If you buy a dog and bring it home, there is a high chance that it will whine. This can happen not only during the day, but also at night, causing discomfort to everyone in the household. Often games are accompanied by unpleasant whining. At such moments, the question arises of how to stop a dog from whining without harming its psyche. Detailed instructions will be described in this article.
When is it easier to train to sleep at night?
The best time for training is when the dog is under one year old. Consider this when choosing a pet for your home. If the dog is 2-3 months old, you can train it without much difficulty, you just need to not deviate from the intended goal.
Puppies weaned from their mother early experience stress. A sudden change of environment only aggravates the situation, because lonely kids can be restless at night. They are afraid, whine, and scratch at their owner's room. The owner of the puppy should take care of creating a familiar environment for the ward:
- Warmth – instead of the mother’s warm side, a heating pad or a plastic bottle filled with warm water will warm the baby. This “heater” is wrapped in soft cloth and placed next to the baby.
- Attention and affection - during the daytime, give the puppy maximum attention. Don't leave him alone so he doesn't miss his mom.
- Security - let the baby sleep where he feels protected. Give him a house or a bed with high sides.
The main thing is to show moderate care. By giving concessions, you are raising a capricious dog.
No need to whine!
During the first week of your puppy being at home, he may start crying or whining pitifully before going to bed. This happens because the baby has a hard time being separated from the family and is used to sleeping with his mother and brothers and sisters. The main advice: do not get along with your pet, do not try to replace his mother: you risk teaching a dangerous pattern of behavior into a small puppy for life.
If your puppy cries or whines, leave him alone anyway. Allow a reasonable amount of time, long enough for him to calm down without your help. If crying continues for a long time, give the command “No” and do not condone such behavior under any circumstances. Try to somehow distract his attention, stay nearby, but do not cajole the puppy: otherwise he will remember that only crying and whining can achieve certain results.
Original post: Teaching Your Puppy To Sleep Through The Night. Source and photo:
What to do before bed
- Feed When training to sleep at night, observe the correct time of the last meal. Feed dinner at least three hours before your dog falls asleep. This way his body will digest the food. If you feed your pet later, then at night he will get up to do his business. The same goes for water. To prevent your baby from waking up for natural needs, give him something to drink at least two hours before going to bed. If your puppy is teething, give him something to chew at night. The chewing process has a calming effect. Place a chewable treat or toy (not a squeaky one) next to your sleeping baby. When he wakes up at night, he will be able to occupy himself without disturbing you. Perhaps chewing will easily put him to sleep.
- Take a walk This point follows from the previous one. The key to a good night's sleep is a walk. Be sure to take your pet for a walk every day. Let this become a useful habit to ensure nightly peace for your household. If the puppy does not constantly do things during walks, do not cancel them.
- Play Fun games are a way to burn off energy and, accordingly, get tired. Due to natural fatigue, he will be more willing to go to bed. Play at home or on a walk, the main thing is a maximum of two hours before going to bed. Before going to bed, do not let your pet play around, stop any activity. Puppies can wake up at night to play. The best tactic is to ignore. Do not pet him, do not say his name, do not give in to attempts to involve the owner in the game. If the puppy is playfully attacking you, then gently push him away with your foot, but not with your hands. The animal will understand that no attention is paid at night, and the desire to play at this time will disappear.
What to do in the first nights with a puppy
If you decide to buy a dog, choose one and a half month old puppies. Considering that they are used to being with their mother all the time, you will have to replace her. Stroke the puppies constantly if they become anxious or whine. You can massage the tummy and praise him if he behaves diligently.
For the first few days, place your dog bed next to your bed. Gradually move it away and bring it closer to the place where the grown dog will always be. To facilitate adaptation, you can use an object familiar to your pet.
Ask if the breeder can give you bedding from the bed on which the bitch and her puppies slept. A toy or cardboard will also work.
Place the selected item next to the dog bed. Thanks to this, the baby will calm down and gain confidence in safety. You can place a bottle of warm water or a heating pad in your dog’s bed. This will create an imitation of the fact that mom is nearby.
Older pets who are already accustomed to their new family may also whine. Turning on the light or a compact night light will help correct the situation. If the animal "cries" due to boredom, place a new toy, imitation bone, or other entertainment next to it.
At a moment of boredom, the dog will entertain itself, which will allow it to calm down and fall asleep. After a few weeks, begin training and education.
Organization of a sleeping place
It is important that the place of sleep evokes positive emotions and attracts the puppy. There is no need to take your pet to a bed or send it to bed as punishment. This will cause stress when trying to put your puppy down. Make this place cozy, it should be comfortable, not cold and not hot. In winter, provide a warm soft blanket, in summer - dense cool material, set the optimal temperature in the room where the puppy sleeps. Allow him to take some kind of toy. Perhaps a softly turned on radio or a ticking clock nearby will help put the baby to sleep.
At first, if the puppy is overly anxious and does not want to be left alone, place his bed next to the bed where you sleep. Go to bed together and put your hand down, let it calm the puppy. Usually after 10 minutes he falls asleep. It is forbidden to take an animal into bed to calm it down! It will be difficult to wean him off in the future. Gradually move the couch further and further from the bed and move it closer to its permanent location. The pet will gradually get used to the changes and will soon begin to rest peacefully until the morning.
Sometimes dogs wake up at night to check that their owner is okay. This phenomenon is observed in both puppies and adult guard breeds. Having arrived in the master bedroom and making sure that he is sleeping peacefully, the dog will go on to sleep. If your pet has this habit, do not leave it indoors overnight.
Reasons for whining at night
Why does my puppy whine at night? As you know, dogs communicate with their owner by whining. In this way they are trying to communicate something. There are several reasons why dogs whine at night. This may occur due to anxiety when the baby is left alone.
If an animal finds itself in a new home, it experiences anxiety and loneliness.
This is due to the fact that he was taken away from his parents and family. If a puppy howls at night for several days, this is normal. If the situation does not improve after 2-3 days, then you need to be wary.
If you don't want your puppy to be spoiled, ignore him. If there are no changes, shout the command “Fu”. The voice should be stern.
It is forbidden to hit a puppy. Even a slight push can provoke mental disorders in your pet. It is important to initially establish a trusting and friendly relationship with the puppy. If a dog is silent even for a few seconds, this is already a reason to praise it. In the future, praise should be infrequent in order to develop the ability to behave quietly.
Sometimes dogs whine when alone if they are bored. In this case, you need to put toys next to your pet or play active games with him. It is recommended to play a prank on the dog in the evening so that it sleeps at night. If the puppy is tired, he will not try to attract attention to himself.
Some owners make the huge mistake of taking their dog into their bed. Having made such a mistake once, you run the risk of doing so in the future. After all, the dog remembers such actions, and then demands attention from the person. It is quite difficult to rid your pet of such a habit.
Sometimes dogs whine at night if they are in pain. Animals often experience severe pain without making sounds. However, there are times when a dog whines in pain. Especially if the injury is recent. Carefully examine the dog for scratches, bruises and cuts.
Dogs often whine when they feel very hungry. By their behavior they are trying to say that you need to pour food into the bowl. To prevent such situations from happening at night, fill bowls with food and water in advance.
In many cases, dogs whine when they are afraid. This occurs due to unfamiliar situations or extraneous sounds around. Other symptoms indicate the presence of fear, including tucking the tail and ears. At the same time, the puppy begins to reach out and cuddle up to the person. It is recommended to calm the dog and reassure him that he is safe.
Cheering is a way to manipulate a person. The owner, who is under emotion, is trying in every possible way to rectify the situation. Therefore, we are ready to do anything to calm the dog. In the future, this may aggravate the situation, because the pet is not stupid, so they will continue to attract attention using this method. It is best to ignore the various sounds your dog makes. After several unsuccessful attempts at manipulation, the animal will understand that it will not get what it wants and will calm down.
Factors that interfere with healthy sleep
It is impossible to control the onset of the sleep cycle, but there are factors that prevent the puppy from sleeping:
- unfamiliar or loud noises;
- active play;
- stress;
- eating;
- excessive lighting;
- uncomfortable bed.
Air temperature also affects sleep. But this is a special parameter. So, in a room with a temperature of +15 C, a whippet will feel comfortable, but a St. Bernard may overheat. Therefore, set the temperature taking into account the characteristics of your pet’s coat.
Did you know? Do dogs laugh? Ethnologist Konrad Lorenz suggested that this was so. When the puppy invites you to play, he opens his jaws, slightly tilting the corner of his mouth and hanging out his tongue. This gives the impression that the pet is laughing.
What is the problem?
People with delayed sleep phase syndrome jump up when the alarm goes off, but do not feel awake. A couple of cups of coffee helps you come to your senses. However, not for long: my thoughts are bad, I desperately want to sleep, my mood is low. By lunchtime they cheer up a little, and in the evening everything repeats: no sleep in either eye.
It would seem that the problem has only a social background. Become a freelancer and sleep all day and work at night. But everything is somewhat more complicated. People with delayed sleep phase syndrome experience a breakdown of their biological clock. Their body temperature changes during the daily cycle differently than others. And the production of hormones, tied to the time of day, is also different for them. And this affects your mood (it is always depressed), appetite (it is increased and you always want sweets and fatty foods), motivation, sexual desire and many other aspects of life. That is, these are not ordinary “owls”. These are “night owls” who have been deprived of normal sleep (and life) by circumstances.
Why you can't calm your dog when he whines
Most dog owners believe that they need to start calming their pet down. However, such actions are ineffective. Especially if a six-month-old puppy constantly whines for no reason. Remember that by such actions you provoke new manipulations. The animal will whine to attract attention. Try to combine praise and severity. This will allow you to properly raise the puppy.
How to calm a restless dog?
Relax them with dog-friendly sounds or smells
Music streaming services like Spotify and YouTube offer dog songs and puppy playlists specifically designed to make your dog feel more relaxed. You can also use some tasty scents and chews to distract your dog, which can also help calm an anxious dog.
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What does it mean to sleep with a dog?
While we have been discussing tips to help your dog sleep, we must make a clear distinction. When someone asks how to get a dog to sleep, they probably aren't talking about short naps. While the phrase euthanize a dog literally means to let the dog sleep, it is also a euphemism for euthanasia . Euthanasia is the killing of a dog by a person and should only be carried out when the dog is unable to recover from illness or injury or if its suffering is too great to maintain welfare...
Although it is a last resort, euthanasia is often the most human course of action; we need to speak with our veterinarian to discuss all options. We should not perform canine euthanasia ourselves. If we do not have experience, we may perform it incorrectly and increase the animal's suffering. We also need a vet to examine the dog so they can recover.
The most common method of euthanasia in dogs is lethal injection . The veterinarian will administer an injection that will cause the dog's heart to stop. Once calmed, the effect is almost immediate and should not cause pain to the dog in the final minutes. If you'd like to know more, we can provide helpful information on what to do when your dog dies.
Can you teach a dog to sleep??
The first thing to remember when helping our dog sleep is that sleep is natural. It is not a learned behavior that requires training to understand. Puppies will do this from birth, and the dog will feel the need to sleep to maintain overall well-being. The amount of sleep a dog needs will vary throughout its life. Puppies will sleep most of the day while their bodies adapt to the world. Adults typically sleep less, but older dogs will need more due to the effects of aging.
Dogs usually sleep without much trouble, but environmental factors can make this difficult. There are some things that we need when adopting a dog, a dog bed is important. For several reasons, a dog may not be able to carry his own dog bed. It may be too small, too uncomfortable, or even placed somewhere that is not conducive to sleep. Some of the reasons may be human related. They may feel too hot and prefer to sleep on a relatively cool floor.
Some dogs will want to sleep in their guardian's bed, which will vary depending on the entire family. Dogs can sleep in your bed if true health and hygiene requirements are met. However, you wouldn't legally want to share a bed with a dog. The whole family should agree on whether the dog can sleep in the bed. If not, it will give them conflicting impressions and cause confusion. It will depend on your preference and if the dog is in your way.
You can't train a dog to sleep, but you can provide a supportive environment to help them get better rest. One of the best things we can do for our dog is to create a routine. Dogs often adapt to our daily rhythms. If our rhythm changes, it can affect the dog's sleep pattern. Even providing the right amount of food at the right time can be very beneficial. This means they won't be hungry at night, but their appetite will help them get up in the morning...
Walking and exercising will help them get tired and fall asleep. Not only is it beneficial for healthier sleep, but exercise is essential for overall health. This doesn't mean we should make them feel nervous and anxious before bedtime. It's also helpful to turn off distractions and eliminate any irritants that may disrupt your sleep. It is important to set guidelines, regardless of the dog's age.
WHAT IS NIGHT COUGH DANGEROUS?
Coughing attacks that occur at night can cause many temporary and even permanent health problems. To understand how harmful this condition is to the body, we can cite only one of the complications. Do you like memory impairment, decreased visual acuity, and impaired sense of smell? It would seem that what does a night cough have in common with the loss of such important functions as the ability to clearly see the world around us, remember information and smell? The relationship is more obvious than it seems at first glance: oxygen starvation and lack of rest in the main organ of the human body - the brain. In the dark, the brain must rest and restore resources used during the day. These processes are possible only during deep sleep, into which the body is simply unable to immerse itself - it is constantly awakened by coughing. You will survive several such nights without consequences, but a prolonged dry or wet night cough will sooner or later lead to chronic fatigue of the brain with subsequent dysfunction of its various areas. What to do if a night cough interferes with normal life?
