- Young puppies should sleep in your bedroom but not on or in your bed for safety’s sake.
- It is kinder to have them in your room where they will still be able to hear and smell you and won’t feel so lonely.
- They are part of the family so will be happier to be near you.
A puppy shouldn’t sleep on top of your bed until they are bigger, so that they are not so vulnerable to hurting themselves if they fall off the bed or are at risk of suffocating during the night.
Having said that, a new puppy will feel safer and will settle into their first few nights away from their mother dog if you are nearby.
Having their doggy bed on the floor beside your bed means you can reach down and comfort them when they whimper.
It takes a puppy a few days or at least a couple of weeks to come to terms that they are sleeping alone and to adjust to life without their mom and siblings.
Having them near you at night can help ease their fears and help them to settle for sleep.
Your Puppy will Love Sleeping in Your Bedroom
The 10 reasons why it is a good to have your puppy sleep in your bedroom:
- They feel your presence even in the darkest night and know that you are nearby to protect them.
- If you have their bed or crate on the floor beside your bed, they can hear and smell you so they won’t feel so lonely.
- A puppy learns discipline knowing that they can sleep in your room, just not in your bed … for now.
- A puppy in a room by itself may start to whine and bark for you, which becomes a hard habit to break, and no one gets any sleep. By having them in your room, the moment they cry you can reach down and comfort them, which prevents the whining at night habit from forming.
- You can put a kiddie fence up at the door to prevent them from wandering at night and getting into things that may hurt them, such as falling down the stairs or chewing on electrical cords. With them confined to your room, you know they are safe when you are sleeping.
- They can let you know if they need to go to the toilet at night, which avoids mistakes. An impromptu toilet break at 2 am is better than stepping out of your bed into a puddle of pee or worse.
- If it is a stormy night, your young pup will feel safe with you nearby.
- It helps a young dog to get into a routine going to bed and knowing when to get up to play.
- When they are big enough (approx. between 9 months and a year old), you may let them on the bed, but that is a personal choice. Your puppy will love just being part of the family and being allowed to sleep in your room where they feel protected and safe.
- Sleeping in your bedroom will delight your little puppy, comfort both of you, and will enhance the dog/owner bond.
Having a Pre Bedtime Routine Works
Get into a routine to prepare your puppy for bed. Try to keep them busy through the day, and early evening, so that as nighttime approaches, they are more than willing to crash into sleep. As the magic hour approaches, slow down the activities so that the atmosphere is calm and relaxing.
Try to get them to go to the toilet 30 minutes or so before bedtime.
Try playing soothing sounds and keep your voice low and soft.
Give your puppy one of your teeshirts so they can cuddle up to your scent. It will help them to have something familiar to identify with and ease into their new home.
A deep soft bed, a cuddly toy, plus a small treat before bed to settle their tummy ensures all their needs have been met.
A young puppy will be exhausted at the end of the day and may fall asleep on your knee. Just quietly and gently carry them to their bed and tuck them in with their toys and teeshirt, and they should just keep on sleeping.
The Snuggle Puppy toY on Amazon is a large soft stuffed toy dog with an insert of a heartbeat that has proven to be popular with puppies. It is very helpful for young puppies as they adjust to life.
Puppies have been used to sleeping in a pile with their siblings under the watchful gaze of their mom. The beating heart provides comfort and reassurance.
Later when they are one year or older, if you want to move them into a new room, do it in small stages and give them time to adjust.
Some owners like to crate their dogs at night, especially when they have learned to hold their pee longer (after the first year), so you don’t have any issues with their toileting habits.
Don’t Have your Puppy In or On Your Bed
Puppies are so cute, and it’s tempting to have them in bed with you. But this isn’t always the best option, especially when they are young.
A puppy is a snuggle bug, and they will not just sleep on the end of the bed, they will want to burrow in with you.
The reason they should not sleep on your bed is because of safety concerns. A young puppy could hurt itself by attempting to jump off your bed. They have no fear, and will just leap off regardless of where they will land. Many pups have damaged their limbs from doing this.
A tiny puppy could also get squashed between you and your partner, or get lost under the blankets and not be able to find its way out. They don’t have the strength of an older dog.
Another reason is the size of your puppy’s bladder. It takes a while for a puppy to learn to control its bladder (usually about 12 months old), and mistakes will happen.
Puppies are small, so it makes sense that their bladders are small as well. It is only after a year old that they will have full control over their fully developed bladder. Changing your bed at 2 am is not that much fun.
A puppy can sleep in a soft dog bed on the floor beside you, and in the morning you can have a little snuggle if you want. But be sure to lift them off the bed when you get up.
As for letting them fall asleep on your lap, it is hard to resist. But you don’t want them to be dependent on you to fall asleep. Once in a while is fun, but leave your puppy undisturbed so that they can get the deep sleep they need.
Tough Love Doesn’t Work with a Puppy
Many people recommend tough love – a puppy has to learn and obey right?
You can put your puppy in a room in another area of the house, shut the door, and walk away. But most will immediately cry their heart out, so no one will get a good night’s sleep, and you may have your neighbors knocking on your door accusing you of neglect!!
Your young puppy can develop separation anxiety and start howling any time you step out your front door. Does that sound like fun to you?
If you want to raise a confident dog, you have to look at things from their point of view. Before you came along, they were happy and playing with half a dozen siblings, and cuddling up to their mom during the day and the darkest night.
The next minute they are whisked away by a stranger, and they never see mom again. They are on their own, and nighttime is particularly scary as there is no one to comfort them, not even their annoying siblings.
There is nothing familiar to this new home, and even though the people seem nice, your puppy won’t understand why you suddenly disappear and leave them alone at nighttime. They want to be with you, not alone in this scary house.
That is why I believe it is kinder to make them a part of your family by letting them sleep in their bed in your room, preferably within arm’s length so you can comfort them.
They will adjust quickly to their new life, be happy and settle into your life a lot quicker than trying tough love.
You can avoid a lot of behavioral problems by allowing your little puppy to sleep in your room, which will produce a happy confident pooch.
Quite frankly, I think it is well worth letting them sleep in your room than banishing them to the ends of the earth … figuratively speaking.
They Can Sleep in Other Rooms During the Day
While your puppy will love sleeping in your bedroom as part of your family at night, during the day they would rather sleep close to you, such as in the kitchen, lounge area, or the office if you work from home.
The reason is that dogs just love being with their people – especially a young puppy.
They will follow you around the house, out into the yard, hop in the car if you let them, and will accompany you into the toilet much to your embarrassment.
They love being with you.
That is why one bed is not enough for a puppy. You need a bed in your bedroom for the night, but another one in the lounge, kitchen, or on the patio close to you will be appreciated by your pooch.
Puppies sleep a lot when they are young. Although they are little bundles of energy, they usually need to sleep for 18 – 20 hours per day. That may seem a long time but your puppy needs their sleep for healthy growth.
When they are only a few weeks old, they are going through a lot of growing phases. While one minute they can be a miniature tornado, the next minute they can fall asleep while walking up the steps.
Life is so exciting to a puppy, and they don’t pay attention to their body clock that warns them that they need to sleep. Hence they can be running one minute and asleep almost in mid-stride the next.
Having a few puppy beds scattered around the home means you can scoop them up and put them into their bed until they recharge. And having them sleep nearby during the day means you can keep an eye on what they get up to.
Good Practices Brings Better Sleep Habits
A tiny puppy is hard to resist giving in to, but putting good bedtime practices in place right from the start will avoid a lot of behavioral issues later.
Allowing your puppy to sleep in your bedroom but not In your bed (for the start) will give them a sense of security, and it beats listening to them howl for weeks on end as they adjust.
For the young puppy separated from their mom and siblings, to be then expected to adjust to sleeping alone in a room away from the family can make a young dog anxious and suffer from separation anxiety as they grow up.
Many habits such as anxiety take a lot of patience and training to overcome.
It is easy to avoid the behavior from developing. A dog who has confidence rarely suffers separation anxiety. They will usually go to sleep until you arrive back from the shops, and they will be bouncing with happiness to help you put away the groceries.
Raising a healthy, happy, boisterous pup will make your life full of joy and fun. You just never know what that little mutt will get up to next.
And that is why canines are so much fun to live with!
Writer: Jean Brewer
