If you’re struggling to get your pooch to sleep through the night, a dog trainer may have just the solution. Renee Patience, a behavioural specialist, has shared her top tips as a guide on social media. The founder of Paws Academy believes many pet owners are making three mistakes when it comes to bedtime.
“Here are the top three mistakes I see every week that make bedtime harder than it needs to be,” she penned on TikTok. “These fixes are simple but game-changing. Puppy sleep training doesn’t have to be complicated.”
Renee began her video by saying her advice will benefit anyone with a young pup who is “absolutely desperate” for a good night’s sleep.
Location
Letting your puppy sleep wherever it wants could well be where you are going wrong, Renee explained in her first point. “It’s subtle, but it does matter,” she said. “So if your puppy naps under the table, on the sofa or in your arms, they’re not learning that bed or the crate etc is the place to fully switch off.”
Renee added that over time, this will make it harder for your dog to settle in the space you want them to. To combat the problem, when your pet does nod off away from their bed, you should gently move them into their bed or crate before they are in a deep sleep. “This helps them associate the space with real rest,” Renee advised.
Cues
Using cues inconsistently may be creating more work for you, Renee continued. “If you’re saying ‘settle’ one night, ‘bed’ the following night and ‘sleepy time’ after that, how does your puppy know what you’re asking them to do?” Renne asked her followers.
Instead, the expert suggests choosing one cue and sticking with it, and always pairing it with the same routine and space. “The puppy will thrive on repetition – not guesswork,” Renee said.
Excitement
Renee closed her clip by noting that her third point is “easy to overlook”. She explained that if your puppy believes bedtime means time for a cuddle, toys or one last play, they won’t want to wind down.
“So we want to create a wind down routine that is the same every night,” Renee said. “Toilet, short calm moment, into their bed or crate then treat – this repetition builds predictability and predictability helps them to settle.”
Writing in response, one TikTok user asked: “Should they have chewing toys in the crate? The first couple of days it helped him come down but now he plays in the crate during the night.”
To this, Renee replied: “Great question. Chew toys can be helpful if they encourage your puppy to settle, especially in the early days when they are still adjusting. But if he’s waking up and getting playful in the middle of the night, it might be better to remove them once he’s asleep.
“The goal is to help him associate the crate with calm rest, not playtime.”