Kroki

Question

How do I get my puppy to sleep through the night?

The short answer

Most young puppies cannot sleep through the night yet: their bladder is small and the new home still feels strange. Put the bed right next to yours for the first weeks, plan a calm last toilet trip before bed, and when your puppy wakes and fusses, take it out quietly and settle it again without play. Never leave it to cry alone. Kroki, a reward-based training app for puppies and dogs, has a rest and sleep routine step for the first weeks at home.

How to do it, step by step

  1. Put the bed next to yours at first

    A puppy that has just left its mother and littermates has never slept alone. Place its bed or a small pen beside your bed, so you can hear it stir and it can hear you breathe. A hand dangled over the edge calms many puppies within minutes. You can move the bed further away later, a little at a time, once nights are calm.

  2. Let it nap a lot during the day

    Young puppies need far more sleep than people expect. After an hour or so of exploring, eating and playing, guide yours to a quiet corner with a chew and let it doze off. A puppy that misses its naps does not sleep better at night; it gets overtired, wild and bitey in the evening and finds it harder to settle.

  3. Wind down in the last hour

    Swap tug and chase for quiet things in the hour before bed: a lick mat, a chew, some gentle stroking or a slow sniff around the garden. Dim the lights and keep voices low. Give the last meal a few hours before bedtime rather than right before it, so its tummy has time to settle.

  4. Make the last toilet trip calm and short

    Just before you go to bed, carry or lead your puppy to its usual toilet spot and wait without talking much. When it has been, say a soft “Top!”, give one treat and head straight back inside. No games, no running around the garden: the message is that night time is for sleeping.

  5. Answer night waking quietly

    If your puppy wakes and whines, it may need to pee, so take it out at once, in dim light and with few words. Afterwards put it back in its bed, rest a hand near it and wait until it sleeps again. If it simply wants company, your closeness is enough. Ignoring a crying puppy for a long time teaches it nothing except that night is frightening.

  6. Stretch the night step by step

    As your puppy grows, the time between waking up gets longer on its own. Keep the evening routine the same and push the last trip out a little later if that helps. If you want your puppy to sleep in another room in the end, move the bed in small stages over several weeks, never on a night when it already slept badly.

Is your dog already grown?

An adult or rescue dog that paces, pants or wakes you at night is a different matter. Sore joints, a need to pee more often, itchy skin or, in older dogs, changes in the brain can all break up sleep, so a vet check comes first. A rescue dog in a new home may also need the same closeness and quiet routine as a puppy for its first few weeks.

What a large study tells us about puppy sleep

Researchers from Dogs Trust asked owners about sleep when their dogs were 16 weeks old (2,332 puppies) and again at 12 months (1,091 dogs). Compared with their later selves, the 16-week-old puppies slept more during the day and over 24 hours, but less at night. On average they slept about 7.0 hours at night, against 7.3 hours at one year, and about 11 hours in total across the day and night (Kinsman and colleagues 2020). So a young puppy that wakes once or twice is normal, not a sign that something is wrong.

Most owners in the study settled their dog for the night by leaving it in a room without people. Yet among the dogs that could reach people overnight, about 87 in 100 chose to sleep near them, at 16 weeks and at 12 months alike (Kinsman and colleagues 2020). The authors also point to earlier work in which crying and scratching at the door at night were common in puppies that had just moved to a new home. Wanting company is part of being a dog, not a bad habit you need to break.

The bladder sets limits too. Several owners said their puppy still needed a toilet pad overnight at 16 weeks (Kinsman and colleagues 2020), and RSPCA Victoria advises that young puppies should not spend more than two to three hours in a crate without a toilet break. Waking to pee is the body talking, not a training failure, and a calm trip outside is the kind answer.

When your puppy still wakes at night

  • It wakes at about the same hour each night: often a full bladder. Go out, come back, settle it, and let the gap grow as it grows.
  • It cries as soon as you switch off the light: the bed may be too far away. Move it closer or let your fingers rest by the puppy until it drifts off.
  • It is wide awake at five in the morning and wants to play: take it out, then go back to a dim, quiet room and only start the day at your usual time.
  • It races around and nips in the evening: that is often an overtired puppy. Offer a chew in a quiet spot rather than one more game.

Habits that make nights longer

  • Shutting the puppy in a far room and letting it cry. It learns that being alone at night is scary, which can make things harder later.
  • Long, exciting games after a night-time trip outside. They turn 2 a.m. into the best part of the day.
  • Taking water away for hours to avoid night trips. Offer water normally in the day and time the last trip well instead.
  • Scolding a puddle found in the morning. Your puppy cannot link it to something it did hours ago; just clean it up and go out earlier next time.

When to see a professional

Waking at night is normal for a young puppy. Ask for help if:

The help pages list services in Germany, Austria and Switzerland only. Elsewhere, ask your vet practice who they recommend near you.

Frequently asked questions

When do puppies usually start sleeping through the night?

There is no fixed age, and every puppy is different. Many manage longer stretches as their bladder grows over the first months, while some still need one trip out at four or five months.

Should I wake my puppy at night to take it out?

Usually not: let it sleep and take it out when it wakes and stirs. Only a very young puppy that keeps having accidents in its bed may need one planned trip with an alarm.

Where should a new puppy sleep on its first night?

Close to you, in a bed or small pen beside your own bed. Being near you helps it feel safe in a strange place, and you will hear when it needs to go out.

Is it all right for my puppy to sleep in my bed?

It is your choice, but think ahead. A small puppy can fall off a high bed, and if you want it in its own bed later on, it is easier to start there and simply keep it close.

Does something that smells of home help my puppy sleep?

It may help some puppies. A blanket or towel from the breeder, or a T-shirt you have worn, can make the bed feel familiar, as long as your puppy cannot chew it into pieces and swallow them.

How many hours a day does a puppy sleep?

A lot: in a large owner survey, 16-week-old puppies slept about 11 hours in 24 on average, with big differences between puppies. Younger puppies often sleep even more, spread over many naps.

My puppy sleeps well but wakes at dawn. What can I do?

Take it out quietly, then return to a dim room and wait before you start the day. Darker curtains and a slightly later evening trip help some puppies sleep a little longer.

Sources