Where Does Your Puppy Sleep?

[poodlefan]

Howard the Whippet was started in a crate beside the bed and now sleeps in a soft basket there.

The poodles are on the bed unless its really hot - then they bail out and sleep on the bedroom floor.

[LizT]

Our first Cav started out in a pen as a puppy, then as an adult she finished up on our bed as I worked night shift and when I went to get a few hours sleep before work my then 7 year old daughter would often lie down with me in my bed to spend a bit of time together and the young dog would jump up onto the bed and the three of us would fall asleep. My OH would then put both girls into there respective beds and go to bed. I'd then get up and go to work.

When we got the 2nd Cav she started out in the pen and yep, ended up on the bed too!

It started getting silly (and crowded) but the bigger problem was after I went to work the dogs wanted to go to the toilet and Captain Oblivious would keep on snoring so they'd soil in the house.

Now they are both in seperate crates as the older is expecting puppies New Years Eve and they are both happy with there little houses. They still both start out on the bed in the evening for 'special time' but I put them in the crates when I go to work. OH toilets them when he gets up and puts them back in. Then I let them out when I get home in the morning.

We have our mornings fun and then later on when I catch up on a few more hours sleep they then sleep on the bed with me until it's time to get ready to pick my daughter up from school. More fun and games with my daughter and then the cycle continues.

[Guest *Pixie*]

Depends on the night for mine. When they first arrive as babies I crate them in the bedroom - if they fuss a lot I put another dog in with them - Finta for example has slept with Brody since day one, and Logan had Finta in with her for the first few nights. River was never hugely fussed but I still let Finta and Brody sleep in the crate with him at first, I find it eases the transition a bit - it would be hard for a puppy going from sleeping with the litter to sleeping all alone in a strange place.

After a few months though they sleep wherever - only on the bed if invited but some nights I like having them there. Otherwise they sleep on the floor, or in their own beds, or crated - last night was stinking hot so they all slept outside where it was cooler.

In winter they tend to be on the bed with me because they're so snuggly and warm!

[goldenboymax]

Hi, We got our new puppy today a little chocolate labrador and she is 8 weeks, she is sleeping in a laundry basket at the moment with loads of sheets.

Tonight is her first night so fingers crossed!

[Daydreamer]

Our dog during the day if its hot sleeps on the cool floor or on a beanbag, (which he seems to have claimed as his own) and sometimes on the couch........ he wouldnt dare get on the couch when we're in the room but sneaks on when we're not looking .

At night he usually sleeps with my oldest daughter (nearly 16) ............. she was at a sleepover at the weekend so he slept with the other daughter instead, he obviously likes having someone to snuggle upto

We've bought a crate for our new puppy which arrives in 2wks time and think that will be in our family room, depending on how the night training goes she may end up in our room but its quite a walk from our room to the back door and not sure if she could hang on that long

[Nannas]

Our 2 medium sized dogs sleep in my bed. They always have.

They have their own spots, own pillows and their own mink blankets BUT they always end up under the doona with me.

Our 6yo sleeps next to me with her head on the pillows and our 2yo sleeps at my feet with her head poking our from the bottom of the doona. (In winter I have to wear bed socks!)

Our large dog is outside and has dug a hole under an old car my sons are rebuilding. Her kennel is only ever use to stand on so she can see over the fence.

[PuggaWuggles]

Very interesting thread.

i was only thinking this morning about what we can do with Wuggles.

He is a 5 1/2 month old Pug.He sleeps really well in the dining room in his sleep pen,most of the time he struggles until we put him in there,so he is very happy to go to sleep in there.He does sometimes still have a little wee in there though,most times he doesnt.

My OH wants him to sleep on the bed with us,but it is just too hot most nights for all 3 of us in the bed,yes,she has suggested that i curl up in Wugs pen and leave them in the bed to sleep .Besides being too hot,they both snore,i dont mind the Pug snore,as it sends me to sleep,but added to the OH snoring,no sleep for me.He has slept in the bed twice before,he is very fidgity,and wakes up every 30 mins and licks your face just to make sure you are still there.

Here is my question or questions-

Should we wait until he can contain his wee for definate before we let him sleep else where?

Should i stop him from drinking water after a certain time,as i also put a water bowl in his sleep pen incase he gets thirsty as it gets quite hot?

he never sleeps past 5:00am,we have tried everything,toileting and putting back to bed,kong in his sleep pen,no good,just will not sleep past 5:00am,could having him in our room help to sleep in?

If he was to sleep in our room,i would prefer he sleep on a bed on the floor,that way he access to the ensuit tiles if it is hot,because we would have to shut the bedroom door so he doesnt wander in the night,what sort of bed would be good for the bedroom for him,a few blankets,a kennel,one of those hammock sort of beds ?

OR,should we just leave him where he is comfortable and quiet,but wake up in between 4:15 and 5am every morning?

I did suggest to the OH to have him sleep outside,I had to sleep in the spare room that night. :p

Thanks for any suggestions and ideas.

[flux]

Jazz sleep in our laundry, but I'm hoping to migrate her to the bedroom when she's older. I can remember being 16 and sleeping with our old dog, I miss that lovely feeling

[Leithy]

My girls sleep on the bed with me. I wouldn't have it any other way because I love waking up and seeing the girls asleep with me- or even better, curled up with each other.

If i'm on night shift they sleep outside in the kennel curled up with each other.

I wouldn't have it any other way, they are very well behaved and will let me know when they need to go out.

[kathryn2104]

my two sleep under our bed on an old futon mattress which they have now claimed as theirs!!

so we had to get a new one for visitors

i love having them in with us, except for when we get woken at 4am by their snoring!

[Nic oh lah]

Sophie sleeps outside on her trampoline bed or stretched out on the grass right under our bedroom window - we leave the window open a crack so she can hear Mum and Dad inside and every so often her smiley puppy face appears at the window to check we're still there! I feel like a mean mummy now reading that you all have your babies sleep inside! If my husband is out late or away overnight then Sophie sleeps inside on the bed with me, but otherwise we'd never get any sleep - Queensize bed is not big enough to accomodate both of us and a German Sheperd!

Every morning though I wake up and stumble sleepily to the laundry door and let her bowl into the house, up the hall and onto the bed to snuggle with Mum and Dad for the last half hour before we have to get up and ready for work.

[Seven]

Rusti is going to be in a crate as long as I can

[Lady H]

I am so confused about the where to sleep for our pup.

He has been home just over a week, 13 week old TT (gorgeous!). For the first few nights he was in the laundry alone and howled and cried but eventually settled down. Since then we have let him sleep on our bedroom/ensuite floor on his bed and he sleeps through until we stir, other than waking us to do his business (usually a couple of times/night but getting shorter). The third night he howled so badly for over an hour so I was on here looking at what other puppy owners do and thought the pack instincts and needing to hear our breathing made sense - that is when I put his bed on the floor in our room and he went to sleep with no problems as we did.

After going to the Vet last week he advised we were doing the wrong thing, he should be in a room alone and away from us as he will think he is equal to us if he sleeps in our room! I obviously don't want him to think this, or encourage dominant behaviour from him.

So we put him back in the laundry and he cried and howled for over 2 1/2 hours. He also did wee's and poo's in there as he wasn't able to wake us and we were up at 6 this morning cleaning the room and him! We are all exhausted of course...

I think I will have to let him back into our room tonight as it seems to make more sense and assist with toilet training..????

Also when we leave the house he is locked in the laundry for now, and he howls and cries in the same way as he did when we put him there to sleep.

Any advice would be much appreciated, it's good to hear what others are doing, also do you think the vet is right? Thank you much appreciated...

[Adl_rotties]

Our two rotties, I swear, only sleep during the day. At night, we leave them in the kitchen (where their crates are), but I can hear them moving the furniture around all night. They pick up their bones, just to drop them again, and once they decide we've had enough sleep, the big one barks. Only once though, so we only get up when we're ready (usually 10 minutes later)

[SmoothieGirl]

Bronte slept in her crate with the door shut until she was about 8 months, but the last two months of that she was confined with a couple of health issues so I didn't want her wandering around unchecked in the night. Since then I have left the door to her crate open and now she usually starts the night on my bedroom floor and then when she is ready to go into a deep sleep she goes into her crate by herself.

[Evolving]

Echo sleeps in a crate next to the bed.

bob sleeps on the bed with me.

[Aidan]

Our two rotties, I swear, only sleep during the day. At night, we leave them in the kitchen (where their crates are), but I can hear them moving the furniture around all night. They pick up their bones, just to drop them again, and once they decide we've had enough sleep, the big one barks. Only once though, so we only get up when we're ready (usually 10 minutes later)

I realise you've only had these two for a little while but I think it's time to close the crate door and don't let them have the bones at night. I feel quite strongly that dogs should sleep all night, and during the middle of the day if they're not doing something specifically with you.

[Adl_rotties]

Our two rotties, I swear, only sleep during the day. At night, we leave them in the kitchen (where their crates are), but I can hear them moving the furniture around all night. They pick up their bones, just to drop them again, and once they decide we've had enough sleep, the big one barks. Only once though, so we only get up when we're ready (usually 10 minutes later)

I realise you've only had these two for a little while but I think it's time to close the crate door and don't let them have the bones at night. I feel quite strongly that dogs should sleep all night, and during the middle of the day if they're not doing something specifically with you.

We've taken the bones away (except for the little puppy's - Zeus - chew bone - it seems to keep him quiet(er) ) so now only get woken up by a bark or a whine, and they're starting to do that only when they need to go to the toilet

When we've shut the Zeus in his crate, he has cried for literally 4 hours straight (we tried 3 times and that happened every time), so the crate doors get left open for our own sanity. We haven't tried since we got Jack, but if any more of my wooden spoons go missing at night, we will.

[poodlefan]

Adl Rotties:

When we've shut the Zeus in his crate, he has cried for literally 4 hours straight (we tried 3 times and that happened every time), so the crate doors get left open for our own sanity

One day you will have to close that crate door. It might be at the vets or when a non dog loving person or children are in your home. It might be to rest him after injury or surgery. But it will happen.

Tolerating confinement is a an important skill for a pup to learn. Buy yourself a pair of ear defenders and have another go.

Start by feeding in the crate with the door closed. The door does not open until the dog is sitting quietly. You can play crate games to help train acceptance of confinment.

Edited December 22, 2009 by poodlefan

[Aidan]

When we've shut the Zeus in his crate, he has cried for literally 4 hours straight (we tried 3 times and that happened every time), so the crate doors get left open for our own sanity. We haven't tried since we got Jack, but if any more of my wooden spoons go missing at night, we will.

Good instructions can be found here, painless if you've got some time:

http://www.dragonflyllama.com/%20DOGS/Leve...vel/2Level.html

('Crate' is below 'Come')