How can I help my 6 week old puppy sleep through the night?

Question

I've got a 6 week old puppy and around 4 o'clock every morning, he starts whining and howling. He normally stops and falls back asleep, but it takes him a while. He sleeps in his own room. I don't know how to get him to stop whining in the middle of the night and to sleep through it.

Answer 1

A six week old puppy is home sick. Why is he sleeping in his own room? They want to be in a room with you where they can hear you and smell you even if they are in a crate. Even a full grown dog wants to sleep in room with you.

It is kind of late now but something from the litter for the smell of the litter in the crate.

Answer 2

Additionally to Frisbee's answer, you can also add some plush toys or shape his bed in a way to create a nest for the puppy and make the bed feel less empty. When puppies sleep together, they're all in a pack; if the bed of your puppy is a flat or commercial bed, it's not welcoming for him and often too big. Forget about cute dog beds and make it comfortable for him first.

As already suggested, if the puppy cannot sleep in the same room as yours for a while, add some old clothes that you wore to add your smell to his environment. It's easier indeed if you could simply let the puppy sleep near your bed or room, and gradually move him in the other room; but in general, dogs still want to be close to their master, no matter their age! Also let the bed get some of the smell of the puppy; the puppy needs to have some ways to recognize his environment to feel "at home" and to lower his anxiety. Unless necessary, don't wash it too often until the puppy feel more comfortable in his new environment.

A good trick:

Adding a heating pad at very low temperature can help too. One trick is to fill small plastic bottles with hot water and put them in the puppy's bed, and add the heating pad next to them. With the heating pad, it keeps these bottle warm enough to make him feel like he's sleeping next to another puppy or his mom.

These things will help but there's no miracle; you'll need to be patient, he feels alone and what he does is totally normal.

6 weeks old for a puppy is very young to be separated from the litter.

http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/puppy_behavior_basics.html

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EDIT:

Precision about heat pad:

There's easy ways to cover a heating pad wire either DIY with a rubber tube or by purchasing covers for that purpose.

In case it wasn't clear, it has to be covered; you don't put the heating pad or anything that can be toxic or hazardous easily accessible with the puppy. You don't put the puppy directly on the pad, anyway it's not comfortable and could be too warm actually...! At this age, puppies don't "burrow" much though because they don't even have the strength for it; a thick folded blanket covering the pad or leaving the pad outside of the crate will be safe enough, as long it at least touches the water bottles to warm them slightly. You'll probably need only to use this for a few days, up to 2-3 weeks. Not only it helps them not feel alone but at young age, puppies or any mammal have hard time keeping themselves warm at young age.

There's cordless ones, grain ones and even the camping heat pad style that can last for hours. And to prevent chewing any tasteless plastic, the ideal is simply to make tasty chewing toys easily available at all time.

Source:

http://www.hartz.com/Dogs/Hartz_Puppy/lets_get_warm.aspx

^{You can keep your puppy warm using:}

^{Heating pad. Manufacturers of heating pads made for people do not recommend them being used on animals. Even set on “low”, temperatures can soar to dangerously hot levels, requiring almost constant monitoring. Pads made for animals don’t get as hot and usually have a low voltage power supply.}

^{Hot water bottle. Or improvise one out of a shampoo or mouthwash bottle. Wrap a thick towel around the bottle so the puppy can’t come in direct contact with it. As with the heating pads, make sure he can move away from the bottle if he gets too hot.}

^{Heat lamps will warm him up, but they can be dehydrating and hard to regulate. He can easily become overheated with no way to escape. In an emergency you can fill a heavy sock with ½ cup uncooked rice. Heat in the microwave for 60 seconds. The rice-filled sock should stay warm for three hours. Check it to make sure it’s not too hot. You may need to wrap it in a towel}

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2099&aid=863

^{To remain healthy, puppies must be kept at the proper ambient temperature. Young puppies cannot conserve body heat or shiver to create heat. Supplying artificial heat sources such as an incubator, heat lamp, warm water pad or electrical heating pad will help puppies remain at the correct body temperature.}

Answer 3

You can help your puppy sleep through the night by tolerating your disrupted sleep long enough for the puppy to grow up. It is a phase of their development, just like chewing things is a phase of their development (and, by the way, this is why you should not put a heating pad with the puppy. They love to chew! Mmmm... tasty electrical cord!)

Also, he will be happier if you let him sleep in your room with you.

Answer 4

Putting a ticking clock near the puppy's sleeping place (for example beneath his blanket) may also help. The rhythmatic ticking of the clock simulates the mother's heartbeat, which calms down the puppy and makes it feel less lonely.

Answer 5

Hes 6 weeks old and just a baby, The solution, its easy hold him, talk to him softly like you would a child at 6 weeks!- he's afraid and misses his brothers and sisters, the usual pack sounds and all time attention - the day and night snuggles with his family. ...He sleeps in his own room (how strange this must seem to him, alone, away from his new pack (which is how he thinks of you all - he cries to be accepted and not to be alone.

Maybe you can slowly introduce him to sleeping in his own basket but in your room (and give him some nice fluffy soft toys he can snuggle up with (hes trying to tell you he's not quite ready yet to be alone)

Answer 6

At 6 weeks old, they have a very small bladder so cannot expect them to go all night. I had the same issue with my cockerpoo. I got up in early hours but just got up to let him out then he back in to sleep. Now, he is 6 months old and a delight. He sleeps in the bed with us and is in same room but has his own bed that he sleeps in from about 1:30 until 7 when we let him out then back to bed for another hour.

Answer 7

A six week old pup should never ever ever be on its own, at this age they have only been walking and playing for approximately two weeks so the world is still very new to the pup. You need to treat a puppy like a baby and get up during the night with it, and keep it with you until around 16 weeks

Answer 8

I wish you hadn’t taken a puppy at 6 weeks old. 8 weeks is the earliest, and to be honest that’s still very young. Be patient and calm with him. Put him in a crate by your bed. If he cries at night, put your hand down to him so he knows you’re there. It is a pass, and they will settle. But for other people reading this, have some sense and some empathy for the sentient creatures you take into your home...