Each person has their own peculiarities about how they want their coexistence with their dog to be. When it comes to sleeping habits, some prefer to sleep together, while others don't trust them. Whatever your approach, if this is the first time you welcome a dog into your home, you have most likely wondered which is the best place to rest for your new friend, if he prefers to sleep in the garden or inside the house, alone or accompanied, etc.
Without a doubt, proper rest is a fundamental pillar for your dog's well-being. For this same reason, in this article on our site, we want to give you some advice that can guide you in deciding where a dog should sleep at home.
Tips for choosing where a dog should sleep at home
As for humans, sleep and rest is one of the most important habits for dogs. If you're wondering how many hours a dog sleeps, the answer is that they sleep between 12 and 14 hours a day, while puppies can sleep between 16 and 20 hours.
To decide where a dog should sleep at home, whether it is a puppy or an adult, you should think of a space that meets different conditions.
- Quiet and intimate place: you must make sure that their resting place is in a quiet and intimate place. That is, you should place it in a place away from sources of noise, but without locking the dog to sleep. In this way, you can relax properly and it will be like a haven for your dog. You must respect him and avoid disturbing him as much as possible, otherwise, when he wants to spend time alone, he will simply go to another place.
- Pleasant temperature: the location where you place your bed, must also be located in a place where there are no drafts that could disturb your animal, as well as having a pleasant temperature: neither hot in summer nor cold in winter. In addition, it will be advisable for it to be an easy-to-clean space.
- Suitable size: As far as the bed is concerned, it should be of a suitable size for your dog's physique and needs, in a way that allows you to stretch and turn around without difficulty. Besides that it should be thick enough to be isolated from the ground.
- Quality materials: the materials from which it is made must be safe for your animal and of high quality, so that it does not can easily destroy them if it bites or scratches the bed, in this way you will avoid, for example, hurting yourself, and even choking if pieces come off.
- Easy to wash: Finally, you will save yourself a lot of trouble if the bed is also easy to wash, since your dog will surely loose a lot of hair throughout the year. For this reason, it is recommended if the mattress has, for example, a removable cover or cover.
Where should a puppy sleep on the first day?
If you have just or are thinking of welcoming a puppy into your family, without a doubt the first night will be the most decisive for both of you. For him, it will be the first night in which he sleeps apart from his siblings and mother in a strange environment, so clearly he will feel unprotected and disoriented For this For this reason, it is not strange that he cries frequently, since he will call his mother so as not to feel alone, and now you are his substitute, for which, although it may seem desperate in some cases, you must be understanding.
To start teaching your puppy to sleep alone, in case you don't want him to sleep with you in your bed, it will be necessary that you educate him in his day to day to remain alone. Meanwhile, as the first night is usually traumatic for the little one, it is best to place his bed next to yours for the time being, so that when he is restless you can be by him and see that you are by his side.
Recommendations for putting your puppy to sleep
During this process in which your puppy gets used to his new bed, it is advisable to follow the following recommendations:
- If possible, place a blanket or rag that smells like his mother and siblings on his bed. Otherwise, although it is not essential, it is advisable that you place a pheromone diffuser during the first days so that your puppy adapts more calmly.
- You can try placing his carrier next to his bed with a blanket, as some puppies feel more secure inside when they feel refugees. He should be the one to enter if he wants, you should never force him.
- Leave at his disposal different toyswith which he can entertain himself and bite in case he is stressed. In this way, he will associate the bed as something positive.
- Make sure you have eaten before going to bed, because with a full belly you will sleep better. Also, during the night, leave his bowl of water within his reach and place several newspapers on the floor, so that he has all his needs covered and you don't take a surprise in the morning, since your pup still does not control his sphincters properly and could urinate due to stress.
Next, you can watch a video where we will explain in more detail how to teach a dog to sleep in his bed.
Where should a 2 month old puppy sleep?
Although it is important to know where a puppy should sleep on the first day, it is also important to know where a 2-month-old puppy should sleep. Although they are a few weeks older, they are still puppies, so their sleep and rest schedule is very important.
As we mentioned, on the first day you can put his bed next to yours, but as he gets to know his new environment, you can place his bed during the day in the space you had in mind for him, so that you go to it frequently and get used to your new location It is normal that it takes time to adapt to the new place where you are sleeping, but you have to remember that if whenever he cries we go to him, this learning process will become more difficult.
Where should a 3 month old puppy sleep?
There is no big difference between where a 3 month old puppy should sleep and where a 2 month old puppy should sleep. It is true that they already have one more month to live, but that does not mean that they should sleep away from home. Dogs should sleep outside the house as long as they have a well-conditioned place for it, such as a doghouse. For this reason, a 3 month old puppy should sleep indoors, as if he were still 2 months old
Is it okay for my dog to sleep away from home?
Dogs are animals that like company For this reason, it's unlikely you'll want to sleep outside alone. In addition, this will probably cause you to be constantly alert at night and, although many people may think it's a good idea to have their dogs watch at night, without a doubt, It is not exactly the best way to guarantee that he is well, because he will not be resting properly.
This situation can develop behavior problems, which are frequently barking, which can be a nuisance to you and your neighbors, as well as the destruction of different objects in the garden if your dog is under a lot of stress.
Dogs must sleep outside when:
- Have a calm or independent character: even so, you have to monitor your behavior to confirm that it does not affect you negatively sleeping out.
- Be accompanied by another furry: that is, don't be alone outside.
You must bear in mind that where dogs should sleep when they are outside is inside a kennel where they can take refuge from the weather, such as rain, wind, cold, etc. In addition, this shed must be raised from the ground, so that it does not accumulate moisture.
In this other article we give you some tips for choosing a doghouse.
Is it okay for my dog to sleep in my bed?
Many people when we ask ourselves where my dog should sleep, we also consider the possibility of whether he can sleep with us in the bed. There is no problem with your dog sleeping with you if you wish. Still, there are a few things to watch out for.
- Bed Hair: one of the risks of your dog sleeping with you in bed is that it will fill with hair. If you are interested, we leave you this post about hairless dog breeds.
- Dirt: Dogs are animals that play and rub themselves on the floor (especially if they are puppies). For this reason, no matter how much we constantly clean our furry friend, it is possible that some dirt gets between our sheets.
- Parasites: among the best-known external parasites of dogs we know fleas, ticks and mites. It is important that your dog is well dewormed so that there is no he alth danger. Check this link to find out how often to deworm a dog?
- Movements and Noises: Dogs dream too, so it's normal for them to stir or change places in bed to be able to sleep well.
However, you must be clear with your dog and tell him from the beginning that he can climb on the bed. In other words, establishing the rules as a puppy will make it easier for him not to develop behavior problems in the long run, because he must understand that you are the one who lets him ride and not him who gets on whenever they want.
For more information, you can consult this other article on our site on Is it bad to sleep with my dog?
My dog doesn't want to sleep in his bed, what do I do?
Once we have solved the question of where my dog should sleep, perhaps now you are wondering why my dog sleeps on the floor and not in his bed. This may be due to different causes, although there are 2 that we highlight and must be taken into account:
- He doesn't want to be alone when sleeping: even if you educate him, the learning process is slow, since your furry is not ready yet, for example, if it is a puppy. You must bear in mind that puppies spend a large part of the day with their mothers and siblings, and that includes sleeping, which allows them to protect themselves from the cold and feel safe, since their mother watches over them. In the same way, adult dogs that are fearful or that have been adopted, also tend to seek company and try to sleep next to the person to whom they have become attached.
- The bed is uncomfortable for him: he may be too hot and prefer to sleep on the floor (especially in summer) or that the location where your resting place is located is not the most suitable.
If your dog also doesn't sleep all night, we encourage you to read this other article on our site about My dog doesn't sleep at night.
