There are different opinions about puppies’ sleeping arrangements, some pet parents prefer the crate, others will use a bed, while the rest choose to let the puppy sleep in bed with them.
What all experts do agree on is that it’s recommended for young puppies to sleep in your room, at least for a while before moving out.
It is also recommended that the puppies do move out of your room at some point, and there are multiple reasons for such a suggestion and we’ll go over them.
How long should a puppy sleep in your room?
Your puppy should sleep in your room till the age of 3 to 4 months, at this age most puppies are physically capable of making it through the night, without a potty trip.
Potty training is the reason why a puppy should sleep in your room, once they are able to hold their bladder through the night they should sleep in a separate room.
The puppy sleeping in your room allows you to hear him when he wakes up at night for a potty trip and you can avoid potty incidents.
Should a puppy sleep in your bedroom?
In the first few months, the puppy should sleep in your room, this way you can comfort him with your presence, and hear him when he’s whining or needs a potty trip.
When crate training you could have some whining and objections especially in the first couple of weeks so having the crate close can be helpful.
Once the dog is old enough, he doesn’t need to sleep in your room anymore.
Is it bad to let your puppy sleep in your room?
There is nothing wrong with your puppy sleeping in your room for a few months, in fact, it can help you bond and be reassuring for a new puppy.
What’s not so good is letting the puppy sleep in bed with you, it is strongly recommended to have the puppy sleep in his bed or a crate.
Having a puppy sleeping in your bed can affect your sleep quality since dogs wake up multiple times at night, and they move around a lot.
Sleeping close to dogs can aggravate allergies and asthma, not just dog allergies but regular ones.
Why shouldn’t your puppy sleep in your room?
There are multiple reasons why a dog should not sleep in your room after the first few months, and here are some of the most important ones.
Dog becoming velcro
Dogs that sleep with their humans can get too attached to them, and sometimes very reliant to a point where they become velcro in the absence of mental stimulation and activities.
No one wants a dog following him around all the time, of course, there is no causality effect here but dogs that do sleep with owners are more exposed to becoming velcro.
It is best to have a separate dog bed or crate for your dog and even better to have him sleep in another room altogether.
Independence
Dogs that sleep in their own room do become more independent and can reach emotional maturity faster than dogs that sleep with their owners.
Sleeping in a separate room helps set up boundaries and kees a healthy relationship with your dog, and he’s less likely to get overly attached to you.
Restless nights
Dogs are polyphasic sleepers, they have multiple wake/sleep cycles at night, and they can get noisy and affect your sleep quality.
Dogs are also light sleepers they stay alert to sounds, you can wake up tired after a full night’s sleep, without knowing why, while it’s your dog preventing you from a deep sleep that you need.
Protective behavior
Dogs that get too attached to their owners and one specific person, in particular, could be overprotective, which is not very convenient.
These dogs would place themselves between you and other persons or pets, and they can get aggressive toward them, by growling or barking.
When can puppies sleep alone?
Puppies need to sleep close to their owners for the first three to four months when they can’t hold their bladder for the night, once old enough to hold it they can sleep alone.
Dogs do adapt to sleeping alone very quickly, and even a young 8-week old puppy will sleep alone, but you’ll need to make arrangements for potty training like pads.
If you’re planning on crate training your puppy you should definitely keep your puppy in your room until he’s properly crate trained, puppies do tend to whine and bark in the crate in the first few weeks and do need comfort.
Where should a puppy sleep at night?
We strongly recommend crate training puppies, so the puppy sleeps in his crate at night, in the first 3 to 4 months the crate should be placed in your room.
Once the puppy is properly crate trained and potty trained he should be moved out of the bedroom to the living room or another separate room.
The dog crate or bed should be somewhere safe, and making sure to puppy-proof an area is important at least until the puppy is ready to sleep out of the crate.
How long do puppies sleep at night?
Puppies that are less than 2 to 3 months old usually sleep around 18-20 hours a day, but they do sleep in cycles.
At night they can go for 4 to 6 hours sleeping cycles and wake up for an hour for a potty break and some food before going back to sleep again.
The older the puppy gets less sleep he needs and spends more time awake, but no dog will sleep throughout the entire night.
Adult dogs sleep around 12 hours a day day and will also wake up at night, just like younger puppies.
Final thoughts
Puppies should sleep in your room for the first three to four months until they’re old enough to sleep through the night without a potty trip.
Smaller breeds often have smaller bladders and will take longer to be able to hold it for 8 hours straight.
It is best to have the puppy sleep in a crate, it provides a safe environment and helps a lot with potty training.
It is recommended that your puppy moves out of your room once old enough, to build his confidence and independence and avoid Excessive attachment.
