How to stop your puppy crying at night: simple steps

You aren't alone if your puppy is crying at night. Trust us: we've all been there, and you can make it through these sleepless nights. It's part of being a pet parent, and brand new owners often complain about their 8 week old puppy crying at night.

It's one of the reasons why crate training can get difficult; a puppy that won't stop crying in a crate at night happens a lot, and the reasons can get complicated when you factor in all a puppy has to learn.

But it won't last forever, and as a caring pet parent, you can use this time to form stronger bonds with your new family member.

Here, we share practical tips, as well as the reasons why puppies cry at night, so you can finally sleep soundly.

Oh, and make sure to read our nighttime puppy routine guide too, which can help with other sleep issues.

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Why puppies cry at night

A puppy crying at night can happen for lots of reasons. Usually, it's due to one or more of:

• Anxiety about new smells or the environment

• Crate discomfort or fear

• Hunger or thirst

• Missing their litter or mother

• Needing to go to the bathroom

Crying doesn't always mean something's wrong, though. It can just be your puppy vocalising and figuring things out. But you should check on them if they've been crying for over a minute or so.

If something is up, puppy insurance can help get your pup the care they need.

First night home: what to expect

Crying in the night is a normal part of a puppy's life. It's especially common for younger puppies around eight weeks old to cry at night.

Crying may last a few nights, but as long as you follow the right steps to guide your pup through this learning phase, it should lessen with time.

During their first night with you, you can expect your puppy to:

• Be anxious

• Cry or whine intermittently

• Experience restlessness

• Explore

• Pee or poop where they're sleeping

The important thing in the first few nights is to make sure your puppy is comfortable and happy, to act consistently and only check on your puppy crying if they've done so for a few minutes or if it sounds distressing.

Keep nighttime interactions as boring as possible, with no cuddles or playing, and minimal talking. This will stop your puppy from associating barking or whining with getting your attention.

How to stop puppy crying at night: seven tried-and-true tips

Our nighttime routine guide can really help with this. But these seven quickfire tips should get your started:

Create a comfortable sleep environment

• Create a positive environment in the cage.

• Make sure there's no repetitive or disturbing noise, like from domestic appliances.

• Put your puppy's cage in a place with little foot traffic.

• Use familiar smells, have some toys and use low-lighting.

Gradual crate training

• Integrate crate training into your puppy's daily routine.

• Never express frustration or shout at your puppy for not adapting to things quickly.

• Never use the crate as punishment.

• Use positive reinforcement training and reward your puppy whenever they're calm and settled in their crate.

• Your puppy’s crate should be a safe space where they can sleep undisturbed, small children are often tempted to climb in crates or wake sleeping dogs.

Don’t reinforce crying

• Don't rush to your pup every time they cry; only do it if they've cried for a minute or so or if it sounds very distressing.

• Provide comfort to your dog regularly, and not only when they've cried.

• Remember that rewarding or giving your puppy fuss every time they cry can cause them to cry more as they associate it with a reward - keep nighttime interactions as low key and dull as possible.

Establish a bedtime routine

• Avoid vigorous playtime and feeding just before bed.

• Be consistent with your nighttime routine, including giving your puppy the opportunity to toilet right before bed.

• Make bedtime a calm, routine part of the day so your puppy can naturally learn when it's time to sleep.

Toilet break strategy

• Don't play with your puppy when you take them to pee outside before bed, this can distract them from the job at hand.

• Gently praise your puppy when they toilet outside.

• Remember that your puppy will naturally need the bathroom less as they grow older.

Try a comfort item or white noise

• Try and provide things that have a comforting smell for your puppy, like a blanket from their original home.

• Some puppies benefit from white noise, too, but don't do this if your puppy is getting distressed.

• Use comforting toys and smells in your puppy's crate. Calming, dog-appeasing pheromone products can be helpful.

Don’t overdo alone time too soon

• Don't overdo alone time in the early days - make sure you gradually introduce alone time in a calm, consistent way. It is important that your puppy learns to feel happy in their own company but this should be a steady process.

• Practice patience with all training and new things with your puppy.

• Take notes of your puppy's body language so you know if you're pushing training too quickly.

What if my puppy won't stop crying in their crate at night?

Before worrying too much, let's go through a troubleshooting checklist first:

• Are there any issues with the crate, and is it a good size?

• Are there any symptoms of underlying health issues?

• Did you introduce crate training gradually and in a positive fashion?

• Do they have a comfortable soft bed and access to water in their crate?

• Does your puppy need to go to the bathroom?

• Have you added anything comforting to your puppy's cage, like soft toys or a blanket that smells like their previous home?

• Is it still very early days? (in which case crying at night is fairly normal)

• Is your puppy only crying at night or crying all the time?

Assuming everything looks fine, you may need to experiment with some options, like:

• Moving the crate somewhere else in the house.

• Trying more crate and positive reinforcement training.

• Using a pen or bed instead of a crate once your puppy is older.

If your puppy still cries through the night and you've seemingly tried everything, speak to your vet or a registered behaviourist.

When to worry: is my puppy crying too much?

Excessive crying can indicate issues like:

• Pain or discomfort

• Parasites

• Separation anxiety

• Underlying health problems

See a vet if you're worried, symptoms become worse over time or become severe.

Your vet will ask you about your puppy's behaviour as part of their routine check-ups anyway, but it's always worth seeing one as soon as possible for anything that raises serious alarm.

How puppy insurance helps

Remember: the crying phase is temporary, and you can get through this. Think of it as an opportunity for you and your puppy to learn more about each other and bond.

Routine, comfort and time are the best remedies. But occasionally, crying through the night can mean something else is going on, so get your puppy checked out if you are worried.

Thankfully, puppy insurance can help with unexpected health issues, and our Complete Care plan has behavioural treatment cover up to the vet fee limit when referred by a vet to treat a condition.

Here's hoping you and your puppy both sleep soundly soon.

Get behavioural cover up to £20,000 as part of your overall vet fee limit, on Complete Care

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