him up and cuddle with him all night long.

Then I started wondering where should my puppy sleep the first night?

That was 12 years ago.

These are the best tips I’ve found from my experience of where your pup should sleep for the first few nights they arrive home.

First night with your puppy

New Environment.

For the pup, this night is full of newness. It has never been away from its mother before; it will be sleeping in a new place with unfamiliar people and can smell all sorts of unique scents.

With so much to take in at first, it must be quite an overwhelming experience.

The first night or two can be pretty tricky because there’s a lot of adjustment and room for mistakes.

To help your pup adjust, give her time to get used to their new surroundings and learn that they are not alone.

All puppies deal with some degree of separation anxiety, which is why it’s essential to change their sleeping arrangements after a few days.

Remember, though, that we transition pups over into another environment so that they can stop being anxious about not being in the same room as us.

For him/her not to feel anxious about being left alone outside his/her pen at night while you’re asleep, he needs a sense of security – this comes from where he sleeps during those first couple of weeks.

Sleep Arrangement: Where Should My Puppy Sleep The First Night?

There are various ways to help your pup feel safe at night – one of these is a crate where they will be comfortable and secure, especially for those dogs who have been sleeping on their own up until this point.

To prepare your puppy, keep in mind some extra considerations such as where it should sleep and whether you’re able to sleep soundly, knowing that your pup will feel lonely.

A few hours before bedtime, get the pup exhausted by playing for an extended time. You don’t want to let your pup nap at this point, as it will be fully awake and ready to play when you’re trying to sleep.

Remove any food or water after 7 pm and give the pup lots of praise once it does its business outside.

For about three weeks, have the puppy sleep in a dog crate next to the bed. Line the base with blankets to cozy and drape another blanket over the top to help it feel more secure. 

You can also provide a dog bed for the crate, which will make your pup feel cozy and secure while she sleeps.

If your puppy whines or cries, take it on a leash outside to do its business and then put it back into the crate.

You can offer just water when you return but do not give any treats or playtime. Your goal is to train your pup(link) so that nighttime is sleep time and not a time for playing or cuddles.

Keep your puppy off your bed.

To ensure your pup sleeps in the right place, don’t allow them to spend the night in your bed. Teach them what they need and want by placing their bed next to yours or other places that might be favorable.

New puppy owners often experience a lack of sleep initially as their pup adjusts to their new surroundings and learns how to be comfortable in the crate.

Make sure to give your puppy plenty of exercise before bedtime, so he/she doesn’t have energy left over when trying to sleep or rest in his crate. A tired pup will fall asleep more quickly than an active one!

The only way you can survive is with patience, training, and understanding that this is just a phase.

Please do not give the puppy attention when it whines, cries, barks, or howls at night because that is all it will know how to do.

Meanwhile, keep your puppy training consistent. Patience is vital during these times.

Related Read: Brain Training For Puppies

How do you calm a puppy down the first night?

The first night with your new puppy is crucial. There are many things to consider, where they will be sleeping and how you can calm them down for the night.

One of the essential parts of training a pup during its first few nights at home is settling it into an area where it feels safe before bedtime so that when nighttime rolls around, your furry friend should already be fast asleep in his designated spot.

– You’ll want to make sure there’s not too much going on or anything stressful happening right before bedtime. This could cause your pup some anxiety which typically leads to restless sleep all night long – waking up every hour because he never got enough rest!

– Generally speaking, if you’re planning on crating your puppy when they’re sleeping, You should place the crate in your bedroom. This will make them feel like a part of the family and not so alone when you’re asleep or away from home during the day – also; it’ll help them learn where their bed is for future nights!

-Once your pup builds up the courage to explore his surroundings, it’s time to move him into a designated room. However, it would help if you always kept the crate nearby for those tough nights.

Covering the dog crate with a blanket will help provide just enough reassurance to ensure he doesn’t forget that he has somewhere safe to go whenever there’s an unpleasant noise or feeling in the air.

– If you have no intention of using a crate, place a dog bed near your mattress with just enough room to ensure that there’s still plenty of space around him/her.

– Don’t let any other distractions get in her way before bedtime, as this could lead to restlessness throughout sleep time.

When should a puppy sleep out of the crate?

Puppies should be out of the crate by 12 weeks old. Puppies that are not used to being crated can develop aggressive behaviors such as chewing or barking at people and other animals when they come into their space.

If you let your puppy sleep on a couch, bed, where ever you want them to sleep for their first night, it will reinforce this behavior, so we never recommend doing this.

Usually, puppies do great with crates so long as they have enough room inside the crate for themselves, plus some toys to keep them entertained while alone.

Many dogs need more than two inches from side to side before lying down if they are free-roaming.

Should I lock my puppy in his crate at night?

We recommend you leave the crate open at night and place food or water in it. Make sure never to lock your puppy in his crate while he is sleeping- this will cause him to be highly anxious.

Puppies should not associate the crate with punishment. It should be a safe place where your pup can get some rest while you’re not home to monitor him.

Put the crate somewhere quiet or where your pup doesn’t have to see other dogs (if you have more than one) when he’s in his crate.

In some cases, owners will put a blanket over their puppy’s crate to create more of a den-like space for them.

Final Words: Where Should My Puppy Sleep The First Night?

Your first night with your new puppy can be a little daunting, but don’t worry! We’ve got some tips for you. Whether they should sleep in their bed or yours is up to you and what feels comfortable, but these tips will help ensure that things go smoothly.

You might want to put them on the ground until they are ready to climb into their bed, as well as keep any toys out of reach so they’re not tempted by anything while sleeping. Plus, make sure there’s plenty of water available for them because puppies drink A LOT!

Anything to add to our list of tips from above – anything that might be helpful if someone else is asking: Where should my puppy sleep the first night?!.

What was your first night with your puppy like? Let us know how it went in the comments below!