Bringing home a puppy is similar to bringing home a newborn; an uninterrupted night of sleep will not be yours for a while.
The following tips address how to get puppy to sleep through the night.
Tip #1
Take up the food and water bowls two to three hours before his scheduled bedtime.
Tip #2
After dinner, many puppies take a lengthy nap. Instead of letting puppy sleep for hours, let him sleep for 30 minutes then wake him up and keep him up. If puppy is coming off of a two to three hour post dinner nap, he is not going to sleep through the night.
Tip #3 If you do nothing else, do this!
Your puppy has just left his mother and siblings for the first time so you can understand why he may be scared when he wakes up and finds himself all alone. To get puppy to sleep through the night, place a GIANT stuffed animal in the crate can create immediate comfort. Ideally, the size is large enough for puppy to snuggle under or on top of, mimicking mom and the “puppy pile” he naturally equates with safety and warmth.
Tip #4
If puppy came from a breeder, he or she may have provided you with a toy or piece of cloth that was rubbed on the mother and littermates. Placing this item in the crate will help your puppy feel more comfortable. If your puppy did not come with such an item, place a T-shirt you have worn but not washed in the crate so that puppy has your scent.
Tip #5
Dogs are pack animals and in the wild, the pack sleeps together. A puppy coming home for the first time will typically sleep longer if his crate is in a location where he can see or smell you when he wakes up.