Puppy sleeping with you

hiya is it a bad idea to let my pup sleep with me? As he crys weneva I leave him?

I can't really comment as Axl sleeps on my bed with me lol I wouldn't have it any other way though! I would warn you though they do have a great ability to take the whole bed up as they get bigger

If it's not something you want long term then start as you mean to go on. When bedtime comes put puppy in his designated area and leave him.

I know it's difficult to ignore them but he needs to learn that bedtime is sleep time and if you respond to the crying he'll eventually learn that he can use noise to get attention & with a puppy any attention is better than no attention at all.

It took us about 4 nights for pepper to settle and she whines for 10-20 minutes then she goes to sleep, if he really struggles to settle there's s number of things you can do to help him settle such as

A hot water bottle in his bed/crate
A ticking clock in the room loud enough to be heard
Leave a tv/radio on
Failing that there's a collar you can get called adaptil which gives off the scent of pheromones which in short smell like mum!

Good luck!!

KMack02 wrote:If it's not something you want long term then start as you mean to go on. When bedtime comes put puppy in his designated area and leave him.

I know it's difficult to ignore them but he needs to learn that bedtime is sleep time and if you respond to the crying he'll eventually learn that he can use noise to get attention & with a puppy any attention is better than no attention at all.

It took us about 4 nights for pepper to settle and she whines for 10-20 minutes then she goes to sleep, if he really struggles to settle there's s number of things you can do to help him settle such as

A hot water bottle in his bed/crate
A ticking clock in the room loud enough to be heard
Leave a tv/radio on
Failing that there's a collar you can get called adaptil which gives off the scent of pheromones which in short smell like mum!

Good luck!!

I agree although Suki does sleep with us so it's a personal preference

Thanx for the advice all think I'm guna let him 4 a few more days seeming he's only been with us since Thursday start on Monday

... Start on Monday, think that ones been said before

It's personal preference, but any habit is hard to break. I'm of the opinion of start as you mean to go on. No matter how hard it is at first.
Pete

I knw haha I do lyk him sleeping with me but someone told me that if he sleeps with me he will think he's above my daughter in his pack? Is that true?

No, the dominance theory has been shown to be based on poor science, and isn't true. There is a pack status and we are part of that, but tiny puppies aren't ever going to be status seeking. Get good training and leadership in place and you'll not have to worry too much about status.

I completely agree with the 'start as you mean to go on' principle - it's in one of the threads I linked to in other other question. If it's hard for him now, it'll be harder when he knows there's such a great alternative!

The thing that jumped out from your opening post was that he cries when you leave him. That's normal, but you can help him learn it's ok. If you go back to him each time he cries, he will learn that crying gets you to come back. That'll mean he'll cry more and you'll create a separation anxiety problem that could haunt you for months to come.

To teach him it's ok to be left, get him settled, give him something really yummy and walk out, leaving him for just 5 seconds or so, then come back. Repeat, repeat. The lesson is 'mum leaving = yummies, and she always comes back'. Don't make a fuss of him when you get back - you want the leaving to have the better association than the coming back. Gradually extend this and you should soon be able to leave him for 30 secs, a minute, 5 minutes... Do several very short sessions each day and he'll soon learn it's all ok.

Our dogs sleep on (or in!) the bed if they like. Millie and Chaos both sleep under the duvet. Nola usually starts on the bed but then moves to her favoured spot under the desk.

Great advice thank you I didn think the pack thing was real either tbh but yh if I wanna do it I need to it straight away. I does cry wen he's in his cage so I'll try the short sessions with treats

My opionion is not to let the dog sleep in bed with you as you will find ot harder to move him into his own room,, crate ect.
I had my pup in my room the first night we got him and he constly cried but id say thats down to a new place.
My advice is leave him alone in the kitchen, , leave him loads of toys and give him some treats to persuade him in.
Goos luck.

Personal preference but mia sleeps at my feet handy in winter not so in summer as everyone else said dnt start a habit now u dnt want later having said this a wee pup in the bed does seem tempting

I agree with Crystal, good in winter and bad in the summer as they are like hot water bottles all year round. A bitch is going to take up less room than a dog when fully grown and I've only ever had bitches. Two warnings though a little pup isn't house trained and could have an accident in your bed. Also staffies even small ones seem to be able to spread out to great length in bed and you can soon find yourself being edged out of bed by 3 stone of pure muscle while it makes itself comfortable lol

Well touch wood he's slept with us since last Thursday and he hasn't had any accidents he slept all night last night got up this morning and got down off the ppbed and had a wee on his puppy mat

That sounds perfect! If you can, I'd carry him downstairs and put him outside straight away, so that he learns that his first wee is outside. Grab any opportunity you can for him to do what you'd like so you can give him praise and a treat.

Yep that's the next step as he's had his 1st injection nw

Aww bless

Saying nothing

Col

I never started this, even though a few nights Vin was whining apart from get up and let him out to wee. He soon settled, you must be careful that this will not lead to seperation anxiety.As Liz mentioned he needs to know its no big deal you leaving him.Do you use a crate? I found mine a godsend when Vin was a pup covered over its just like their own little safe haven

Yh got him a cage he will go in there on his own and av a kip if the doors open crys like crazy wen I put him in there tho I keep doing the leave for a few mins then go bk and give him a treat but it's not working yet especially wen I knw we r in the other room lol I'll try the cover tho

Where is the crate? perhaps you could start off putting it in the bedroom for a while then move it within a few weeks. Give him a frozen kong to go in at night and shut the door but yes a cover does help. It will be beneficial in the end

If you opt for the crate a radio left at low volume and an article of clothing with your scent on it will help.

It's in the kitchen atm cz I use it to give him a break from my daughter lol and to clean cz he takes everything out of my hands but I'll try moving it up stairs at night see how he is thanx all great advice

Well Marley took my old slippers into his cage and since then he asent cried at all so think I'm guna try him down stair 2nite with a blanket over the top fingers crossed he b good

What is it about Dogs n shoes ?!?!

Fingers crossed that it does the trick

Oh thats a good sign yes do cover the crate it does make a huge difference, Perhaps he likes the smell of slippers

I wudn Lol

he will smell you from the slippers and the smell is stronger as its your feet they get the salt and sweat i think its a reason a dog will sometimes bite or lick your feet/toes.

Emmahammond25 wrote:I wudn  Lol

Do let us know how it goes tonight

Haha will do

He slept all night down stair in his crate cried for abit so I turned all the light off and sat in the dark he stopped straight away

Excellent

Yay did you cover it over after?

Yh he loves it in there nw goes in on his own all the tym

Maisie sleeps on her chair beside our bed well at the start of the night but I have recently been woken up by her tail tapping off the covers in the morning when she has sneaked up beside us when we are sleeping cheeky wee girl. Does make me giggle every morning though when she try's to escape under the covers when I get up!

Awe bless