Puppy’s first night: how to settle the crying

Most puppies cry on their first night in a new home. That’s normal. Your puppy has never slept away from their mum and littermates before. The crying doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. With a calm plan, the nights get easier.

Set up before bedtime

• Put the crate or bed right next to your bed. For the first few nights, your puppy needs company, not a room on their own.
• Ask your breeder or rescue group for a blanket or toy that smells of mum and the litter. Put it where your puppy sleeps.
• Other comforts can help too: an old T-shirt that smells of you, a ticking clock, or a warm (not hot) water bottle wrapped in a towel. Take away anything your puppy starts to chew.
• Give the last meal a few hours before bed.
• Some vets suggest limiting water in the last 2 hours before bed. Your puppy should still be able to drink if they’re thirsty, especially on a hot night.
• Take your puppy to their toilet spot just before lights-out.
• Keep the room dim, quiet and comfortable.

When your puppy cries

• It’s OK to comfort them. Talk softly, or rest your hand by the crate so they can smell you.
• Stay close and calm. Settling them next to you is kinder than leaving them to cry alone, which can make them more stressed.
• Keep your voice low and the lights off. Night-time is for sleeping, not playing.

Night toilet trips

• Young puppies can’t hold on all night. A rough guide is about one hour for each month of age, give or take an hour. So an 8-week-old may need to go every 2 or 3 hours.
• Set an alarm for quiet toilet trips. Many families go out at about 2am and 5am. If your puppy wakes and cries in between, they may need to go then too.
• Carry your puppy straight to the toilet spot. Keep it calm and boring: no games and no fuss. A soft “good puppy” when they go is fine, then straight back to bed.

When crying is not normal

Crying at night in a new home is normal. Ring your vet the same day if your puppy:

• cries and also won’t eat
• yelps when you touch a certain spot
• cries or strains when they try to wee or poo
• has vomiting or diarrhoea (runny poo), or seems flat and unwell

Most puppies cry less each night as they get used to their new home and routine. Keep doing the same calm things each night, and it will get easier.