Stop your puppy crying at night.

This is one of the most frustrating and sometimes upsetting puppy scenarios for new puppy parents. Your pup won't stop crying and whining. You experience a mix of emotions — from sad to annoyed — and that is all perfectly normal. The key is to ensure all the practical steps have been completed. You don't need to overthink it; you just need to get practical.

We have created a wonderful bedtime routine for all of our pups over the years, and they all sleep through the night and don't wake us up at 6am (although bear in mind, you do have a few months of early mornings ahead of you at first)!

Warm and Cozy: Place a warm hot water bottle in the bed to mimic the warmth of their littermates. If it's summertime or you have a particularly warm home, then be sensible. You don't want your puppy to overheat or to be cold. Don’t forget they are wearing a coat at all times! Think about how you feel when too cold or warm trying to sleep, this could be a reason your pup is not settling.

Tire them out: Engage in training or playtime 30 minutes before bed to help burn off excess energy. In order for a puppy to sleep, they need to be tired. "Thank you, Captain Obvious!" I hear you saying. However, different types of entertainment can lead to different stimulation levels, some great for sleep, some that do the opposite. If you have a ball-mad dog (I'm looking at you, Border Collies), then playing fetch right before bed is going to stimulate them to an extent that fires them up. However, practising their favourite tricks that mimic calming behaviours such as sit and down with gentle praise is going to tire them out nicely. If you have a pretty chilled-out puppy, then playing tug or fetch is fine as long as you follow it with some calming cuddles afterward.

Toilet Break: Always make sure they've been to the toilet before bedtime — ideally a pee and a poop. Lots of praise and treats for when they go outside.

Set up your bed near them or have them in the bedroom the first week: Old-fashioned trainers will have you leave your puppy downstairs, alone from night one, but things have come a long way since those days. Imagine being removed from your family and left in a room alone all night... would you cry? Yup! So, either you’re going to set up camp downstairs to support them through the transition or have their crate next to your bed and slowly move it each night further away until you reach your desired spot.

Gentle Settling: After they have played and been out to the toilet, guide or carry your puppy over to their bed that is in a pen or crate to ensure they don't get up to mischief at night. I like to say "Oh, you're so tired" as I put them to bed. Over time, they associate this phrase with sleeping and it can cue that sleepy time is coming. Use a treat to lure them onto their bed and sit next to your puppy and softly stroke them until they fall asleep. Keep your hand on them for a few minutes, then gently remove your hand but keep sitting there. Move away as quietly as you can.

Water & Food: Make sure they have plenty of water. Don't leave food down apart from at mealtimes: it's the only way to get some kind of predictability with their toilet training.

Toilet in the night: Your pup will not be able to 'hold it' all night. I recommend taking them out to the toilet before they start crying. For example, 3am is usually a good midpoint in the night to give them the opportunity. It ain't pretty, but some sides of dog ownership aren't! This is going to go on for a few weeks, so set that alarm and have treats at the ready. Put them straight back to bed afterward. If they cry and you know they didn’t go, you can take them back out, but DO NOT PLAY WITH THEM in the middle of the night. Make it boring: toilet or bed, those are the only two options at 3am!

Phase Things Out: All of the above sounds like hard work? Don’t worry, it actually all phases out pretty quickly. After a few weeks, if you have been consistent, then you should be sorted and have a quiet pup. If you notice your pup is struggling to hold it, it may be that you need a pen with a designated toilet area away from their bed. Some pups take longer to be able to hold it in overnight.