My 12-week-old French Bulldog puppy won't sleep. What can I do?

This is very normal as a seven week old puppy is still an infant, and just like human infants will wake and cry at night. Tiring her out right before bed with a long play session, and then getting up 1-2 times in the night for a potty break can help reduce her distress and help her sleep longer. As she gets older, she should sleep more through the night.

At this age, if Mila wakes you up by whining in the middle of the night, I would take her outside for a potty break - she's too young to be expected to "hold it" successfully all night. Once she potties, bring her back inside and calmly put her back to bed. If needed, you can give her something like a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter to keep her busy and help her settle again. As she gets older, she will eventually stop needing to go out during the night and will begin to sleep all night without waking up - just like a human baby :)

Don’t feel bad about leaving him crates overnight - dogs like to be in an enclosed ‘den’. I think your best bet is to continue crating him through the night for another 3-6 months and then tying to give more freedom. You might want to try just leaving the door to the crate open at that point instead of changing his sleeping area which might disrupt his routine a little.

Congratulations on your new puppy. This is all very normal behavior and is generally short-lived. For now, make sure to take the puppy outside anytime she cries or wakes up in the middle of the night. This will generally decrease as she gets older. Give her vigorous play sessions right before bed as this will help her to be more tired. You can play some classical music and give her a teddy bear to snuggle with in her bed. Just make sure to remove any eyes, tags or Anything else that she may chew off and potentially swallow. Your labrador is not likely to allow her to suckle and will likely correct this behavior. Just make sure she is not too rough with the new puppy. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I would try putting Co co in a crate at night. Keep in mind she's quite young, and it will take time for her to adjust to being in a new home away from her mother and siblings. It's truly like having a newborn baby in the home! But the good news is that puppies will get better at sleeping at night faster than babies. If you are comfortable with it, you can have her sleep with you at night in your bed. That might make her feel more comfortable. I hope you get some sleep!

You can't do anything to make sure he sleeps, as his own body rhythms will dictate that. You can keep him safe, and out of trouble during the night, by putting him in a crate at bedtime. Introduce him to it gradually. First, put his food right inside the door so he learns to eat there. Step-by-step, move the bowl farther into the crate each time he eats, leaving the door open. When he is comfortable eating inside, close the door, opening it as soon as he finishes eating. Gradually extend the time the door is closed. Do not oen the door if he is whining or trying to get out. Just ignore him, and wait until he is settled before letting him out. For additional assistance with this, you can click on the prompt to initiate a consult.

This can be both frustrating and exhausting! I'm glad to hear that Lou is able to relax and sleep if you are nearby. Consider giving her a shirt or blanket that has your scent on it and put it in her area at night. This may be a bit more involved, but try sleeping further and further away from her each night until she becomes more comfortable. One last thing to try includes purchasing a dog calming pheromone diffuser to place near her crate (Adaptil is one example). I hope this helps and that everyone is able to sleep well soon!