My puppy won't nap. Should I make him sleep in his crate during the day?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Puppies this young need their sleep, so I would not wake him up when he is sleeping! He will eventually get on more of a normal schedule, but this may take some time. When he is awake, you can absolutely play with him as much as possible during the day to tire him out, but he will still need frequent naps. This is necessary and healthy for growth! I hope this is helpful!

If he is sleeping in a crate for potty training, I would take him to his crate for bed. Or if you want him to sleep in a specific place each night, then I would wake him to take him to his bed. But if you don't care where he sleeps at night, I would leave him where he is, as waking him may think it's time to play, and you will have trouble getting to sleep yourself. You can leave him access to his bed so he can go there if he wants to during the night.

If Oliver sleeps peacefully in his crate during the night, then clearly he is used to it. As for the daytime . . . you need to decide what the house rules will be, not he. Put him in the crate when he is awake, and ignore any whining or howling. Any attention, even negative attention such as scolding him, will reinforce the behavior. You may have to tough it out for a few days, but once Oliver understands that no amount of noise is going to bring results, he will stop. Just be prepared for an initial escalation if his antics worked in the past to either get him sprung from the crate or some other reward. He will wonder why they are not woreking now, and try harder. Be patient. He will stop if he gets no satisfaction from his efforts. Just be certain that you are not leaving him in the crate for too long a period of time during the day. Best of luck with this! If you need further assistance, you can click on the prompt to initate a consult.

You can't do anything to make sure he sleeps, as his own body rhythms will dictate that. You can keep him safe, and out of trouble during the night, by putting him in a crate at bedtime. Introduce him to it gradually. First, put his food right inside the door so he learns to eat there. Step-by-step, move the bowl farther into the crate each time he eats, leaving the door open. When he is comfortable eating inside, close the door, opening it as soon as he finishes eating. Gradually extend the time the door is closed. Do not oen the door if he is whining or trying to get out. Just ignore him, and wait until he is settled before letting him out. For additional assistance with this, you can click on the prompt to initiate a consult.

That all depends on the puppy. Crating tends to be safer because the puppy cannot get into potential harmful things. It also tends to help with house breaking. Here is an article which may provide some help: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-crate-train-your-puppy-or-older-dog/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/new-puppies-sleep-tips-for-bedtime/ Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Yes, I would do that. He does need more exercise even if it's just walking as opposed to playing or running. That being said, be sure he has had all his vaccinations before taking him to any dog parks or anywhere that a lot of dogs congregate so that he doesn't catch something. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Leave the crate open for him to go in and out during the day. At night, use a cover over the crate so he cant see you. Leave a nightlight on for him as well as a radio tuned to a talk station on low volume for "company". At his young age, he's going to want to be close to you. It will take time for him to acclimate to being in the crate.