Something to remember about puppies is that they need sleep - lots of it, just like babies. Your puppy will need about 18-19 hours sleep in every 24. So only expect 4 to 5 hours of being awake and only about an hour at a time. If they're kept awake and playing, you could both be heading for a stressful time.
How much sleep do 8-week-old puppies need? An eight-week-old puppy needs 18-20 hours' sleep in a 24-hour period. This might seem like a lot, but puppies are growing and developing quickly and a lack of sleep can be more harmful to their health and well-being than even a lack of food would be.
A 3-month-old puppy typically sleeps 12 to 16 hours a day. At 4 months (16 weeks), puppies sleep between 11 and 15 hours a day. At 6 months, puppies start to sleep about as much as they do as adults, averaging about 10 to 14 hours.
Typically, dogs between 7-16 weeks can sleep 6-8 hours, but they still need to take a potty break at night. So if your dog wakes up at night, it means it needs to pee. Do not play or pay attention to it during this time.
Considering most puppies are purchased at this age, it will take some time to establish a routine and therefore your puppy might not settle completely through the night until up to the age of 12 to 16 weeks.
Ignoring them at night won't help them build confidence and may make them worse which isn't what anyone wants. They need to be taught how to be independent slowly. We would never recommend ignoring your puppy when they cry at night, especially in their first few nights.
“Some puppies can sleep for several hours at night right away!” If your puppy cries in the crate at night, your instinct will be to help him—and that's the right thing to do. Although sometimes people worry that getting him out of the crate might teach him to cry, that shouldn't deter you.
But in all honesty, there's no 'right time' for a puppy to go to sleep, as long as it's the same every night. While this may be the case, do note that your puppy will need, on average, around 8-10 hours of sleep per night.
Give your puppy 15 minutes to do his business. If nothing happens, put him in his crate for another 15 minutes before trying again.
Remember, dogs and especially puppies need to urinate often. As a guideline, new puppies up to 10 weeks old typically can't hold their bladder for more than an hour. Dogs between 10 to 12 weeks old can usually hold it for around two hours.
Interrupt Playtime
In some cases, letting out a loud noise will make your puppy even more excited, and they might continue to bite. At this point, ignore your puppy, stop any interactions and walk away. Stopping playtime abruptly is far more effective than yelling at your puppy or punishing them.
Aim to give your dog at least 20-30 minutes of meaningful playtime each day.
It is not uncommon for a puppy to defecate 5-6 times per day. Some will eliminate even more frequently. The good news is that the pace of pooping will slow down as the dog matures. Although a 2-week-old puppy may defecate at every feeding, by 12 weeks, they may be down to only 4 times per day.
There is no hard-fast rule when it comes to whether or not your dog should sleep with you in your bed. If it's not causing any issues and you're comfortable with it, go for it. However, I urge you to put your dog's well-being before your own selfish desire to share a bed with your pup.
At such a young age, a puppy's immune system will struggle to fight off anything that would otherwise be okay for an adult dog. So puppies are ok outside for walks around 8 weeks old as long as you take care to keep them away from unfamiliar dogs, mind the weather conditions and don't expect them to walk too far.
Getting the timing right. On average, puppies will poop between 5 to 30 minutes after eating. Just like humans, puppies have a gastro-colic reflux. This reflux action takes place after eating as the stomach fills and the colon gets stimulated and starts making poop.
Repeat cue words like 'wee wees' and 'poo poos' or 'be busy' and 'be clean' while the puppy is actually urinating or defecating. Use different words for each action so that you will be able to prompt the puppy later on.
Using the same spot will help your puppy make the association of where you'd like them to go, and create the muscle memory of going there so they create this good habit faster! In the beginning, we suggest covering a wider area with 3-4 potty pads until your puppy learns how to target the pad more precisely.
In general, you can leave a healthy puppy home alone when they are over 10 weeks old. However, this doesn't mean letting puppies roam free around your home.
Puppies should eat three times a day from weaning through four to six months, if possible. After six months, twice-a-day feedings are fine. But if you're not able to feed your pup three times a day, don't worry.
A crate cover, like a blanket or crate-specific covering, can be beneficial to many dogs and can help reduce anxiety and soothe dogs by limiting visual stimuli, which in turn can prevent excitement and barking.
If your puppy is 5 months old for example, then they will be needing 25 minutes of puppy exercise at a time, and up to two to three times daily.