Part of the fun of getting a new puppy is their seemingly boundless energy. Playing games with your puppy is a great way to spend the day, especially if you have children. Unfortunately, all this energy can cause problems at bedtime. New puppies often struggle to sleep and a restless puppy can keep the whole family awake, not to mention the neighbours. Luckily, there are a few simple steps that you can take to help your puppy get a good night’s sleep.
1. Give your puppy plenty of exercise
This may seem obvious, but exercise is the best way to tire out your puppy. Frequent walks and games of fetch will ensure that your puppy is exhausted when bedtime arrives. Playing with your puppy in the early days is also important for bonding and helping it to develop skills. As your puppy gets older, more and more exercise will be needed to tire it out.
2. Let your puppy chew on something
Dogs find chewing to be very calming, so letting your puppy chew on something is a great way to help it fall asleep. Keep a bone or chew toy near your puppy’s bed for nighttime gnawing. Remember to avoid squeaky chew toys if you don’t want to be up all night!
3. Keep a calm bedtime routine
Exercise throughout the day is great for tiring out your puppy, but you should try to cease all stimulating activity at least half an hour before bed. Games like fetch and tug will make your puppy too excited to sleep, so reserve them for the daytime. Puppies find a routine to be soothing, so try to put them to bed at the same time every night.
4. Call in the dog training experts
Most puppies will learn to sleep through the night by the time they are three or four months old. However, if your dog has persistent sleep problems, you may wish to get some outside help. Our residential dog training courses can help with all sorts of behavioural issues for puppies or even adult protection dogs alike. Get in touch today for more details or check our protection dogs for sale.
