When Will Australian Shepherd Puppies Sleep Through The Night?
I have an Australian Shepherd puppy, and she wakes me a couple of times per night. At first, I didn’t mind, but now this is becoming very tiresome for me, and I am wondering when it might stop.
Curious to know when I might get some solid sleep again, I did some online research, and this is what I pulled up.
When Will Australian Shepherd Puppies Sleep Through The Night?
Australian Shepherds begin to sleep through the night when they are around three to six months old. This depends on the individual puppy but also the environment they are sleeping in. With the right steps, and some patience, you can help your Aussie pup start sleeping through the night sooner than later.
Some dogs may start sooner or later or somewhere right in the middle, but there is no exact timing for this time as it depends on how they develop like a human baby. Dog sleep patterns are just as complicated as human sleep patterns.
Puppies go through many changes and stages of development, physically, mentally, and emotionally. For that reason, each one is unique.
How they process things in the world around them, how they learn, how quickly their physical body develops, and how they feel all factor into their development.
That being said, the pet parents’ response and the environment they live in also factor into this development which can quicken or delay how fast they develop in one area or another.
In most cases sleeping through the night will be a gradual process. As they grow and their interests and adventures increase, they will likely exhaust themselves more with excitement and curiosity about the world around them.
Their bladder will develop, and their ability to hold their bladder longer, and they will tire themselves out more. This will mean that bathroom breaks during the night will lessen, and they will sleep better.
However, this can be a back-and-forth game, in the beginning, meaning they may sleep through the night around four months old on some nights, and others might wake up.
This is a process, and it can be expected for a puppy to do this, take three steps forward and two steps back in developing and growing into adulthood.
If they live in a loving home environment where patience is given and the right methods and tools are used to help them sleep better, this phase of their lives, too, will pass with ease. Whenever it does, it will be to the delight of the pet parents as they too can sleep better after the challenges of puppyhood.
Puppies of every dog breed go through the same growth process when they first come home from the breeder. Their little furry bodies are developing in some undeniable ways that can be seen outside, like weight and height, but most of the development they go through is on the inside.
This development and growth are not only physical but emotional and mental in nature. When they are brought home, they are just weaned from their mother and littermates and quickly introduced to their new family and home.
For some dogs, this can be not very comforting. For others, it can be exciting. Whatever the response, there is no right or wrong way for them to respond. Once they get settled, they will turn to their pet parents for love, affection, and everything they need.
How a pet parent responds to those needs and wants will affect how they develop, how quickly or slowly, and how easily, similar to a pet and human child.
Aside from a pet parent’s response to their new puppy, the puppy is growing mentally and emotionally as well as physically. When it comes to sleeping through the night, at this point, they have a long way to go.
They are curious about their world, as well as excited and sometimes scared. As they explore, they will react to their new home and life and who or what is in it. These moments affect how easily they fall asleep or stay asleep.
Aside from that, this beginning phase of their life is riddled with nighttime waking because of a tiny bladder and their inability to hold their bathroom breaks until morning.
This is perfectly normal at this stage, but they will learn and adjust to their human families’ schedules with time. Growth of particular body parts, including the bladder, will make it easier with time for them to sleep and wait until morning.
Patience, understanding, and a gentle hand must be given during this phase so they develop and grow healthily and happily as it can shape the adult dog they become.
How Can I Help My Australian Shepherd Puppy Sleep Through The Night Faster?
There is no real way to help your Australian Shepherd puppy sleep through the night faster; development in all areas of life happens on their timeline. However, things can be done to ease the way and create a smooth path for this and other puppy development and growth to happen naturally.
Providing a loving home and a gentle hand goes a long way to easing Australian Shepherd puppy fears and emotions as they grow and develop in their new home and life. While it can be stressful for the pet parent to deal with lack of sleep, accidents, or other troubling behaviors, they eventually pass.
Having the right mindset creates a loving home environment where the puppy can focus on being a puppy and not picking up on the pet parent’s stress level and feeling that.
Having a routine that the family and puppy stick to is very helpful as it shapes the day and night for everyone. Eventually, the Australian Sheperd puppy will learn what to expect and what is expected of them throughout the day.
This can make negative behaviors more manageable at this time but also provide comfort for the puppy. Breakfast comes after we go to the bathroom, then I get some playtime with mom and dad.
A routine also takes the stress out of the pet parents’ day, making life a tiny bit more manageable and comfortable for them too. It should be a workable routine that fits into the human schedule of life easily. It should also be tailored or created following the pet parents’ lifestyle.
What is meant by this is, putting your puppy to bed at 9 pm may seem like the thing you should do, but if you don’t go to bed every night until after midnight, it is not wise.
Your puppy and eventually adult Australian Shepherd will have to live with you and your schedule; therefore, they must learn that. Each home life will be unique, so one puppy’s life will be slightly different than another, just as our own is from our neighbor.
Lastly, it is always good to make their sleeping area as comfortable and welcoming as possible. At the same time, many pet parents opt for a crate for their Australian Shepherd puppy or adult dog; some do not. Whichever method is chosen, crate training or not, puppies deserve a comfortable place to sleep that they want to get cozy in and rest.
It may be helpful for the pet parents to provide something that smells like them, so the puppy feels close to their new human family and pet parent while they get some shut eye.
It should be cozy but also free from lights and distractions or anything that will reduce the chance that the puppy will fall asleep or stay asleep.
What Can I Do If My Australian Shepherd Still Doesn’t Sleep Through The Night?
If your Australian Shepherd puppy doesn’t sleep through the night, much can be done. First off, try not to react to the situation. Dogs are known for picking up on the emotions and vibes of their pet parent and environment.
If they sense you are stressed or negative, they too will become so and not even know why. This, of course, will transition into them having a more challenging time going back to sleep. This doesn’t mean that the pet parent should be upbeat and lively either. Instead, calm and relaxed, even a little bored, is best.
Secondly, stick to the schedule that has been created. If an Australian Shepherd puppy has slept for a few hours and woke in the middle of the night for a bathroom break, take them to the bathroom but don’t do anything else.
Once they have used the bathroom, they should immediately be returned to their crate or sleep area.
At this point, the attitude and mentality should be boredom, complete and total boredom, and sleepiness on the pet parents’ part no matter how the puppy acts. Give them some affectionate scratches and return to bed yourself.
These moments of waking at night and not sleeping through the night are normal for young puppies. Once the Australian Shepherd is about three to five months old, they may be sleeping through the night; if not, their time too will come.
Australian Shepherds Sleeping Through The Night
Sleeping through the night as a puppy is a process that takes time. It is accomplished when they have matured enough to do so physically, mentally, and emotionally.
While it can be frustrating to go through this phase, it too does pass, and patience should be given.
Like everything else puppy, it is over before you know it, and these challenges will be a thing of the past. Embrace them for what they are, milestones in their growth, and love them as they love you!