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Many dog owners want their puppy to sleep in a crate both overnight and while they are away from home. Crates provide dog owners with a sense of security as they keep puppies out of trouble and are a safe place for them to rest.
However, getting your puppy to sleep in their crate isn’t always a walk in the park. In this article, we’ll share everything you need to know about crating your puppy. There will be step-by-step instructions on how to acclimate your dog to the crate as well as info on where to put the crate and how to help your dog sleep through the night.
How to Crate Train Your Puppy
Many owners make the mistake of putting their pup in a crate without training the dog to actually like the crate. While there are some puppies who take to the crate right away, most will need you to help them understand that the crate is a safe, comfortable space for them to hang out and sleep in.
To do so, you need to make sure that only happy things happen in and around the crate. You should never ever punish your dog by putting them in their crate.
You can’t force your puppy to like the crate, so you need to help your dog build positive associations with it so that they will want to spend time there. Here’s what you can do.
Step 1: Introduce the Crate
Bring your puppy over to the crate by calling them in a happy voice or luring them with treats. If they are naturally curious and sniff the crate, reward them for doing so. Throw treats near the crate and into the crate. Don’t force your puppy to go in, let them explore on their own.
Hopefully, your puppy will be happy to head into the crate to grab any treats you throw in. However, if they seem afraid, try putting treats near the crate or just inside of it at the very edge where your puppy can get them without walking in. Work your way up to having your puppy step inside the crate to retrieve a treat.
Step 2: Feed Your Puppy Their Meals in the Crate
A great way to help your puppy get used to the crate and build positive associations with it is to have them eat their meals while standing inside the crate. As before, if your dog seems intimidated by the crate, you can work your way up to having them stand all the way inside the crate while eating.
If your puppy is comfortably eating inside the crate, try closing the door. Start by closing the door only briefly and work your way up to closing it for the entire time while they are eating. You can eventually even try leaving the door closed for a few minutes after they’ve finished.
Be careful with this, though, as some puppies will need to relieve themselves immediately after they eat. In fact, it is considered a rule of thumb to let puppies out shortly after they eat in order to avoid potty accidents, especially if they are still little.
Step 3: Practice Confinement
Since your goal is for your puppy to be able to sleep in the crate, you’ll need to practice confining them. Only work on this step if your puppy has shown itself to be comfortable with the crate.
While you are home, bring your puppy to the crate and lure them inside with a treat (you can also say “crate” or “kennel” to teach them to enter on command). Close the door and hang out next to the crate for about five minutes. Try walking out of sight briefly and then returning.
If your puppy ever barks during this step, you need to ignore them. Otherwise, they may learn that barking gets your attention or gets them out of the crate. This will only lead to them barking more. You can also take barking as a sign that you may be pushing your puppy past their comfort zone too quickly, and you need to take your training back a step.
Step 4: Crate Your Dog While You’re Away and at Night
If your dog is doing well with being crated in the house while you are home, you can work on crating them while you’re away. In the beginning, you should only leave for short periods of time (no more than 30 minutes) to help your puppy get used to it. Build up the amount of time that you are away.
You can also try crating them overnight. If they’re already comfortable in the crate, they may simply sleep through the night. However, it can help to keep the crate either nearby or in the same room where you sleep.
It’s also good to have a potty schedule at night. If your puppy is still quite young, they will need to go out a couple of times per night. Make sure to let them out right before bed.
It can also help to set an alarm to wake up and let your puppy out. This way, you can get your puppy up and out before they bark or have an accident.
Benefits of Crate Training
Many people get crates for their dogs because it gives them peace of mind. They know that while they are away, their puppy will be confined and unable to destroy the house, eat dangerous objects, or have potty accidents on the carpet.
While these are certainly solid reasons to crate train a dog, crate training has some other benefits. One of the best, perhaps, is that it can actually help you potty train a puppy (as long as the crate is the right size).
Most dogs do not want to soil the area they sleep in. Therefore, they are less likely to go potty in a crate. This can be helpful for overnight hours as well as when you’re unable to keep an eye on your pup. However, young puppies should not be left in the crate for long periods of time, so don’t rely on the crate for potty training too much.
Another benefit of crates is that they can become a safe space for your dog. Many dogs will retreat to their crates, say, during a party. If your dog is more on the timid side, placing the crate in a room away from activity can give your dog an escape from the overwhelming number of strangers in your home.
What to Do Before Your Puppy is Crate Trained
Crate training is definitely worth the effort, but it’s a process. Most dogs will not immediately be able to sleep in their crates overnight or while you’re away, and trying to force them to do so only causes aversion to the crate.
So what can you do in the meantime? Where do you keep your puppy if you can’t put them in the crate? We suggest either getting a playpen or puppy-proofing a small room or hallway.
Whichever one you choose, it’s good to put the crate in that area with its door open, so your puppy can go in and lay down if they want. You can also put puppy pads around the area in case of accidents and make sure there are no objects or cables the puppy could choke on or destroy within the area.
We like playpens because they can be set up in almost any room. This way, your puppy does not have to be isolated. Moving away from their litter and into a new setting is always stressful, so it’s important not to add to that by locking your puppy away from the rest of the household.
How Long Can a Puppy Stay in a Crate?
As you’re working towards crate training, it’s important to know how long your puppy can stay in their crate at one time. Puppies under 10 weeks old usually can’t hold their bladders for longer than an hour, while puppies 10-12 weeks can usually hold it for around two hours. This article can help you learn more about how long puppies can be left alone in a crate.
Crate Type and Size
There are a few different kinds of crates on the market. You’ll likely see metal crates and plastic crates.
Metal
The metal crates allow your puppy to easily see their surroundings. For some puppies, it may be comforting for them to be able to see their surroundings, whereas for others, this may mean more distractions.
Of course, you can always cover the crate with a blanket. Just be sure to leave at least one side uncovered for airflow, and be careful of puppies that pull the blanket through the wires and chew on it.
Metal crates tend to be more sturdy and durable and can even be folded up for transport.
Some even have two doors, making it easier to find a good spot for them in your home. Many metal crates also come with a divider, so you can buy a crate that will fit your pup’s adult size but still use it while they are little.
Plastic
Plastic crates have small holes in the sides, sometimes in fun shapes like pawprints. Most have a wire door. Because of this, it is much more difficult for your puppy to see what is going on around them.
For some puppies, this can be calming (almost like a den), but others may do better if they can see their surroundings. Plastic crates are lightweight, so even though they are not foldable, they can be a lot easier to move around your home than a metal crate.
Plastic kennels are also the only crates approved for air travel, so you should keep this in mind if you need one for traveling in the future.
Both crates have their pros and cons, and which one you choose will depend mostly on your preferences since many owners will prepare a crate before bringing the puppy home.
The Right Size
Perhaps more important than the type of crate you choose is the size of crate you choose. It must be big enough for your dog to comfortably stand at their full height and turn around.
If you know your dog’s breed (or have a prediction for how big they’ll get), you can potentially save some money by buying a crate that will suit them when they are fully grown. However, you will need to block part of the crate off during puppyhood.
Otherwise, your puppy will likely use one end of the crate to go potty and the other to sleep. This can put a bit of a wrench in potty training. Since puppies do not want to sleep in an area they’ve soiled, you need to make sure the crate is small enough that your puppy won’t want to soil it.
Where To Put the Crate
If you want to be successful in your training, then you should take some time to think about the best place to put the crate. This will often depend on your puppy’s progress in training as well as their personality.
In Your Bedroom
For instance, if your puppy has just been brought home, you can bring the crate into your room at night with the playpen attached. This way, you’re not forcing the puppy into the crate, but you’re also keeping them near you, which can often help them feel more at ease during the stressful transition to a new home.
This can also be a great option if your puppy has already gotten used to your home but is still working on sleeping alone in the crate overnight. You can start with the crate in your room, and as your puppy gets more comfortable with sleeping in it through the night, slowly move it further and further away from your own quarters and toward its final destination.
In a High Traffic Space
If you don’t want the crate in your room, consider putting it in an area of your house where there is high traffic during the day. Dogs are pack animals and are comforted by our presence, so it’s good for their crate to be in a room where people hang out a lot.
Many dogs enjoy sleeping in whatever room their family is in, so they are more likely to cozy up in their crate for an afternoon nap if it’s in the same room as their humans. At night time, they may find the area more comforting than other rooms in the house because they associate the space with their owners’ presence.
According to anthrozoologist John Bradshaw, a few minutes of friendly attention two days in a row from a human is enough to make some dogs desperate to stay with those people. Based on that information, we know that dogs form attachments with humans quickly. This is why putting the crate in a space where the family often hangs out with the puppy can be a great option.
In a Secluded Room
Though many dogs will prefer to be near their people, some puppies are better off in a secluded room as the hustle and bustle of a high-traffic zone in your house may be far too distracting (or even exciting) for them to calm down for a midday nap. Just be sure to check on them from time to time, and don’t leave them in their kennel for too long.
Help Your Puppy Sleep Through the Night
Crate training and choosing the right environment for your pup are important steps to ensuring they are willing to sleep in their crate. However, you can set them up for success by tuckering them out!
Make sure your puppy gets enough exercise during the day. You can even have a play session an hour or two before bedtime.
Physical exercise is important for your dog’s health and will help tire them out, but you shouldn’t forget mental stimulation either. You can provide mental enrichment for your puppy via puzzle toys or even just basic training.
Providing both types of enrichment will help your dog get energy out and prevent boredom so they’ll be ready to sleep when it’s bedtime.
Sweet Dreams in the Crate
Getting your dog to sleep in their crate isn’t always easy, especially if you’ve made the mistake of trying to force them to stay in it. However, as long as you keep things positive around the crate and work on slowly building up the time your dog spends in it, you’ll be set for success.
With enough patience, training, and physical and mental enrichment, your dog will have sweet dreams in their crate in no time.