Moment “scared” puppy struggles to stay awake on first night breaks hearts

While some puppies and older dogs walk straight in to their new home, find their spot and settle right in, others have a harder time feeling comfortable in their new environment.

In a video posted to the account @pickyprince.haku, a young Akita called Haku can be seen sitting on the floor, struggling to keep his eyes open, head nodding, trying not to fall asleep.

“This was my puppies first night with us,” read the text, “He was trying really hard to stay awake although he was super tired he was just too scared to fall asleep in an unfamiliar environment.”

Bringing a puppy home is an incredibly exciting time for the owners, but can be stressful and confusing for the dog. Indeed, it can take anywhere from three days to three months for them to settle, in according to experts.

“Now looking back at this video it breaks my heart even more,” read the caption. “Puppies leave their mom and siblings behind and I believe that’s not easy for every puppy. Some are more ‘extroverted’ than others I guess and can just adjust faster to their new…But Haku was really anxious and looked so sad and scared the first night. Please give your puppies time to adjust to their new family and be patient especially when they aren’t “happy” and “playful” at the beginning.”

It’s important to remember that when you bring your puppy home, they’ve just been taken away from their mother and siblings, and now they have to come to terms with a new environment, new people and new smells.

Animal insurer PetPlan suggests getting your puppy a crate to initially sleep in “so they don’t have access to the whole house where they can get into trouble. Dogs naturally don’t soil their sleeping area, so it has the added benefit of making them more likely to wait until they are outside before going to the toilet.”

Add a hot water bottle to the crate to mimic the effect of sleeping beside their mother, “and helps reassure your puppy,” said PetPlan. “You may also want to put a blanket over the top of the crate to make it feel even more secure for them.”

Users on TikTok shared their own experiences.

“My one was afraid to be alone so I fell asleep outside with her and woke up in 2 am and got in house,” said one user, “Meanwhile my puppy got so comfortable, ran around the apartment and took over my bed,” wrote another.

Newsweek has reached out to @pickyprince.haku via Instagram for comment.

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