Where pugs sleep at night can be somewhat of a controversial topic. Many believe that a pug should be crate trained. Some say that you should never have your pug share your bed. Others say that keeping them close by in their own bed is best. And then others say that having them sleep in your bed is good too.
This really is just personal preference. A decision that you need to make that suits you and your pug. For me, I had made the decision before I brought Ref home. He would be sleeping in a pen in the spare bedroom, almost like create training. The pen had plenty of room for a puppy to move around and find their perfect sleeping spot. I thought this would be best so that Ref had his own space to sleep and wouldn’t wake me up in the middle of the night for playtime.
I remember reading that it can take a few nights for them to settle in and be comfortable with where they would be sleeping at night. So I persisted with the crying for the first few nights. In fact, I persisted with the crying for 6 whole weeks. That was 6 whole weeks of crying every single night from Ref. I felt like I had no sleep every night. I think my mum felt the same. But I also remember during those 6 weeks that I’d wake up having a panic attack for any number of reasons. And quite frequently.
One night at the 6 week mark, I woke up having a panic attack that something had happened to Ref. I woke the poor little guy up to make sure he was ok. Of course it happened when he was taking a break from crying. But the only way I could calm back down and go back to sleep was to have him with me.
So what was the result of that? Well we both slept so much better. I continued to have Ref sleep with me which meant that everyone in the house was sleeping without being woken by him crying. But even better for me was that the frequency of my middle of the night panic attacks reduced considerably. So all in all, having Ref sleep with me was what was best for me and him. We both sleep so much better. He sleeps through the night with an occasional toilet wake up and well me, I mostly sleep better even if he hogs the bed.
So whilst Ref sharing my bed works for me, it may not work for the next person. You may very well decide that crate training your pug or having them sleep in their own bed in your bedroom is the best option for you. But just remember, wherever you choose to have your pug sleep at night, it is your choice and what is best for you and your pug. And in no way is it the right or wrong way cause there is no right or wrong way.
Where does your pug sleep at night and what made you go with that decision?
Photo of Punky the Pug is Courtesy of Jenny Tiffen – www.lovewednesday.com.au
Kristy Beck
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6 Responses
When I first raised the possibility of getting pug/s the first reaction from my partner was “no dogs in the bedrooms!”
Wynstan and Doug have their bed, toys, etc in an area in the dining/living area. The very first night they cried for about 5 minutes, haven’t heard a peep from them since (until last night). They have access to outside which they go out at some stage (I’m assuming… There are puddles and presents outside but not inside!) Wynstan has a cold and some really painful teeth coming through, last night he sat at the baby gate that separates the bedrooms from their area and cried and cried and cried 🙁 all he wanted was cuddles at 3am! They put themselves to bed around 8pm and wake up around 7am. Works very well for our family!
Thanks for stopping by Lauren, Wynstan and Doug! Every pug is different. Glad the boys have each other for company and their own space. It clearly works for them and your family. And that is all that matters.
I decided Alfie would be crate trained because I feared I’d never get the bed to myself again if I let him in it! He whimpered a bit the first night, but after that he’d only make noises from dreaming– the first time he had a nightmare I shot out of bed so fast to go check on him! When he was desexed, I let him sleep in the bed with me and after the cone came off he was back to the crate.
Much like whether or not you crate your dog at night or take them with you, I think whether or not a dog likes their crate is also dependent on the dog! Alfie seems to like having his own little ‘bedroom’, and sometimes he’ll take himself off to bed when he’s tired or cranky and just wants some alone time. I wouldn’t mind having him sleep with me more often, but every time I’ve tried he wants to start playtime at 4am– I am not cool with that, dude! We need our beauty sleep!
Thanks for stopping by Pug. Its great to hear that Alfie thrives on being crated trained. Some times I wish Ref would like being on his own so I could have some time out but he just needs that human company. And I love that. We have ground rules where once we go to bed, that is it. And now when I take too long to get ready, Ref gets annoyed. Just goes to show every pug is different.
My Pug Lola was almost 12 months old when she came to live with me, she had slept outside in that time.
My pets always sleep indoors, they are part of the family, Lola sleeps in her bed in the lounge, she snores so I can’t have her in the bedroom, but she is warm and comfortable.
Teddy started off in his bed, but just before we went on an overseas holiday I caved and let him sleep in our bed! No regrets though – he is so snugly!!! He loves to cuddle us or sleep at our feet. He falls asleep on the couch with us around 8/9pm and wakes up at 7am with us, but he would stay in bed all day if he wanted to! If we put him in his bed he will usually sleep most of the night in it too. I would love more info on crate training, as I’ve never had it with dogs and wouldn’t know where to start!