Puppy Cry At Night? (9 Easy Tips to Stop It)

Puppy Cry At Night

Puppies may go through a period of anxiety and stress as they are trying to settle down in the new home, and sometimes they start crying at night. Hearing a puppy cry at night can be nerve-wracking because you don’t know what is wrong. I’ll share reasons why they cry and 9 tips to stop it.

Why do puppies cry at night?

1. Pain or any other health problem

Usually, when puppies are in pain, they cry. If you suspect your puppy is in pain, take them to the vet for a checkup. 

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2. Digestive problems and bloating

Puppies become bloated or may get upset stomachs because of how fast they eat.  Bloating is one of the reasons why puppies cry at night.

The problem takes place when you are feeding low or bad-quality food to your puppy. Your puppy may be intolerant to some food ingredients, which causes bloating and related digestive issues.

Sickness and other alignments to digestion can be a painful condition for your puppy.

In the short term, feeding home-cooked meals such as white rice with boiled chicken can also be a good option. 

Schedule an appointment with an experienced vet to know the root problem which makes your puppy cry at night.

3. Boredom

No matter how much you played with your puppy during the day, they get bored at night.  Keep in mind that puppies need lots and lots of stimulation; they need exercise and continuous games.

Also, if you are not free enough to spend quality time, your puppy is going to be bored by its routine.

Spend about 30 minutes with your puppy before going to bed.

4. Lack of crate training

If your puppy is not introduced to its crate correctly, it will cry each night.

You can efficiently work on this condition just by enrolling your puppy in some behavioral training sessions.

Moreover, you can also hire a dog trainer to help your puppy.

5. Being a puppy

It is last but not least that your puppy is crying because it is just a puppy. As a dog parent, you should know that puppies are more likely to cry at night than adult dogs because they are young and miss their mother.

Spending some time with your puppy and providing quality food, and playing some games can be good options so that it may not miss its mother.

How to get a puppy to stop crying at night?

If you have a crying puppy at night, you’re probably losing your mind trying to help them. I’ll discuss how to stop your puppy from crying at night by following these simple steps.

1. Ignore crying puppy

You may have to move your puppy and crate to another part of the house where you can’t hear him or use earplugs.

2. Address issues 

For example, if your puppy cries when going to bed make sure you allow your puppy to go to the bathroom before bed. 

3. Disregard crying 

If you already allowed your puppy to go to the bathroom and now you are putting them in their crate for the night, do not remove them if they are crying. Your puppy will get used to its crate eventually. Make sure their crate is a comfortable space for them.

9 Tips to stop a crying puppy at night

Follow these tips to keep your puppy from crying at night. These tips will help to keep your puppy calm at night.

1. Take your puppy out for a bathroom break

Your little guy can hold their bladder for a short time, so ensure the last thing you do around evening time is take them outside for a toilet break.

2. Proper crate training

If you never introduced your puppy to its crate, it will not be happy to sleep in it. Crying can be due to disliking its crate, so proper crate training is crucial.

3. Providing comfort

Put the soft and warm blanket along with the toys in the crate so that your puppy will have a good sleep.

4. Don’t give much attention.

If you are providing attention to your puppy once it starts crying, it means you are encouraging the behavior.

The puppy may interpret it wrong and will start crying when it needs your attention. Therefore, it’s recommended to ignore your puppy when it cries at bedtime.

5. Regular exercise

Exercise is not just crucial for humans but also for dogs. A healthy lifestyle starts with regular exercise. Exercise will tire out your dog so it will fall asleep faster.

6. Reduce the distractions

Close the doors and windows so that your puppy will not look outside. Fewer distractions will help your puppy fall asleep faster. 

7. Check medical and health issues.

Make sure that your puppy is not suffering from any health issues as mentioned earlier. Health issues can cause your puppy to cry at night.

8. Soothing music

Play some soothing music so your puppy doesn’t feel alone in their crate. This will help your puppy not get separation anxiety and stress.

9. Don’t turn off all lights.

Maybe your puppy is scared of the dark, so keep a nightlight on nearby.