Time To Get Your Puppy Used To Sleeping Outside? How To Ease The Transition

12 April 2018
 Categories: , Blog

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The weather is finally getting nice out again. If you're trying to train your puppy to sleep outside, now's the time to do that. You never want to leave your puppy outside at night during the winter. However, when the weather is warm, it can be quite pleasant for your puppy to get some fresh air and sleep outside. If it's time to make the transition, your dog may need some extra coaxing, especially if it's used to being an indoor puppy, which can happen during the long winter months. Here are four steps you can take to help your puppy adjust to life outside.

Leave a Light On

Puppies don't always like the dark. In fact, sometimes the great outdoors can be a little frightening to a puppy, especially during those first few nights. To help your puppy transition to sleeping outside, try leaving a light on for it. This is particularly important if it's not going to be sleeping under the porch light – or you normally don't leave the backyard porch light on at night. Until your puppy is used to being outside at night, either leave the porch light on or set up a solar patio light near where your puppy will be sleeping.

Make Sure Its Bed is Comfy

If your puppy has been sleeping on the couch or your bed at night, it might not be happy with being outside, especially if it's new bed isn't as comfy. To make sure that your puppy can adjust to sleeping outside, be sure to provide it with a comfy bed. Choose a bed that's large enough for it to stretch out and get comfortable. It's also a good idea to shake it out once a day. That will ensure that your puppy has a clean surface to sleep on each night.

Ensure a Clean Dog House

If your puppy is going to be sleeping outside, you'll need to ensure that it has a clean dog house. Even in the warm weather, your puppy needs a shelter to sleep in. You never know when it's going to rain during the night, or when the wind is going to pick up. Providing your puppy with a secure house will ensure that it's safe and secure all night long.

Talk to Your Veterinarian

If your puppy has a difficult time transitioning to life outside, especially at night, it's important that you talk to your veterinarian. Your puppy may be suffering from separation anxiety. This is particularly true if your puppy has never spent long periods of time away from you at night. Separation anxiety can be particularly difficult on puppies. 

For more information on puppy training, contact your local training service.