Where do you put your puppy overnight?

Hiya,

Hopefully our new addition will be with us this week, just wondering where your pups sleep overnight?

Molly my resident dog sleeps in my room in her own basket overnight. The puppy will be crate trained but I can't decide where to put her during the night. She could be left downstairs or I do have space in my room.

Do you think she would be better downstairs on her own or upstairs with the rest of us?

Opinions please

Ali xx

well i have had lily in the lounge since the first night. after about 4 nights she settled and now she will tell me when she wants to go to bed! she gets into her bed and yawns at me as if to say, 'turn that tv off and go to bed mum!'.

my bc has the run of the house but he came to me as a 6 year old and i already had an older dog who slept on my bed.

i've found house training lily has been relatively easy and she has gone through the night for some weeks now.

good luck with whatever you decide!

Thanks lilypup, it suddenly occured to me that maybe I would feel quite mean leaving her downstairs as Molly also has the run of the house but it's good to know that your pup doesn't seem to mind. I am hoping that as she has been in isolation at the Dogs Trust for the last couple of weeks she will settle quickly

Ahh I can but hope

Mine are downstairs and crated in our kitchen/utility room.

How many sleepless nights did you get?

And do you have another dog that is allowed the freedom of the house?

Thanks

I'd have her upstairs with everyone and in her crate----personal choice.I like them to have company.

Also easier to lift them at night.

rune

Ooo...err...quite a few!! she settled after a week or so though and that was that.

Yep, my oldest has free run of the house.

I think if you can fit the crate up in your bedroom at night intially that is probably the most painless method of getting her to settle.

HI,

I agree Ali. I think you shoul dput her crate i your room and she can sleep "with" Molly so she has doggy company should she wake during the night.
Having said that, when she's bigger then you'll have 2 dogs sleeping upstairs with you.

I personally wouldn't be happy with that but it depends on how big your room is and if you're intending to put her downstairs after a whil ro keep her upstairs.

Mine sleep in teh living room - always have. When Zane was a small pup he slept inthe kitchen in his crate for a short time but son progressed to the living room. Ellie slept with Zane frmo day 1 and so did Yiannis. Now I come down inthe morning to find my furniture is covered with furry bodies.

But in the summer Zane refuses to come inside at night so he sleeps out in th den at times.

I suppose it's a case of doing what's best for her at the moment and seeing how it goes.

Laura xx

Our puppies are downstairs in their crate. We haven't had a sleepless night in over a dozen puppies. That and a number of other things are covered in a list I made long ago.

What does a puppy need?

A crate. It is only natural that a puppy resists its crate at first. What the puppy wants more than anything else is to be others, you, anyone else in the household, and any other pets. In our modern society, even if we are home, other things distract us from the attention an uncrated puppy must have. The only real solution is to crate the dog when you aren't around. The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open. Skip the bedding. At first it gets wet, and later it can be chewed into choking hazards. A wire rack in the bottom will help keep the puppy up out of accidents at first. They are available with the crates, but a piece of closely spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper. I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in. At bed time, with a new puppy, I have found lying down in front of the crate like you were going to sleep and speaking softly to it, or singing, until it settles down and goes to sleep works very well. Follow the pattern, a period of active play, outside to eliminate, and then into the crate.

Chew toys. The pet stores are full of toys that many dogs will quickly chew up into pieces they could choke on or cause intestinal blockages. If you are not there to watch, stick to sturdy stuff such as Nylabones and Kongs. Keep a close eye on chew toys and quickly discard anything that is coming apart in pieces. Rawhide is especially bad because it swells after being swallowed. These problems are the worst with, but not limited to, large, aggressive chewers such as Labs.

Food. Find out what the breeder is feeding. If it is dry chow you can buy readily, I would stick with it until the dog is 4 months old, at that time switching to a dry adult chow. If not, try to have the breeder give you a few days supply to use making a gradual change to a dry puppy chow.

Dishes. Empty plastic food containers are good enough. If you want something nicer, buy the spill proof? ones. See http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...1078323611448À. I have found them at Big Lots too.

A collar and leash. You should stay with a flat fabric or leather collar until your puppy is 5 months old. Then you can go with the metal slip collar with the rings on each end. Otherwise you could damage its windpipe. Put it on like this for the usual dog on the left position. Pull the chain through the one ring forming a"P". Facing the dog, slip it over its head. The free end comes over the neck allowing the other end to release pressure when the leash is slack. A five month old's head will still grow some. If you buy one that easily goes over the head, it still should come off leaving the ears when the dog finishes growing. I start the puppy out with a metal leash and switch to a leather one after the worst of the chewing is over and I need more control.

A name, try http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/petnames.htm#1 and http://www.cat-dog-names.com/

A brush. Start the puppy with a bristle brush. They don't shed much at first, and the bristle brush will remove dirt and help control odor. When shedding becomes a problem later, switch to a slicker brush with the wire teeth.

The number of a vet. It is very hard to evaluate them. Dogs need more medical care than in the past. Many new problems are wide spread.

A book. Any book is better than none at all. I like the Monks of New Skete and their The Art of Raising a Puppy, ISBN 0-316-57839-8.

Obedience training. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start obedience training the day you get the dog. Build on the foundation of housebreaking. The younger the puppy, the shorter you must keep sessions, only a few repetitions at a time. A few minutes here and there, and by the time the puppy is 4 months old, people will be impressed with what a nice dog it is.

An All Experts bookmark so you can come back for help as needed.

I didn't forget treats, shampoo, and bedding. I seldom use them.

Corrie is in her crate in our room,I have to admit she did howl, not cry for 2hrs the first night(glad we are detached with no immediate neighbours) then after that she settled within 5 mins during the first weekn now she is 20wks she knows the "bedtime signs" and rushes into her crate to get her shapes type biccies. I still shut her in , cos she is still very capable of having "parties"