What is a sleep association?
Introducing music or scent when your puppy is naturally sleepy or asleep helps to make an association between the two. Choose music that you can happily tolerate, which is calm; that could be classical music, ocean waves, or a meditation soundtrack.
You can use a calming spray like pet remedy or a natural lavender room spray.
It's important to introduce these sounds and smells when your puppy is in a calm and relaxed state, and then the association will be a nice sleepy one!
Also, consider the room temperature. Your puppy is more likely to feel sleepy in a warm environment.
A crate or puppy pen can be handy as a space your pup associates with sleep, but for it to work well, your puppy needs to have a positive association with being in there. That means not leaving your puppy to cry to sleep or forcing them in if they're not comfortable.
When a puppy cries themselves to sleep, they are not relaxed, it's a stressful sleep. Taking the time to crate train your puppy will help them to relax and feel calm when they drift off to sleep in there.
Licking and chewing are calming activities for dogs; they release endorphins, which will help your puppy relax. Lickimats, Kongs, and tasty natural chews are all incredibly helpful tools to aid with puppy's crate training, calming, and teething pain.
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