Hi, I am curious to see if anyone wants to know more about puppies and when they should go to sleep. This is a topic I have always been interested in, and not just because they are so cute when they sleep either!
Follow along to see what I found out today in my spare time.
What time should puppies go to bed?
Puppies should go to bed at whatever time is convenient for the family. The most important part of bedtime for puppies is that bedtime be a set time. This should begin as early as possible in the puppies’ life and be a part of a ritual, routine, or schedule. This bedtime schedule will pave the way for healthy sleep habits throughout the puppies’ life into adulthood and the senior life stage.
Having a set time for a puppies’ bed as part of a routine teaches them what to expect and when. It can be thought of as training, like any other aspect of a puppy’s training. In the beginning months, puppies may struggle with remembering, understanding, and accepting this concept like any other part of the training.
With persistence but loving patience and time, the puppies will follow the set routine for bed. The routine should include other elements that are also crucial to effectively training puppies, like going outside for a bathroom break.
When this bedtime routine is followed in the same pattern, puppies will go to bed because they have learned that this routine means it’s time for bed.
This is not just true of their behavior; the bed routine will also signal to the puppies’ physical bodies that it is time to slow down, relax, and well, go to sleep. Whatever time is selected should be in alignment with the family and fit into their lifestyle and schedule.
Whether it is 10 pm or midnight doesn’t matter. The routine and its consistency matter most. It can help if pet parents include some exercise as a first step in the routine to ensure that the puppies are ready for bed by being tired.
This exercise can consist of playing with a toy, going for a short walk, and enjoying the time with the puppies as a means of also reconnecting. Other great ideas for a bedtime routine include snuggling time or loving words with a good healthy dose of affectionate pets and scratches.
It can take puppies a bit of time to learn new things, despite their energetic personality and curious and intelligent minds. That being said, when it comes to puppies going to bed, there is no set time that is right or wrong.
The best time for puppies to go to bed is whatever works with the family or pet parents.
Some pet parents might prefer bedtime and quiet time to be around 9 pm, while others might be night owls and prefer it after 1 am. The only hard and fast rule is to go with the family’s lifestyle.
When attempting to implement a bedtime for puppies, it is essential to have a ritual, schedule, or routine that teaches them what is expected and how things will happen and work.
While this routine is being implemented, patience but gentle persistence must be given to the puppies since they are young. It may take them a bit of time to learn this healthy habit and accept it as a part of their life.
Each puppy will be unique in how they respond. It will go smoother for some than others, and there will even be moments where the routine stops or a few steps must be taken backward to progress. This is all-natural and normal as curious and energetic puppies learn.
When puppies should go to bed, the routine should include a series of steps or things that happen simultaneously. For instance, first, they took a trip outside for a short walk for exercise and also used the bathroom at that time.
After that, they sit on the couch with their parents and snuggle up for a few minutes, followed by being placed in their crate or bed with the lights lowered and quiet. After that, they are left alone while the pet parents do whatever they do, quietly, until they fall asleep.
If the same routine is followed repeatedly, the puppies’ bodies will naturally accept and unconsciously respond to this routine with time. They may start to yawn while they are snuggled up to mom and dad. Whatever it is, eventually, their body will understand.
Timing is not essential for when puppies should go to bed concerning the actual clock. Whatever time works for the family is best. Timing does factor in slightly if there are variances or deviation from what would be consider the norm if the schedule has been set.
What I mean by this is, perhaps one night, the family gets home late, and puppies are put to bed at midnight. The next night, the family is home early and decides to put the puppy to sleep at 9 pm because they will go to bed early.
This can work in some instances, but there is also the possibility that, like young children, puppies are not tired out enough. In this situation, adjustments can be made to provide a slightly longer walk or a bit more playtime to help puppies get ready to go to bed.
This remedy may or may not work depending on what the day brought for the puppy and their personality. It is, however, a part of being a puppy parent so these challenges while often short lived can be endured knowing they will eventually pass.
Is having a routine for when puppies go to bed considered training?
Yes, having a routine for when puppies go to bed can be considered training. It may not necessarily be regarded as formal obedience training, but it is still a form of training. One might think of this type of activity as passive training, where it happens naturally as part of a particular situation. Passively the pet parents will teach the puppies when and how their bedtime is going to happen.
This training could be thought of as a life skill or self-care skill, similar to mother pup teaching the necessary life skills. When to sleep, what to eat, and where to go to the bathroom are pretty much life skills.
What is the essential part of when puppies go to bed?
When puppies go to bed, the essential part is consistency. As with anything else relating to life skills and training others, whether children or puppies, consistency is vitally important.
There can be no success without consistency since the puppies may get confused and be less accepting of what they are being taught. If you, the pet parent, are not in charge and don’t know what to do, why would they listen to you?
Having a loving but in charge personality that shows them you know what is best in a gentle way is the best way to help them listen and understand.
Is it possible to change the puppies’ bedtime routine?
Yes, it is possible to change the puppies’ bedtime routine. Once a routine is established for puppies to go to bed, changing it will take a bit more patience, but it is possible.
Situations can arise in all our lives where things must change, including routines and schedules. When this happens and the puppy’s routine for going to bed must be changed it is possible. It is best to start from the beginning again. Create a bedtime routine for puppies and then begin implementing it as it had been done before.
There will be resistance here depending on the puppies’ age and how far along the puppies were in their old routine. If going for a walk is no longer feasible but playing in the yard is acceptable, this change should go smoother than certain other changes.
The process will need to be gone repeatedly until the puppies accept the new bed routine.
It is best to have a well thought out plan or routine before puppies learn so that not much change or variances happen and need to be dealt with.
If iI need to go away from home, when should puppies go to bed?
If puppies’ parents need to go away and someone else cares for them, they can follow the routine as the pet parents did. Having a printout or text attachment of instructions can be helpful for stand-in caregivers.
It should also be explained and somewhat expected that puppies may still not sleep well without pet parents’ home.
Final Thoughts
Putting puppies to bed quickly can take time, depending on how old they are.
Timing isn’t always the issue for when puppies should go to bed, routine and consistency is the most crucial part. Second to that is a patient and persistent nature that ensures success.
And, if at any time success is not achieved or it seems impossible, sharing a few nights together in bed sleeping will not hurt a schedule or routine so enjoy!
