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Having a new puppy howl through the night can disrupt your sleep and be frustrating to deal with. Puppies howl at night for a variety of reasons including loneliness, anxiety, attention-seeking behavior, need to relieve themselves, hunger or responding to noises. While some howling is natural puppy behavior, you can take steps to help reduce or eliminate nighttime howling.
Crate Train Your Puppy
Crate training your puppy and having them sleep in their crate overnight can be an effective way to cut down on nighttime howling. The confined space mimics the feel of a den which is comforting and calming for dogs. Place a blanket over the crate to further signal that it's bedtime. Sit next to the crate when first introducing your puppy to it so they associate the crate with your comforting presence. Give them a treat when they enter the crate. Start leaving them in it for short periods before expecting them to sleep there all night.
Provide Plenty of Daytime Stimulation and Exercise
Puppies sleep a lot, but when they are awake during the day they need mental stimulation and plenty of exercise to tire them out. Try interactive toys and games of fetch to engage their minds and let them run around. Take them on increasingly longer walks as they grow. A tired puppy will be less likely to stay up all night howling. Structure these activities earlier in the day so they have time to settle down before bed.
Give Them a Comforting Treat at Bedtime
You can make bedtime comforting and enjoyable for a puppy by giving them a special long-lasting chew treat only when you put them to bed at night. This will have them looking forward to resting quietly in their crate with their bone. Look for natural bones or chews made specifically to occupy dogs for hours. Avoid rawhide that can be choking hazards once chewed into small pieces.
Keep Things Quiet
Try to prevent noises from inside and outside your home that might trigger nighttime howling including TVs, radios, passing cars or activity from people or other pets. Create a designated sleeping area away from other household activities. Some white noise like a room fan can be soothing ambient background noise for your puppy and cover up sounds that stimulate them.
Go Out for a Final Potty Trip
Take your puppy outside to relieve themselves right before bed to reduce the chance they'll howl to notify you in the middle of the night that they have to go potty. Pick a designated potty spot and use a command like “Go potty” so they learn to go on command. Reward them with praise when they do their business. As puppies grow, they will gradually be able to hold their bladder longer overnight.
Say Goodnight before Leaving Them
Create a consistent nightly bedtime routine to ease anxiety about being left alone. Gently pet them while saying a trigger phrase like “Night-night, see you in the morning.” Do this every time you put them to bed, so words become associated with sleeping through the night.
Ignore Midnight Howls
If your puppy wakes you with howling in the middle of the night, avoid rewarding the behavior by giving them attention. Only open the crate if you suspect they need to go outside to relieve themselves. Otherwise, try gently shushing them or playing calming music to drown out their cries. They will eventually learn no one comes running for midnight howls.
Howling that continues or escalates despite your interventions warrants a vet visit to rule out illness or anxiety disorders. If separation anxiety seems extreme, speak to a trainer or behaviorist. While some initial adjustment howls are expected, following these tips should help establish good sleep habits for your puppy and the whole household. Consistency and time will lead to more peaceful nights.
