How to calm a puppy at night
Puppies are always so active throughout the day and this may also happen during the night. They may be jumping up and down running all over the house yet you are so tired after a long day and the only thing you want is rest and a peaceful quiet night. So if you have a hyperactive puppy like mine you’ll need to read through this article and I assure you that you will get some good information to help you and your pup.
However, puppies can not only be stubborn at night because of their active nature, for them not settling at night may be caused by different things. Most common is when a puppy is still new in a home, they tend to feel insecure, anxious, and even lonely. This happened to me for a while when I got my puppy home, my puppy could bark almost the whole night crying which made me so worried and stressed but after some time he just got used to the home and the crying was not there anymore. I think you’ve also gone through this with your new puppy (its normal).
Calming down a puppy at night may not be easy so you’ll need to use some techniques against your puppy for it to settle.
Here are some of the things you may do to calm your puppy at night:
1. Get your puppy chew toys
Chew toys are one of the best things to calm your puppy at night. So, if you don’t have any you need to get one for your puppy. Chewing is known to be calming and relaxing to puppies or rather dogs. Therefore, whenever you notice the hyper or unsettled behaviour from your bestie, just get this chewing toy and give it to your puppy and you’ll see that the puppy will settle and all its concentration will be on the chewing toy. This is a good distraction for an unsettled puppy.
2. Turn on a calming music
This works for some puppies, not all. For puppies that may feel unsafe or anxious, this can be helpful. Many dogs feel unsecured whenever it’s raining and they hear thunderstorms from outside, some may start barking or even running up and down in the house because they are not settled due to the thunderstorms. Playing some soft cool music may help cover up the terrifying sounds and calm their nerves.
3. Create a routine for your pup
Having a routine for your baby dog will help in this so much. Have a schedule from morning to evening and make sure your pup follows it every other day. With this, your pup will be able to differentiate or know when to play, when to eat and when to settle, and I assure you that your nights will never be the same again. Having a routine for my young dog really helped because nowadays I don’t have to chase after my pup for it to climb up its bed and sleep. The puppy knows that there’s time for everything.
4. Give your puppy training to help him settle
Training is good even in human beings, for you to be good at something you need to be trained. Give your puppy some training on the ‘settle’ command and with time he will adapt to it. Try and reward the calm behaviour and you will never be disappointed once you Instill these good values into your puppy’s mind. Teach him on answering to commands and once you tell him to go to bed and command him to settle he will surely do that.
5. Get good cozy beds or crates
Puppies are more or less the same as small babies. Some babies will need some warm cuddle from their mums before they fall asleep, whereas some may just need a comfortable baby cot and they are good to go. This will even help remove that separation anxiety from your new puppy at home. Get a comfortable bed that will make the pup feel safe in the new home if you want a crate for your puppy, make it cozy too. You can use a blanket or a smooth towel for the floor of the crate then throw in a small puffed or stuffed animal your pup to use for cuddling and some dog treats too. You may also consider covering the top of the crate with a blanket to bring that dark cozy feeling and once your puppy gets used to this you will always have calm nights.
6. Massage
Make your puppies relax at night by giving them some good body massage they need it after a long day. If they get so excited at night and they want to play, go to them massage their ears, rub their chests, or give them long strokes on the faces and bodies. This will make them settle because you’ll have distracted their anxiousness and that feeling of not being settled for the night. But, don’t make it a routine you’ll get tired of doing this every day.
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