Puppy won't sleep at night

Turning your back so she can’t see you could be interpreted as a response from your side (and she wouldn’t be wrong...), and she might then think she hasn't been clear enough, so she’ll double down.

The best thing is to either take decisive action or do NOTHING at all. Avoid any hesitating or actions that might betray your emotions, etc.

''We don’t force her to come into the bedroom with us, the door is open, but usually she follows."

Careful there—you’ve let her make the choice.

It’s much better if this kind of decision comes from you rather than the dog.

Personally, I think it seems a bit extreme to go from having the door open tonight—allowing her to come and go and move freely around you—to... a closed door. You’ve got her used to something else, you’ve given in a few times, and then suddenly the door is shut?

It might work, but it seems risky to me.

You know she might bark if you don’t respond to her demands, so I think you need to avoid putting her in a situation where she can fail (scratching at the door, for instance, or heaven forbid, chewing on cables...). You want to avoid a sudden change that could trigger strong negative emotions. Finally, you want to avoid the risk of having to change your mind because she’s barking, getting out of bed, and then what? Considering everything you’ve already tried and given up on... it wouldn’t make any sense to her and wouldn't get you any further.

If I were you, I’d try getting her used to it during the day first, over a day or two. A few times a day, close the blinds if you need to, go into the bedroom, and stay there for just a few minutes, gradually increasing the time. Start with her in there (optional), then without her, with the door open but using a baby gate or something similar. That way she can see and hear you but can’t come in. Only come out when she’s calm; you don’t want her thinking that by making a fuss, she can get you out of bed. You can give her a bit of praise for being quiet when you leave the room, but don't overdo it.

In the meantime, for the next two nights for example, why not sleep in the lounge with her, since that’s where she’s least restless? Then, after a couple of nights, you can decide on the best course of action: either keep going like that but gradually shortening the time you spend in the lounge over several days, or opt for nights in your bedroom with the door open and a baby gate... (but until then, it’s best to prep her for it just in case, rather than doing it out of the blue).

Alongside that, it would be good to teach her to "stay" on command in a specific spot. That could really help you turn a corner when you want to start closing the bedroom door, for example.

She’s been with you for less than a week and you’ve already tried all that? ;-) I think you might be jumping the gun a bit by assuming things aren’t working; even if you’re right sometimes, constantly switching "strategies" can really confuse a dog. I’m mentioning this because of your first post too, where you said you gave her a toy when she wanted to get on the bed, but then ended up lying down next to her if I remember correctly... Basically, she’s going to learn that making a fuss gets her attention.

Try to stick to what you’ve decided, for at least a few days ;-) Also, make a choice based on what will lead to the fewest "mistakes". With a very anxious dog, it can be a good idea to let them sleep near you for the first few nights, whereas other pups will handle being further away much more easily or quickly.

As long as you’ve met all her needs (toilet breaks, meals, cuddles, play, walks...), you know that unless she’s in pain, any restlessness is normal and just part of the adjustment period.

Stay consistent, confident, and clear, and it’ll be fine.

"But she slept alone in the living room this afternoon while we were in the bedroom, so I’m thinking maybe she’ll do the same tonight."

Give it a go—have her sleep in the living room tonight, either by closing your bedroom door or leaving it open with a pet gate so she can see you but can't jump up on you. Tweak things tomorrow if you need to, but don’t fundamentally change your decision.

You could wait until tomorrow if she’s not used to the gate yet; teach her how it works during the day so it’s part of the routine for tomorrow night or the night after...

It’s up to you.

But I think you’ll make life much easier for yourself by sticking to ONE plan :-) And be careful not to give her far too many options by leaving everything open, having beds everywhere, or changing your mind (to her advantage) halfway through because of how she’s behaving... ;-)

Usually on our walks, I’d say we bump into at least one dog on the way (though most of the time we don’t see anyone, of course). But there are quite a few dogs in the neighbourhood :)

Actually, for Tia’s arrival, my partner took a week off to be with her, and I’ve got a week’s holiday booked for next week so we can be there while she settles in. So yes, we’re probably fussing over her a bit too much because we want to do everything right, and in the end, we aren’t giving her enough time on her own.

We’re trying to let her play in her own space now, leaving her alone in a room (without closing the doors, just us getting on with things and her keeping herself busy with her toys). We’ve also started leaving her for 5 or 10 minutes solo when we go down to get the post, etc.

During the day, she only sleeps in the living room, and not necessarily in her bed—more often on the floor or at the foot of the sofa... We’ve tried going into the bedroom to relax, but she prefers staying in the living room for her daytime naps. We already tried putting her bed in the bedroom at the start, but it didn't make a difference. But then this afternoon, she slept alone in the living room while we were in the bedroom, so I’m thinking maybe she’ll do the same tonight 🙄

But anyway, yes, maybe we’re just expecting too much since she’s only just arrived...

So you’ve decided on the bedroom for the night, just while she "settles in".

Just be careful, Tia might not understand if you try and make her sleep somewhere else later on.