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My new puppy sleeps all day. How to crate train and avoid my bed?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | 1.5 lbs

Just brought my new 8 week old shihtzu home amd shes been sleeping all day. I want to know if I sould wake her up because i dont want her to sleep all day and stay up all night. Also she doesnt seem to like her crate, she wants to sleep next to me out of the crate. And she doesnt like the treats i bought so i dont know what to use to get her to like her crate. Or can I just let her sleep in the bed with me?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Bette Isacoff

Dog Trainer

Published on July 18th, 2018

You are at a crossroads with Mimi right now. You must decide who is going to run your home and your lives . . . you or her! By all means, do not let her get into the habit of sleeping in your bed with you. Dogs are creatures of habit, and if for some reason she has to sleep somewhere else (if you are in the hospital, for example), she will not understand the change and may start some undesirable behaviors. She needs to have her own bed crate) and she needs to sleep there. If she fusses at night, and you are sure that all of her physical needs have been met (potty trips), ignore the fussing completely. Do not try to scold or reasure her. She is whining for attention, and will only stop when she knows that it won't get her any. She may very well like the treats you bought, but remember that you have been planning for her for a while. All she knows is . . . yesterday I was THERE, and today I am HERE. What happened? Where is all that is familiar to me? She will have a period of adjustment before she deels secure and comfortable in her new home. Just do not fall into the trap of letting her run things because she is little or cute. You will be raising a monster! And bad habits are very hard to break. So don't carry her around either, or she may get to a point where she refuses to walk! (I've seen this in my training classes.) Good luck with your new Shih Tzu. If you have further questions, you can click on the prompt to start a consult, where we can discuss things at length.

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