Some Tips to help your dog sleep through the night
I have drawn from a few people who know dogs...like Cesar Milan.
Some dogs do have a problem sleeping through the night - and if they sleep inside the house dog insomnia can cause sleep disturbance for the rest of the household.
There are many reasons for insomnia: Overweight dogs can be prone to sleep apnea, senior dogs may be in pain due to arthritis. Bladder control in can be a problem with seniors and puppies. Allergies can be a problem causing licking or scratching but the most common cause of insomnia is often pent up energy.
Some suggestions:
Dogs like a routine - and with a new puppy it is important to establish a routine as soon as possible. Set up a time for bed, a time for food, for exercise etc.
Setting up a special sleeping place whether it be a kennel or a bed. Reward the dog for going to its special place and make them look forward to going there! Some suggest using a dog crate for a while - to confine them in a special place to get into the habit of sleeping through the night.
Get your dog on a schedule: Even if you are a night owl, schedule your dog with a "good night - bed time" at a particular time at night.
Is your dog hungry? No one wants to go to bed with an empty tummy - including your dog.
Dogs like to sleep with the pack. But if your young puppy should get used to its own bed in its own place before you consider having it sleep with you. If you do invite your dog into your room never let never let it come in uninvited or crawl onto your bed uninvited. This could be the beginning of a bad habit that is difficult to stop.
Exercise before bed. inadequate exercise can perhaps be the biggest cause of insomnia. If your dog has not done much running around during the day it is bound to have some pent up energy at night. If you can take them for a walk before bed it could help use up some of that extra energy which will help it sleep through the night.
Toilet break. This is pretty important of course. Take them out just before bed time. And you might want to leave water in the bowl overnight but maybe not a full bowl - they don't need to fill there bladder
When you you consider that your dog sleeps more than 12 hours a day, its not surprising that they do get up at odd times. "A good premium, comfortable inside / outside chew proof, waterproof dog bed". A good comfortable, tough "inside the house" bed will go a long way to helping your dog get a good nights sleep
