What to expect on puppy's first night home

You have made it through the first day with your new puppy, and now the whole family is exhausted and ready for bed. Take the dog outside one last time and wait until she relieves herself. Although most puppies tire easily, if she has a lot of energy, take her for a short walk to help make her tired.

Put her in her crate while saying the phrase you want to associate with bedtime, such as "time for bed" or "night-night," and giving her a small treat. Close the crate door and make sure the sheet is covering everything but the door, to give her a feeling of security. You can place a hot water bottle and/or a ticking clock in the crate with her for comfort; a radio with soft music on low volume nearby can also be comforting.

The puppy will cry the first night by herself in the crate. Resist the temptation to take her into your arms (or bed) and coddle her. The ideal setup is for her crate to be by your bedside. When she cries, stick your finger through the crate door grates and let her lick you, while offering assurance in a calm voice: "It's okay." Then, remove your hand and stop speaking to her, and go back to sleep. You can comfort her the first few times she cries, but it has to stop sometime---you need to sleep. Let her "cry it out" a bit and she will eventually stop. She knows you are by her crate-side because you have comforted her. She knows she is not getting out of her crate.

She will settle down. Expect this crying the first few nights at home. The puppy will eventually learn that "night-night" means that she is safe, you are nearby, and she is to stay in her crate.

You will notice that there are different cries for hunger, outside, and attention. If you ignore cries for attention once you've put her to bed, the puppy will soon learn that they don't work and will stop.

Your puppy will need to relieve herself a couple of times during the night. As a general rule, a puppy can hold her bladder for the number of hours that she is months old-for example, a four-month-old puppy should be able to hold it for four hours. Set an alarm clock if you think you may sleep through the dog's "gotta go!" cries. Once she has done her business, put her back in the crate to sleep more. Put a chew bone in the crate with the puppy to keep her occupied if she isn't sleepy right away and you need your sleep. You need to establish the routine and show the dog that nighttime is quiet time.

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Wendy Nan Rees and Kristen Hampshire