Have you recently adopted a puppy or are you about to welcome one? The first thing to keep in mind is that puppies are separated from their mother during the first 2 to 3 months of life, when natural weaning occurs and begin to eat by themselves. An early separation can contribute to the development of behavior problems in the future, as well as hinder socialization.
When a puppy arrives at its new home it may be fearful and skittish or, on the contrary, totally excited by new smells and stimuli. Each puppy is a world and can react in different ways to changes. However, what most puppies have in common is that they tend to cry during the first few nights. Why does this happen? And most importantly, what to do to avoid it? In this article on our site we explain the main causes that can motivate the little one to whimper at bedtime, what to do when a puppy cries at night and how to prevent it from happening again.
Why does my puppy cry at night?
There are several reasons that can lead your puppy to cry a lot at night. Before evaluating them, we recommend examining them carefully and performing a physical examination to rule out any he alth problemEspecially in those very small dogs that have not yet been vaccinated or dewormed, it is possible that the crying is related to a possible intestinal parasitosis. For this reason, it is important to visit the veterinarian as soon as you adopt the puppy to examine it and start the vaccination and deworming schedule.
If the puppy is totally he althy, the main causes that can cause him to cry at night are the following:
- Inappropriate temperature. Depending on where your bed is located, your puppy may feel too cold or too hot. For this reason, placing your bed in a comfortable and pleasant space is of vital importance.
- Too much noise Some puppies have a hard time falling asleep at night if there is too much noise. The sense of hearing of dogs is much more developed, so they have the ability to perceive sounds in a much more intense way than we do.
- Overfood. If the little one has eaten too much just before going to sleep, it is totally normal for him to feel heaviness and even stomach pain, which will lead him to whimper and not be able to sleep.
- Lack of exercise. A puppy that doesn't exercise during the day and sleeps instead, it's not surprising that at night he wants to play and cries or barks.
- Too much stimulation before sleep Lack of activity during the day can cause the dog to be more active at night and not want to sleep. In the same way, practicing intense games, dog training or very stimulating activities just before going to sleep can also activate it.
- Schedules changed. Related to the previous point, a puppy with an inverted sleep schedule may cry at night when feeling lonely or bored. It is important to establish a routine.
- Uncomfortable bed. Although it may seem obvious, if the puppy is not comfortable in his bed he will have more difficulty sleeping, a fact that will be reflected by crying.
Although the above are common causes, without a doubt, the main reason that makes a puppy cry the first nights is the change of home and familyIt happens to most of them and it's not surprising, since these little ones are subjected to a total change and need to adapt to it. Due to this change, it is common for them to experience stress and anxiety as a result of the insecurity they feel. These emotions are reflected in a fearful attitude during the first few days, through which we can observe the puppy that it hides or is somewhat afraid, and in more or less intense cries at night. At night is when they feel the most alone and miss the warmth of their mother and siblings, so it is essential to prepare the home for their arrival and learn the adaptation techniques that can help the little one to overcome this process in the best possible way. We will see them in the following sections.
How long does it take for a puppy to adjust?
Each puppy is different and, therefore, There is no fixed period that indicates how long it takes for a puppy to adapt. This time will be marked, mainly, by the actions that we ourselves carry out to facilitate this adaptation. If all goes well, it is possible that in a week the little one will begin to feel comfortable and stop crying at night.
A newly adopted puppy does not understand why he is no longer with his mother and siblings. Therefore, it is essential to transmit security, trust, affection and comfort, promoting a relaxed and positive environment.
What to do when a puppy cries at night?
The puppy's first days at home tend to be the hardest, precisely due to the adaptation period we mentioned. The ideal is to encourage this adaptation before the arrival of the puppy, however, if you have already adopted it, you have spent the first night and you have noticed that your puppy cries almost all night, do not worry, there are techniques that can help you calm down to a puppy when it cries. So, discover how to act at that exact moment to make your puppy stop crying:
Pay attention to him
During the first few days, the puppy will feel abandoned, scared and very sad. Contrary to what many inexperienced tutors often believe, during the first week we can pay attention to him when he cries, as this will contribute to a better bond with him and favor also the adaptation to the new home. It is especially important when the puppy is very young, between 2 and 3 months of age.
However, after the first week, we should not go to him to comfort him every time he cries. If you do, he will associate moans, howls, cries and any other type of vocalization with your presence, so he will demand attention whenever he wants it. At this time, we must teach the puppy to sleep in his bed, practicing basic obedience and using the positive reinforcement, let's talk about petting, kind words, tasty treats or a toy
If we don't want the puppy to get on the sofa or the bed, all members of the household must follow the same rules, asking for a "low" when we find it in these places. In no case should we force it down or yell at it, it is much more positive to work on a specific order or signal so that the dog understands it and can execute it on its own. Once again, this work methodology encourages learning and bonding.
Warm his bed
Another technique you can do to calm a puppy that cries at night is warm his bed If you can do this before going to sleep, much better. You can use a hair dryer or put a hot water bottle under the blanket or bed, preventing the puppy from having direct contact so that it does not burn. This will comfort him, because until now he is used to sleeping accompanied and, therefore, with the body heat of his mother and brothers. It is not highly advisable to use an electric blanket, since great care must be taken to prevent the puppy from being electrocuted or burned.
Leave a garment of yours
You can leave him a T-shirt of yours, since this way he will get used to your smell and he will also relax. Although, if you have the opportunity, it will be good to use some garment with the smell of your mother An example of this could be a piece of the towel or blanket that the mother had. mother in the bed where she raised her cubs.
How to prevent my puppy from crying at night?
The previous tips are focused on knowing how to act when the puppy is already crying. However, it is always best to prevent this situation, both for the well-being of the child and for ours. To learn how to stop a puppy from crying at night, we recommend doing the following:
Create a safe and calm environment
In order for the puppy to adapt to its new home as soon as possible, it is essential to offer it a relaxed, calm and totally safe environment. To do this, it is not only important to provide a comfortable bed, but also to choose well where you put itIn this sense, you should ask yourself if you want your dog to sleep in the same room as you or if you prefer that he has his own. If you choose the second option, it is essential that this space is warm and adequate. Likewise, you should introduce the little one in that room little by little so that he relates it to his space and adapts to his rhythm. At first, you can place her bed in your same room to place it a little further away each night until you place it in the corresponding room. This space intended for his rest should never be used as a punishment zone, because then he will associate it with negative stimuli and will not feel comfortable.
Use synthetic pheromones
Dogs emit a series of natural pheromones that transmit different messages. Some of them serve to spread messages of calm and security, like the pheromones that mothers emit to their puppies. Currently, we have products that emit a synthetic copy of these pheromones, such as ADAPTIL Junior, which is a collar that transmits safety messages to puppies in order to facilitate their adaptation to the new home. In this way, by putting it on the little one we help him to be calmer.
Socialize him correctly
Proper socialization is also the key to getting the puppy to adapt to different situations, environments, animals and people, which also allows it to gradually stop crying at night. For this, the ADAPTIL Junior collar is also more than recommended, since those same pheromones favor this process.
Set suitable schedules
As we have seen in the causes that explain why a puppy cries at night, the lack of schedules notably impairs the quality of a child's sleep. In this way, it is recommended to set schedules for both activities and meals. In this sense, the most appropriate is to offer dinner about 3 hours before bedtime.
Calm him down before bed
To promote a pleasant sleep, a few hours before bedtime it is convenient to play relaxed games, relaxing massages, calm walks, etc., in order to keep the puppy calm. Higher intensity activities are best left for the morning or early afternoon.
Covers all your needs
A puppy that has all its needs covered will rest much better than one with some type of deficiency. This includes putting into practice all the advice mentioned, that is, offering him a quiet environment, exercising at the right times, setting meal times, giving him quality food and offering him all our love.
