What To Do With A Puppy That Misbehaves At Night?
If you have a puppy at home and, during the night, it does not let you sleep, you will have to implement some measures to make living together more enjoyable. Perhaps your pet’s behavior is due to not getting enough exercise during the day, not receiving proper training, or unknowingly reinforcing his bad behavior. But don’t worry, everything is remediable. Keep in mind that you can always teach your pet new tricks. It all depends on how willing you are to achieve it. Here we share some ideas that may help you.
Causes of bad behavior
Dogs need at least one walk a day. If you have been absent for several hours and you have not provided your pet with his regular outing, surely, at night, he will not let you sleep since he has not had adequate opportunities to use all his energy.
Another reason that may be happening is that your puppy has not been trained enough. Although it seems obvious, if your dog’s training stopped after he learned to sit, lie down or go to the bathroom outside, he has surely stayed halfway and in the future he will develop some behaviors that are not appropriate. So, little by little, try to introduce the new command and practice it with him as if it were a game.
Perhaps your little friend is dreaming and that you can attribute his barking, deep breathing and some spasms. If so, move his bed to a room away from yours.
Your puppy’s bad behavior may also be due to the fact that at some point you have reinforced his bad behavior. What do you do when your dog barks for attention? How do you respond? Do you usually yell at your puppy? If so, once again, you are wrong. Let your dog know when he is wrong but do not punish him or yell at him. You don’t earn anything. Better teach him new tricks to improve his behavior.
The breed of the puppy is very important. All dogs do not have the same needs. For example, if you have a Border Collie and you only take it out for a walk twice a day, you are making a mistake. That frequency is appropriate for a Greyhound but not for a Border Collie, this breed was bred to work so they need to expend more energy to satisfy their needs.
Measures to improve your puppy’s behavior
Use the word “No” correctly. “No” is a disciplinary word, so you must use it carefully. When using it, never use your dog’s name to get his attention. Your puppy should only associate his name with positive reinforcement. When your dog misbehaves, get his attention by gently touching his neck and saying the word “No” in a stern tone.
Never hit or hit your puppy. Dogs do not understand that the hit is to correct a behavior. If you apply violence, your dog will be afraid of you. Dogs respond very well to positive reinforcement. Instead of focusing on disciplining your puppy when he won’t let you sleep, reward him with something he likes – it can be a treat.
Maybe your puppy won’t let you sleep because he wants to go to the bathroom. If so, and you are one of those who is never at home, try to set up an indoor bathroom for your dog. For this you can choose a space in your home, place a sandbox and teach him to go to the bathroom. If you live in a house with a garden, you can adapt in the door, an opening for your puppy to enter and exit there, when needed.
If you live in a small space, such as an apartment and for some reason you cannot take care of the walks your puppy needs, hire a walker to exercise it for you. It is the best option so that your dog can satisfy his needs, spend energy and living with you is much healthier.
If your puppy, after applying these measures, has substantially improved his behavior, congratulate him and show him affection. Try to have time to be with him. Go for a walk or give him a treat. In case the answer has been negative, turn to a professional trainer so that he can improve your puppy’s behavior. You will see that with a good training everything will improve and remember: be patient, everything takes time.
