I have a 4 month old puppy, jack russell cross chihuaha.

For the last 5 weeks, she's been sleeping in my bed with me.

Now Im finding it increasingly difficult, because I never get any time alone to myself, Im the type of person who NEEDS personal space sometimes. Im getting angry and moody because of this. She also wakes me to play every single morning at 5am... :mad:

So how can I make the situation better?

My dad recommended leaving the puppy in the kitchen/living room area (there's no door/gate separating the two. Which is good because she has plenty of room to run around if she needs to, and she's used to being in these rooms while I am out during the day -2-3 hours maximum.

I expect she will bark a while for the first few nights when I try this, and I will be concerned neighbours may complain, but it's a risk I have to take for my own sanity.

My question is this:

Is it OK to leave a puppy/dog by itself overnight, while you sleep in another room? The reason I ask, is because it seems a long time for 10-12 hours to leave it alone, yet I'm told many people keep their dogs in different rooms from them while they sleep at night.

Comments, advice, opinions NEEDED PLEASE :(

I would start by putting her in a small crate beside my bed, when she got used to this I would move her into another room maybe in a week or so. I definitely would not let her run loose, unattended... she may tear up your furniture, chew into electric cords... etc. and get hurt. Good luck

I have seen advice on letting the dog sleep with you varying from never to if you love it, you will. I tend to see it as a matter of personal choice unless you are having troubles with it not accepting your leadership. In that case, it must sleep elsewhere. We start 7 week old puppies downstairs in a crate by themselves. Following some of what you can read at https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/information-articles-our-dogs-expert-labman-53153.html#post251802 it should go OK. The crate is the safest place to leave an unattended dog. I can't promise yours will sleep past 5 AM. If she is very consistent about the time, look around for anything you may have on a timer such a coffee pot. We once had a plant light that was waking our puppy at 5 AM. Choosing a place that doesn't have the morning sun may help too.

At 4 months, she may be approaching her adult size. Select a crate that is not much too big for her now. You can also block off a larger crate.

Thank you for giving her a home. There are so many nice dogs needing a home. My son was here this weekend with their ''It looks like a Foxhound'' from the shelter, and my daughter with their Lhasa/Min Pin mix.