Can a 10-Week-Old Puppy Sleep Through the Night?

Can a 10-week-old puppy sleep through the night?

If you recently picked up your little fur baby, that’s probably one of your most burning questions.

I was lucky in that regard. I only got my Miniature Poodle Baloo at 12 weeks old and the breeder already let him sleep in a crate next to her bed for a couple of days.

This made sleeping through the night a whole lot easier! By the time I got him, he already knew that the crate was his sleeping place. And he felt comfy in it.

So, at 12 weeks old, Baloo slept through the night from day 1!

But, that’s not necessarily the rule.

A 10-week-old puppy can sleep through the night, if you night is only about 6 hours long and you’re an early riser. Some puppies even manage to sleep for 8 hours at 10 weeks old. However, most puppies need a little longer and will only sleep for this long at about 16 weeks.

How to Get a Puppy to Sleep Through the Night

Congratulations, you just got a new puppy! There’s nothing cuter, is there? Well, at least not until your new family member starts waking you up at all hours of the night.

Being woken up by your new puppy isn’t fun. Luckily, there are ways to keep him sleeping, and train him out of pestering you during the night.

Make Sure He’s Tired

Of course, the number one thing that will ensure your puppy sleeps through the night is to make sure your puppy is tired. There are plenty of ways you can do this. Make sure to check out Dogpackr’s previous article about how to tire out a puppy for inspiration.

Either take your puppy for a good walk before bedtime, or spend some time playing. For example, take out your puppy’s ball or favorite toy and play fetch. This will burn off your puppy’s energy, and hopefully keep him sleeping peacefully while you do the same.

Don’t just focus on physical activity, though! Make sure you stimulate your puppy mentally too! Play a game of hide and seek, or any game that keeps your puppy’s brain engaged. Mental stimulation is just as important as physical stimulation.

Mental stimulation can also be a wonderful training tool if used correctly. Check out Braintrainingfordogs to learn how to train your dog to be the best dog he can be by using mental stimulation! Or have a look at Dogpackr’s review first to see if it’s a fit for you and your dog!

Let Him Go Potty Right Before Bedtime

If your puppy is thoroughly tired out before bed but still waking you up at night, the issue is probably house training.

House training is a lot of work and requires consistency and patience. While you’re training, there are ways to keep your dog’s nighttime wake up calls to a minimum.

The main piece of advice is to let your puppy out right before bed. Make sure that he hasn’t had any food or water for at least an hour beforehand. This will empty out his bladder and keep his need to wake you to a minimum.

Set Up a Nighttime Routine

Having a good bedtime schedule in place is important for your dog’s health, not to mention your own sanity.

Routine decreases your puppy’s stress and anxiety levels. Knowing what to expect and when to expect it, means your dog doesn’t have to worry about surprises and you’ll have a much calmer, happier dog!

The best way to do that is to set up a clear schedule. Dogs have a much easier time calming down if they know what to expect on a daily basis. This free puppy schedule planner will help you set up a clear daily routine and track your puppy’s success.

If you’ve just gotten a puppy, it’s best to implement their new nighttime routine right away.

Start by going for a walk or doing a play session and make sure he goes potty. Then you could put him in his crate and cover it, or simply turn off the light. After that you could get ready for bed yourself or you can proceed to do something else.

Try do always do this at about the same time every evening. The routine doesn’t have to be super long. The only important thing is that it’s consistent so that he knows where his bed is and when it’s bedtime!

Stop Giving Him Water 1 Hour Before Bed

As mentioned before, it’s best practice to empty your puppy’s water dish an hour or so before bed. That will keep him from drinking and filling up his bladder. After you have let your puppy outside before bedtime, he won’t have to wake you up to go out again!

You can give him some water in the morning after he went potty again. So, don’t worry that he’ll be thirsty, he’s got the whole day to drink!

Let Him Sleep in a Crate

While there’s nothing wrong with letting your dog sleep on your bed with you, crate training is an important and often overlooked part of owning a dog. Crates offer safety and security to your dog. They are good places for your dog to hide undisturbed if something stressful is happening.

Crate training also helps your puppy sleep through the night. By removing the ability to wander around during the night and getting rid of distractions, your puppy will stay asleep in his crate.

While crate training can be difficult, it’s definitely worth it. When you’re first starting, you’ll want to keep the crate right next to your bed so your dog can see you. That also allows them to ask you to go outside if they really need to go.

The key is to be patient and stay consistent. You might have a few rough nights in the beginning, but over a relatively short time your puppy will learn to sleep in his crate. Plus, he’ll start enjoying it too!

Here’s a good guide on how to crate train your puppy:

Make His Crate as Comfy as Possible

Would you want to sleep in an uncomfortable bed where you can feel wires poking you?

Neither does your puppy!

Part of crate training and getting your puppy to sleep through the night is to make his bed as comfy as you can. First, make sure your puppy’s crate is the right size:

If you live in a warmer climate and are worried about your dog overheating, get a fan that points at his crate.

Also, don’t ever use the crate as punishment for your puppy! A time out once in a while to calm down is OK if it’s meant to help him calm down. But you want your puppy’s crate to be a positive environment.

Remember, the goal is to make your puppy feel right at home in his crate. That will help him sleep through the night and disturb you less often.

Related article: Your dog suddenly hates his crate? Do this!

Make the Room Dark or Cover His Crate

It’s hard to sleep when the lights are on, even for dogs. Like us, when your puppy sees light, his brain tells him it’s time to get up and go!

For this reason, you should make sure your room is dark when you put your puppy to bed. If for some reason you can’t keep it dark enough, consider covering his crate with a blanket or sheet. Just make sure the material you’re using is lightweight and breathable!

I particularly like this crate because it comes with a cover that’s the right size and gives your pup enough space to breathe and feel comfy.

If you’re covering your puppy’s crate, make sure to keep an eye on him. Covering the crate doesn’t suit every dog, and if your puppy doesn’t like it then try and focus on just keeping the room dark.

At What Age Can Puppies Sleep Through the Night?

This is a common question, and it’s no wonder why. Having your puppy wake you up is annoying and exhausting! But what does sleeping through the night actually mean?

Puppies are a lot like human babies. They need a lot of sleep for their brains to develop (about 18-20 hours a day!). As with babies, puppies will often wake up pretty early. For your puppy, “sleeping through the night” might mean waking up at 5:30 or 6:00, when going to bed at midnight.

Related articles:

• How do I get my puppy to sleep longer?
• How many hours a day should a dog sleep?
• 10 overtired puppy symptoms and what to do about it

As your puppy grows, he’ll get used to operating on your schedule. For the first few months though, the reality is that you might need to train yourself to become a morning person!

Most puppies will be able to sleep for about 6 to 10 hours at around 16 weeks old. So, at this point they’ll likely sleep through “your night”, meaning the same amount as you.

Can a 10-Week-Old Puppy Sleep Through the Night?

The real answer to this question depends on the dog. Just like babies, every dog is different. Maybe your friend’s 9-week-old puppy sleeps through the night without a hitch. But your own 10-week-old is still struggling with those midnight bathroom breaks.

Whether or not your 10-week-old puppy will sleep through the night depends on his own needs, as well as how you’ve been training him.

Keep his crate comfy, let him out right before bed, and not letting him drink too late at night will help him sleep soundly through the night.

With a good routine and all these steps set up, it’s definitely possible for a 10-week-old puppy to sleep for about 6 hours at night. I’ve hear of puppies who even slept for 8 hours at 10 weeks old!

This is rare, though. So, as long as you only need 6 hours of sleep at night, it’s very well possible that you won’t be disturbed by your fur baby. If your night is longer, then you probably need a little more patience.

Should I Take My Puppy Out in the Middle of the Night?

If your dog has to go, your dog has to go!

So, if he starts crying at night, make sure to take him out straight away. Once he’s done peeing, take him back and put him back in his crate. Don’t make a fuss and definitely don’t start playing with him or anything like that.

Related article: why is my puppy whining and crying?

Just put him back in his crate and go back to bed straight away.

This teaches him that waking you up at night will only result in going outside. Nothing else!

In case he doesn’t wake you, then he doesn’t have to go. If that happens as early as at 10 weeks, then that’s great news! You’re really blessed! In that case, definitely let him sleep and just take him out first thing in the morning.

I highly recommend to just listen to your puppy’s needs at this age. If you wake him up every night, regardless if he has to go or not, then you’re basically teaching him that 2am is potty time! I’ve heard stories of dog owners who still have to go out with their 9-year-old dog every night because they’ve set up that routine and kept going with it…

The only exception is if your puppy doesn’t wake you up but has soiled his crate more than once. In that case I’d recommend taking him out once at night for a couple of days. Then try letting him sleep again.

Conclusion

So, can your 10-week-old puppy sleep through the night? As usual, the answer is a little more complicated than a yes or no. It all depends on your puppy’s personality and needs. There are some puppies who will be able to do it for sure, though.

There are ways, however, to encourage sleeping through the night.

Crate training your puppy and making sure his crate is comfortable and feels safe is one way. Not letting your dog eat or drink too close to bedtime is another. Also important is letting your puppy out to go potty right before bed.

The important thing to remember is to stay consistent with your routine, and be patient with your puppy. Think of him like a baby—they have the same basic needs! And before you adopt a new puppy, know that you’ll likely have to spend at least a few nights with less sleep than you’re used to.

As your dog grows up and becomes the loyal companion you’ve dreamed of, you’ll find all those early mornings and midnight bathroom breaks were worth it!

Related article: why are dogs so loyal?