Last Updated: 28/05/2025
Understanding why puppies cry at night is essential for new dog owners as it allows them to respond appropriately and create a supportive environment.
Author: Dr Nicole du Plessis BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 33 minutes - long read
The first nights with a new puppy are often filled with tender moments and adorable discoveries. However, they can also bring a less expected challenge: the heart-wrenching sound of your furry friend crying through the night. This experience, common among new pet parents, is as much a part of the journey as those first playful days. Crying is a perfectly natural puppy behaviour which serves as another form of communication. Understanding why puppies cry at night is essential for new dog owners, as it allows them to respond appropriately and create a supportive environment.
In this article, we dive into practical, compassionate strategies to help quiet those nighttime cries. From establishing a cosy sleeping area to understanding the balance between responding to cries and setting boundaries, we cover it all.
A puppy crying at night can be another way it is trying to communicate with you. The puppy may be seeking reassurance, companionship, or attention.
Puppies, especially in their early weeks of life, are highly dependent on their mother and littermates for warmth, comfort, and security. When separated from their mother and placed in a new home, they may experience anxiety and loneliness, leading to nighttime crying for the first new nights.
Crying is a survival instinct for puppies. In the wild, it would draw the attention of their mother, ensuring they receive the care and protection needed for their development. This instinct persists in domesticated puppies, and their cries may be a way of ensuring they are not left alone, vulnerable to potential dangers.
Puppies are also in the process of learning boundaries and social dynamics. Nighttime crying can be a way for them to explore and understand their new environment. It helps them establish a connection with their owners and learn about the household routines.
Puppies have smaller bladders and higher metabolism rates than adult dogs, leading to more frequent bathroom breaks and possibly hunger during the night. Crying may be a way of expressing their physical needs, indicating a desire to relieve themselves or have a small meal.
Now you have your puppy home, it is time to allocate a designated sleeping area. Try to choose an area with low foot traffic, no offending odours, comfortable temperature and draught-free. The bedding should be comfortable and size appropriate for the puppy, to help them feel nice and secure. Letting your new puppy sleep on the bed can lead to behavioural problems down the track, and is best avoided. After letting your puppy settle in for a few nights, it's time to start crate training.
Teaching your dog to happily settle in a crate is particularly beneficial during the toilet training phase for puppies or older dogs. Crate training helps prevent destructive behaviors in instances where supervision is challenging, provides a safe and quiet resting place during bustling family activities, offers a safe means of transportation on planes or in cars, and veterinary visits. Never use the crate as a form of punishment; it is intended to be a calm and relaxed space.
For training purposes, a collapsible metal crate is recommended. Ensure the crate is appropriately sized, allowing enough room for your dog to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably. Puppies grow pretty quickly, so you will likely need to upsize in the future, or look for a crate with a divider panel that can be removed at a later date.
Placing the crate inside the house is optimal, allowing your puppy or dog to feel like part of the family. Choose a quiet area close to where the family spends most of their time. Inside the crate, provide soft bedding and make sure there are no sharp pieces of metal that can cause accidental injury.
Encourage your dog to love their crate by making it a rewarding place. A great way to do this is by giving a high-value treat and meals inside the crate. The puppy will learn that the crate is a rewarding space.
Avoid leaving your dog in the crate for longer than they can cope. For most dogs, 3-4 hours is the maximum. For puppies, adhere to the rule of one hour for every month of age, with water available inside the crate.
Just like people, puppies will need to go to the toilet as soon as they wake. Start by taking your puppy outside for a toilet break. Remember puppies can become distracted and forget they need to eliminate, so patience is key. Don't forget to praise your puppy when they have gone to the toilet outside, reward desired behaviour.
Young puppies are usually fed two to three times daily. Their stomach is still small and doesn't have much room, so small regular meals are needed to keep active puppies growing. After a meal, puppies need to go to the toilet again. This is when puppies will defecate, so remember lots of praise for going to the toilet in the desired area.
Puppies will need plenty of naps during the day. This can be more variable, but after a big play session or meal they are more inclined to get some shut-eye. This is the time to try and encourage your puppy to use the crate to sleep, or a designated sleep area to encourage your puppy to feel safe and independent. It is normal for puppies to sleep up to two hours at a time. So comfortable, durable bedding is a must.
After dinner, another bathroom break will be needed and remember lots of praise for going to the toilet in the correct place. It is now time to wind down for the night, and help your puppy settle into the crate or designated sleeping area. If your puppy becomes uneasy away from you, you can provide a few extra night time toys that are nice and cuddly. Young puppies aren't able to make it through the night without soiling their bedding, so it is best to set an alarm for anticipated whining or barking to avoid reinforcing those behaviours.
It is not easy raising puppies! Although welcoming a young puppy into your life is a joyous time, it can also be an exhausting time with disrupted sleep, chewed belongings and toilet training accidents. Luckily, most of these issues resolve with age and training. However, if you do notice any issues early, it is best to address them immediately. Dogs will not usually grow out of behavioural issues, which is where a positive dog-trainer and your veterinarian can assist before problems become out of control. The delta institute has worked with many owners and dogs work through behavioural problems. For more difficult cases, your regular veterinarian can refer you to a veterinary behavioural specialist.
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