If they start up again, as hard as it may seem, leave them alone. You could try things like allowing your puppy to sleep closer to you at first so they can hear you and feel less alone. You can then gradually move their bed towards its permanent spot as they get used to this. Crate training can also help.
It's a common mistake that some owners make to just leave their puppy in their bed or crate to 'cry it out'. Even if they seem to settle down, this could actually be having the opposite effect to what you want and making them more anxious to be alone, causing them more stress.
Never ignore a puppy during these first few days, as their crying is more likely to be caused by stress or fear which shouldn't be neglected. Ignoring a puppy may also teach the puppy that you aren't there to help them when they are distressed, causing further fear and distress.
The most ideal scenario is that your pup cries for a bit, but settles in under 30 minutes and falls asleep. Then you as the owner decide when to get your pup out — it's okay to wake them after a while and take them out of their crate.
Once they understand the rules, you can start to leave them unconfined in the home. This is different for every dog and entirely dependent on their personality and training. For some dogs, it can take 6-8 months, for others it's 12.
As challenging as it might be, let your dog settle himself down. After a few nights, he should understand that whining and crying in the crate won't get him anywhere. Get some earplugs (or use a white noise app on your phone) and know it's a short-term sacrifice for long-term happiness for you and your pup.
We recommend at least having them in your bedroom with you in the beginning in either a dog bed or crate. Having your puppy in your bedroom with you will make them feel more reassured. Then, you can gradually move them to where you would like them to sleep permanently.
On the first night, your puppy should sleep in a crate inside your bedroom, having your reassuring presence nearby. Ideally, you should leave the crate in the same place for three weeks at least, and only then start to gradually move it to another area.
Being alone or having to sleep alone at night can be trigger points for crying, but if you give them the right atmosphere, they can learn that it's not so scary. This may result in some periods of crying, but they will tire of it after a while.
If he does whine or cry in the crate, it's imperative that you not let him out until he stops. Otherwise, he'll learn that the way to get out of the crate is to whine, so he'll keep doing it.
Some puppies and dogs prefer a nightlight. They find it comforting. But for others, the light can provide too much stimulation and keep them awake and busy. For those dogs, make the house dark and quiet.
Puppy separation anxiety arises when they haven't learned the right coping strategies to deal with alone time. Hence, their behavior results from fear of being alone. It's somewhat like the puppy equivalent of a human panic attack.
According to the American Kennel Club, owners should let sleeping dogs lie. "Disrupting a dog during REM sleep can result in serious consequences," says the AKC.
The myth that separation anxiety or aggression in dogs is caused by co-sleeping is just that. A myth.
According to the American Kennel Club, puppies younger than 10 weeks cannot be left alone for more than an hour. From 3-6 months, they should not be left longer than their age in months (for example, 3-month-old puppies cannot be alone for longer than 3 hours).
Wait until Your Dog Is Potty Trained
Ideally, your dog should be close to fully potty trained before you allow him or her to sleep in bed with you. There are several reasons for this. First, you don't want your dog to get in the habit of using your bed as a potty pad.
Typically, dogs between 7-16 weeks can sleep 6-8 hours, but they still need to take a potty break at night. So if your dog wakes up at night, it means it needs to pee. Do not play or pay attention to it during this time.
But in all honesty, there's no 'right time' for a puppy to go to sleep, as long as it's the same every night. While this may be the case, do note that your puppy will need, on average, around 8-10 hours of sleep per night.
A crate cover, like a blanket or crate-specific covering, can be beneficial to many dogs and can help reduce anxiety and soothe dogs by limiting visual stimuli, which in turn can prevent excitement and barking.
Puppies younger than 6 months: Leave them alone for 2 hours max at a time. Puppies older than 6 months: Leave them alone for 4 hours max at a time.
Your pup will begin to adjust to being alone, as well as learn a valuable lesson: you always come back. We recommend you leave your dog in a safe place, either a roomy crate or puppy playroom, whenever you leave the house until they're about a year old, though some dogs may need a few extra months of training.
Usually, it means they haven't been taught how to self-soothe just yet. Yes, they will cry but we have to teach them how to self-soothe and remain calm and relaxed in your absence. Otherwise, you're never going to get your puppy over their anxiousness when you're not home.