Do you find getting your puppy to stop sniffing and jumping around the house difficult, especially when it’s your daily nap time? Having to deal with this every day can get frustrating and tiring.
Puppies are naturally excited and curious about their environment and all that goes on around them, and it may seem like this excitement never wanes down, not enough for them to catch a nap during the day.
If your puppy hardly finds it necessary to lay down to nap, you may have to teach your puppy how to nap. Read on to find out how!
A Puppy’s nap is important
As much as sleep may not be a puppy’s favorite subject, puppies require about 18-20 hours of sleep each day.
Many times, the hours spent asleep during the night do not cut it; hence, it is necessary that they make up for those hours during the day.
Your puppy’s nap time is essential, not just because you get some time away from watching them; it is also great for your puppy as it helps keep them in a healthy state—physically and mentally.
You might notice that your puppy needs more nap time when he begins to mouth on objects more excessively or when he starts getting irritable or disoriented. How, then, do you help your puppy sleep?
How to make my Puppy nap during the daytime? (5 tips)
Puppies love to explore people, objects, and even environments where they are placed; their quest for more excitement would often cause them to ignore the body’s warning signs stating that rest is needed.
Knowing the benefits of enough sleep, here are some tips to help your puppies sleep in the daytime.
Tip 1: Physical and mental workouts
The goal of physical or mental activities for your puppy is to tire them out. The way the human system works by creating a space or time for rest following a strenuous activity is the same way it works in puppies.
Use up your puppy’s energy, and they would have to find a way to replenish—sleep. Simple games like fetch, going on long walks, and sniffing hidden objects can do the trick.
You can also decide to hire a dog walker to help take your puppy on walks on days when you are occupied.
Mental games like puzzle toys or canine games also have the same effect in tiring your puppy out.
Tip 2: Set up a schedule
Puppies are creatures of habit and would only learn to do what they are taught repeatedly. If you want to train your puppy to sleep during the day, a great idea would be to create a schedule that accommodates daytime napping.
You can set your puppy’s nap time as the period where you also take your rest. At this specified time, you can play soothing music to help your puppy sleep, as research has shown that calm songs help dogs relax.
You can easily find the appropriate songs on YouTube or a compilation of soothing melodies.
Do this every day and after the same activities such that it becomes a routine and your puppy knows what is next and when it is nap time.
Tip 3: Create a comfortable bed space
Another way to help your dog nap during the day is to ensure that their sleep space is as comfortable as possible.
You do not have to spend so much money or time trying to set up such a space for your puppy; a crate with comfortable blankets or towels where they can comfortably lie down can suffice.
You can also observe what spot your puppy loves to fall asleep at, whether on the bare ground or soft materials—this would help you bear your puppy’s preferences in mind when setting up their space.
Place your puppy in this space once it is nap time. Doing this every day would teach them that the created space is for their daytime naps.
Tip 4: Remove distractions
There is no doubt that you would love to have your puppy nap during the day. However, you might be preventing that from happening by not giving your puppy the chance to do so.
Disturbances like Television sounds, background noises, or kids playing with the puppy would not help them nap.
Hence, to help your puppy sleep well, ensure all forms of distractions are curtailed—minimize all background noise and leave your puppy to rest well.
If you would love to be in the room with them, ensure that you only perform activities that do not require frequent movements or loud noises.
Tip 5: Use chew toys
Chew toys are a great tool in helping your puppy fall asleep. In the way that sucking pacifiers help babies relax, chew toys have the same effect on puppies as they help to keep them stay calm and relaxed.
While there are various chew toys, finding the soft ones is the best option to aid your puppy’s nap.
You can try out a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes until you figure out which of the toys works best for your puppy.
Why does my puppy not sleep?
There are several reasons why your puppy may be finding it difficult to nap during the day. The best way to help deal with this issue is to understand why this is happening.
You cannot force a puppy that is scared to nap without you to bed unless you effectively train them. Here are some reasons why your puppy may be avoiding this activity;
Excitement
Your puppy may be too excited to lie down and nap during the day. Even when they get tired or overworked, sleeping might not be an option because they do not see past their current state of excitement.
Separation anxiety
Anxiety could be another reason your puppy does not nap during the day. Separation anxiety is common among newly adopted puppies who find it difficult to fit into their new environment.
It is also possible that your puppy is used to sleeping close to its previous owners, and their absence makes it difficult for him to nap.
Some telling signs like calmness or tendencies to pull back would let you know that your puppy is feeling anxious. Re-training your puppy to nap would then require your patience and focus.
Environmental conditions
Some puppies have been trained to nap once they are feeling overwhelmed. However, some other puppies cannot tell when to lie down.
It is also possible that your puppy has been trained to nap in a different environment than the one you have placed him in.
For instance, getting your puppy to nap on the ground would be difficult when he has been trained to do his daytime sleep in a crate.
Hence, a great idea would be to find out how his previous owners or former home has trained him.
Other environmental conditions, like the presence of other pets and changes in the weather (lighting or thunder), can also prevent your puppy from napping.
Is forcing my puppy to nap a good idea?
Puppies are like babies; they do not know that they need rest until you make them realize it.
Hence, they are dependent on you; this would mean that if your puppy finds it difficult to nap during the day, you may need to force them to do it.
However, be careful not to scold or punish your puppy for not laying down during nap time. As frustrating as it might get when trying to train your puppy, ensure that you are as patient as possible.
What should I do if my puppy does not nap in his crate?
You may notice that your puppy could nap anywhere but his crate; this could be because he doesn’t find the crate comfortable or hasn’t been trained to rest in a crate. You would then need to train him properly to sleep in his crate.
A great idea to make your puppy’s crate inviting and comfortable is to place his favorite blanket in the crate; this would help him sleep better.
You could also try throwing in some treats in the crate to give him enough time to explore the crate and get familiar with the crate and the environment.
Final thoughts
Your puppy’s health is of utmost importance, and adequate rest is one factor contributing to your puppy’s health.
Puppies need to sleep a minimum of 18 hours each day, which means daytime naps are essential; the lack of adequate rest for your puppy could cause irritability and other health conditions.
Puppies love running around and trying new things, meaning they may not realize how much they need to lie down and nap. It is then your job to get them to sleep.
You do not have to spend so much money on helping your puppy sleep, and neither does it require much time.
Simple processes like using a crate or chewing toys for your puppy would help them nap well during the day.