Hi all! Just wondering how you teach your little ones to settle at night. Titan is 3 months old now, and we're doing great! The only thing I've noticed is once he is tired, he kind of just wanders the house, whining until we actually take him and put him to bed (he currently sleeps in the bathroom, (I know a little weird, but it's where he sleeps best and is still contained!)) He will sit at our back door and cry to go out, but then immediately turn around and cry to come back in He can never just lie down somewhere and doze. So I find I'm popping him in the bathroom every night around 8pm, which just seems so early to me! Is there something else I should be doing to help him? Thanks Picture just because he's cute!
Going out is simple - go with him, every time. Pups don't settle in the evening until they are about 6 months old. You need to give up your evenings, do training and play with him. Then, when he's tired, put him on his lead by you to settle down, give him a filled Kong and treats for settling. He will soon get the message.
Have you tried a crate? Makes it easier for them just to go in and settle once they are used to it (lots of good advice on here about crate training). Will he settle with you holding a rawhide chew? Mine used to love this at that age. I have dog beds scattered around so he can choose where he wants to plonk himself, usually in the room I'm in! The crate was great for the first 8 months for us. He loved it and it was his safe place. We put a blanket over the top. Good luck. He looks gorgeous!
Ohh, I didn't know they didn't really settle until 6 months. I don't mind giving my evenings to hang with him at all! He just always seems so tired, so I just put him to bed. I didn't think of putting him on his leash though, definitely something we will try out tonight. He has a crate set up in the kitchen, and will go in there sometimes but not often. I will try holding a chew for him and see if that helps at all Thanks!
3 months old is a far too young to expect a pup to settle on cue - it's even a bit young to do the lead thing, really. But you can make a start. I make my TV room completely 'puppy safe'. That means everything is picked up, and there are barriers in place to stop the puppy wandering round the back of the TV/hifi to see whether any wires need chewing. Stuff like that. I have a mat next to my comfy chair, bring the puppy in and sit down and get on with my book or looking at my laptop, or watch TV. Ignore the puppy. Eventually, after much wandering round, and trying to get into mischief, the puppy lies down on the mat (previously has been heavily reinforced for going and staying on the mat). Then, I try to drop a treat on the puppy's nose without the puppy seeing me do it. Like treats appear magically for the puppy settling down on the mat. It does help, but it isn't an instant thing. In the meantime, if the puppy doesn't settle down, I have a massive crate in that room, and the puppy goes in that so she can be with the family but we don't spend all evening entertaining the puppy. I have to say, I don't give up my evenings to play with my puppy and I never did even when she was younger. She gets stacks of attention, training, 121 time, walks and so on during the day. I'm creamed crackered by the time I've done all that, also trained and walked my older dog, and put in a full day's work. I can't train and play with a puppy all evening as well.
I don't expect him to settle on cue, I just wasn't sure what to do when he's wandering and whining. I will try just containing him to the room we're in and treat him for settling in his bed I'm so used to my mom and dads 16 year old dog just settling on his own and snoozing his evening away. I was young when we got him, so never had to deal with any of his puppy years. Having a puppy is totally new to me! Thanks everyone for the suggestions!
It is possible he wants to go to bed. Charlie, my older dog, wants to go to bed after last wees etc. when there is no more 'stuff'. I've never had a puppy do that. But maybe...maybe he just wants his own space and wants to snooze. If I have an unsettled dog or puppy I check they don't actually 'need' anything. Eg they have had the chance to wee and poo, have somewhere comfy to be, have had a drink and so on, have had enough attention, cuddles (and activity during the day). Then I ignore them. Er...also of course that they aren't ill!
Thanks, @JulieT I almost think that is what he wants! When I notice he starts to wander (usually between 8-9pm) I pop him in the bathroom, with his bed, a soft toy and a Kong and he'll lay right down. I won't hear another peep from him until 6:30 the next morning, or around 3am if he does need to go out. Last night, he actually plopped himself down in front of the fireplace and dozed while I read. Then when my boyfriend and I went to bed, we just put him to bed at that time. So that was nice
I think you are absolutely right. Your pup is just done for the night. Corona used to do the exact same thing. She is now 4 months old and usually sound asleep by 8ish on her pillow or on the floor in the living room with us. She would go to the bottom of the stairs and whine because she sleeps in our room in her crate. I really didn't like her being up there by herself, crate or not, plus she still needed her before bed pee. I've kinda done a combo of the above to get to this point. She would drive us all mad around this time wandering and getting into things she would never bother with any other time, because she was overtired. She would lay down for a minute then get back up and at it again and again. I would redirect her over and over(trust me there was some frustrating evenings) to her pillow. Often times holding the chew for her would also work. I really don't know if it was consistency or if she finally just got a little more comfortable with the routine of the evening/family, but I must say I really do enjoy my downtime/ and her sleeping in the evening, while get caught up on some computer work or read a book!
Titan does the same thing! Normally, he's good with not getting in to things he knows he shouldn't. But when he's tired, it's SO hard to distract him or redirect him to anything else. Sounds like he just knows when he's finished and ready for bed. So maybe we'll just keep doing what we're doing Thanks everyone!
