# Another puppy question, sleeping arrangements



## Toast (9 September 2012)

Sorry, another puppy question, I'm a first time puppy owner so bare with me. 
When pup comes home I don't want to have her sleep downstairs the first week, I think its a bit harsh to pluck her from her siblings and expect her to sleep in her crate downstairs on her own. Though this is where she will eventually sleep. 
Should I put the crate in our room or the first few nights? Or am I being soft?


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## Suelin (9 September 2012)

If she were mine I would let her sleep where is going to sleep forever.  Less confusion.  See if you can let the breeder have an old bit of blanket for them all to sleep on before you bring her home and put that in her bed with her, so that she still has the smell of her mum and siblings.  A teddy or similar to cuddle up with is sometimes helpful too.  If she cries don't rush to her or she will learn that is the way to get your attention, which you may regret later.  A bit like human babies, if they are warm, well fed, winded, dry and clean, let them cry it generally does no harm and they soon drift off to sleep.  It's like all animals, they thrive on routine, so sort yours and stick with it as far as possible and puppy will very quickly catch on.

Very exciting for you I bet you can't wait!


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## Havannah (9 September 2012)

Congrats on your new puppy - life will never be the same but you'll soon wonder how you've lived without a dog for so long!

Sleeping arrangements for a new pup are one of the major concerns for new owners. Personally I have never had a pup sleep upstairs in my bedroom, whether they've been one I've bred or one I've bought. However, many well known and reputable breeders recommend having the pup in your bedroom.

There really is no right or wrong answer, it depends upon you, your household and the pup. My advice would be to start your puppy off downstairs and see how you get on. Don't expect a trouble-free first few nights but do try and persevere. Ask your pup's breeder for a piece of bedding that your pup and it's mum and litter mates have used. I ask my new puppy owners to bring me a towel/blanket and a toy when they come to make their visits and I then send these home with the pups.

Try covering one end of the crate with a blanket as this will make it cosier and more den-like and should make your pup feel safer. Give him/her some snuggly bedding (vet bed is fantastic) and a couple of cuddly toys (minus button eyes and noses etc) to snuggle upto. You can leave a night light on and even the radio on low if you wish.

Also, you should be giving your pup 4 meals a day so make the supper meal as late as possible before bedtime - puppies always feel sleepy with a full tummy. The last feed for my latest litter was 10-10.30pm then it was outside for a wee and then time for bed within 10-15mins.

Good luck and keep us posted as to how you get on


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## horsemadelsie (9 September 2012)

Our first pup was on her own in a cage downstairs, she cried for quite a few nights, until after her 1st jab (the vets said it would make her sleepy) and we never heard a peep out of her since. She's now nearly 4 and sleeps in my bed  she was only allowed out the cage at night when she was 100% house trained and wasn't chewing things she shouldn't!
Our new puppy sleeps in the cage downstairs but unfortunately due to re-building the house my bed is also downstairs, so he sleeps by my feet. He still cried for a good few nights and still does occasionally and I'm dreading what to do when my bed goes back upstairs as I think he'll cry all over again on his own, but he still has trouble keeping his legs crossed and wets himself a little on his way outside in the mornings, and I don't want this on my new carpet!
All in all I think I prefer them sleeping on their own from night one- start as you mean to go on. Thats just my opinion though, it is really only a decision you can make.


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## Vicstress (9 September 2012)

Personally think its positive better to have pup wherever they'll sleep full time. You may get a night of whingeing but i made a massive mistake letting arch sleep in my room first few night!

Don't create a rod for your own back.....consistentcy is the key and kinder for a confused pup long term.

Enjoy!


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## galaxy (9 September 2012)

We let H sleep in his crate at the base of our bed for the first 4 nights or so.  However we made NO fuss of him in there, didn't talk to him or anything.  When he woke up we took him outside, no fuss, for toilet, then he was put back in and ignored.  We did it so he learnt that night times are for sleeping.

We then put the crate downstairs and we had no issues at all.  Would do it again.


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## PorkChop (9 September 2012)

I've always kept puppies downstairs from day one, because that's what suits me.  If that's where she will eventually sleep you are best starting as you mean to go on.  Yes, more than likely she will whine for a few nights, but she soon realise you mean business and settle down.  Whether you use a crate or not is up to you, good luck, oh and photo's please


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## Toast (9 September 2012)

Thanks everyone!! Sorry I must sound like a right numpty, but everyone has to start somewhere!! OH has had a puppy before but when he was a lot younger so he knows what he's doing to a small extent!! Ok so crate downstairs, start as we mean to go on, and man up when she cries.
More questions now sorry!!
If she's settled down properly and put to bed should she sleep through? Obviously I know she's going to cry for the first few nights but when she's settled?
Should I aim to come down once and take her for a wee in the night?
At what point should I start cutting down to three feeds daily? 
When do I cut it down to two?

I have bought her both a blanket and a teddy so may take the teddy to the breeder and leave there until we pick her up. 
Thanks for all the brill advice!


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## Suzie86 (9 September 2012)

We left olly in his crate downstairs for the first night and he did cry twice, we tried to ignore it but it got a bit loud and we were worried about the neighbours so just went and let him see us but no fuss. He has never cried over night since that first night


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## vieshot (9 September 2012)

I personally wouldn't leave a puppy crated all night downstairs. If you don't want the puppy in your room then he needs to be able to get out of his crate to go to the toilet. He should not be made to toilet in his crate.

I personally have the crate next to my bed for the first few weeks. This means that when puppy wakes in the middle of the night needing the toilet then you can take him outside then when hes been put him back in his crate. It helps hugely with the toilet training process - after all, you dont want to teach puppy that in the night time hes allowed to go in the house! Ive used this method with my last two puppies and both were completely house broken within 4-5 days, with help from the dog flap so they learnt to take themselves out in the day time.

I can understand peoples views on getting straight into their routine and tough love etc but for me I cant bring myself to leave a baby on its own having only just been pulled from the litter. Not that those people who choose to do it that way are wrong, just not the method for me.


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## Booboos (9 September 2012)

If you do want to leave her in a crate overnight it's a bit difficult to do before the puppy is crate trained. It's a bit of chicken and egg: on the one hand you want to introduce the puppy to the crate gradually and voluntarily, on the other you need them to spent the night in there. If you do leave her in the crate personally I think you need to respond when she needs toilet (telling one kind of crying from another can be difficult though). If you think she needs toilet, do not talk to her, take her outside, wait for her to go toilet and then return to the crate. With some puppies you may find that they can only manage 5-6 hours in the crate before they are bursting with energy! Of course others sleep straight through with no issues!

Having said all that, mine all sleep on the bed. I don't leave babies to cry and I don't leave puppies to cry, but like parenting there are many different methods out there.


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## Twizzel (9 September 2012)

Our pup spent the night in her crate from day 1, put her to bed at 11pm and up again at 5.30-6 (OH has to be at work for 7 so is the first one up) and she was great, cried for 5 minutes the first night at about 4am but settled quickly, she didn't wee in her crate at all. She loved her crate. OH's step sister was still up with her puppy during the night 8 months in because every time it cried she went in and fussed it, whereas ours has always been put to bed in the kitchen and not fussed. 

Never went to sleep in the bedroom although our house is upside down so just across the hall from the kitchen so we can hear her if needs be.


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## CAYLA (9 September 2012)

I am not a softie as such ands all pups that come in here (alot) remain in their crates downstairs, however I understand due to varied circumstance not everyone can do this (if you have paper thin walls) and are worried about neighbours complaining then upstairs for a week is no huge deal (along as) the crate you use has the same bed/is completely covered and the feeding rrotuine is exactly the same when the crate goes down stairs on day 5 or 7, in effect the puppy does not know what room it's been left in as it blacked out, just as it was upstairs.
As suggested vet bed/and extra blanket to snuggle and teddy bear equal to pups size (no treats left for bed) but definately dueing the day when time is spent in the crate as positive association.
A huge mistake for example would be to allow a pup to have the freedom of the whole bedroom or on your bed then because it wakes and wees on the floor each night you think "it will have to go downstairs now" and downstairs then looks nothing like upstairs either using a crate or leaving the pup in the kitchen (it's to much and the pup will kick u a fuss).
It's the familiarity and routine that is important, so covered crate upstairs versus covered crate down is no difference to a puppy.

It's important to get the puppy in the crate during the day on it's first day home let alone just bed time. you need to spend the day feeding and tiring pup out and frequently placing it in the place with a positive (kong) chewy bar each time it goes in and cover it and encourage quiet time throughtout day one, this already gets pup accustomed for bed time.
Also travelling the pup home in a crate/large cat carrier again is a good start.
The large cat carrier could actually be used for upstairs bed time for the first week if you choose, saves you humping the crate up stairs and you can use the cat carRier for all car journeys. Aslong as you cover them both its basically the same thing.
So, it's up to you!
Also I prefer to randomly let pups to the toilet in the first few weeks rather than listen for a cry (each to their own) someone times as booboos suggests it can make the pup belive cry= (out of crate. So I get up and plonk pup on lawn and asoon as motions are passed straight back to crate (cover over) and back to bed.
Vet bed as suggested is good for early stage accident s over night, easy to wash and replace with a new sheet.
I would also say I recommend the last meal cut off is 6pm as I actusally dont lime late feeding for the simple reason the puppy then needs to pass all that food and so = alot more toileting over night, and is not great in the toilet training stages.


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## springtime13 (9 September 2012)

Our new (ish) puppy who is now 4 months old, still sleeps in her crate by our bed. She is a very useful alarm clock as she likes to be fed at 7am on the dot  . The rest of the time she alongside the others, is not allowed upstairs at all. We've never bothered with a crate downstairs, dogs have kitchen, dining room and dog flap. She house trained very easily using this method and only woke us up a couple of times to go outside in the night. I think she'll soon want to sleep downstairs with the older dogs. I personally wouldn't  leave a pup downstairs all alone, maybe out of a crate and snuggled with  another dog.


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## Booboos (9 September 2012)

One other thought: in general crate trained dogs find it very easy to settle when their crate is placed in another room/house, so you may find that it's not that much of a problem to change the room the puppy sleeps in later on as long as she is confident in her crate.


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## Toast (9 September 2012)

Wonderful, Thankyou for everyone's advice


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