5 Ways to Calm Your Puppy to Sleep

The first weeks away from his litter mates can be a big ordeal for your puppy. Anxiety is bound to occur. Anxious puppies are those who can't sleep, whine all the time, bite everything in sight, dig at the ground, and all and all reek havoc around the house. Here are some tricks to calming an anxious puppy right to sleep.

1. Make a den. Be sure your puppy has a crate that can act as a den. No matter the type, every crate needs to feel like your puppy's safe place. Cover the crate with a blanket to keep it dark inside. Add lots of easily washable bedding for your pup to burrow into and dig around in.
2. Add a friend. No, not another puppy! Find a stuffed animal that is as large as if not larger than your pup. Think of it like a teddy bear for your child. This will become your puppy's new littermate. Your puppy will cuddle up to, chew or suck on, and sleep on top of his new friend. Take his new friend with him to the vet, groomer, and on other trips. 
3. Add warmth. Puppies are used to sleeping next to both their mom and littermates. Going from that to being all alone is a big adjustment. Add warmth by putting some hot water in a few water bottles and placing them around your puppy in the crate. You can also buy heating pads made specifically for dog crates! Here is what they look like.
4. Add music or background noise. Sometimes it can actually be too quite for a puppy to be able to relax. Drown out noises that may be startling to your puppy by turning on the television, radio or just adding white noise. Check out Through a Dog's Ear videos on Youtube! 
5. Exercise. A tired puppy is a sleepy puppy. Exercise your puppy right before bed time and he will fall asleep easier and stay asleep longer. 

How do you get your puppy to fall asleep? Add to the conversation, comment below!