If after transitioning them to the bed and your pup begins to misbehave, starts having more potty accidents, or is showing signs of separation anxiety, it just means your pup wasn’t quite ready yet for this transition and needs more structured sleeping time in the crate at night. Don’t make this transition to the bed too early on either! If you’re not quite sure if your pup is ready yet, give them more time. It’s more difficult to go back to using the crate overnight once they’ve started joining you in bed!
Young puppies can’t hold their potty for very long so the probability of them having an accident while sleeping in bed with you are pretty high! In our blog “Potty Training Your Puppy: Tips for New Owners!” learn how to set up a potty schedule for your puppy and our steps to fast track their potty training!
Right now what your puppy needs most from you is structure to start understanding their role at home and developing good lasting behaviors. Where your puppy sleeps is part of building a daily routine and if you feel like you are isolating or neglecting your puppy by letting them sleep alone in their crate, don’t! The confidence and resilience they will develop can transfer into other areas of their life and help them become far more well-rounded adult dogs. Remember: more structure now means more freedom later.
Yes! Many owners love the comfort of having their pups in bed with them, and if this is a goal of yours too, we want to help you get there! We recommend crate training for the first 1-2 years of their life to provide structure in your pup’s daily life while building their confidence, independence, and overall good manners. Giving your puppy the freedom to join you in bed is a privilege that should be earned through good behavior and age.
Allowing your pup in the bed with you at a young age can be a gateway into them exhibiting more demanding and unwanted behaviors. If youre noticing more barking, jumping nipping and general not listening, it is common for this to all stem from the lack of boundaries and structure, especially at nighttime.
Where Should My Puppy Sleep at Night?
Instead of letting your puppy sleep in your bed at night, you can consider putting them in a crate, tethering them, or keeping them in a designated room. All three of these options will prevent your puppy from sleeping in your bed, while allowing enough variation that you can find the choice best for your puppy.
One of the most common places for new puppies to sleep at night is in a crate or kennel. Not only is this option ideal for house training (puppies don’t usually like to pee in the same place they sleep, especially when it’s not excessively large), but it sets your dog up for a lifetime of success.
Puppies that have been trained to be comfortable in a crate or kennel are often able to participate in a lot more activities than dogs who aren’t. Dog daycares often use crates or kennels for nap-time and is the perfect way to contain your puppy while visiting a new place. A stay at the vet clinic in the kennel will be much less scary, too!
The best way to get your puppy used to the crate is to put them in when they’re already tired (such as naps during the day, or overnight) and leave them with something to safely chew on to keep them from being bored.
This is a good video on the correct way to introduce crates to puppies.
Besides crating, tethering at night can be a great way to limit your puppy’s ability to roam without confining them. This option is usually the best choice for puppies that are working through a fear of a crate. This occurs when crate training hasn’t been properly introduced to them.
Tethering involves putting your puppy on a leash or other form of tether and attaching them to something, usually a piece of furniture, to limit their range. The best tethers are ones that won’t easily be chewed.
The best place to tether your puppy depends on the set up of your room and your puppy’s size. If your puppy is too short to jump into your bed, tethering them to the bed itself can be a great option. The biggest concern when tethering is making sure that you are near your puppy in case of emergency (or in case they need to go outside for a bathroom break).
Another common option is to give your puppy their own room. If you have the space, your puppy can spend time playing in their room that has been extra puppy-proofed and which can also act as their bedroom for sleeping.
However, not all houses allow for a designated dog room and it isn’t the best option for potty training puppies either. Too much space allows the puppy to potty in one corner and sleep in another, and can put a damper on your potty training.
It’s also important to choose the right bed for your puppy and we cover that in this post here.