Crate Training

[Coffecake99]

Please can anyone give me any tips? Just had a new puppy and he's cried last two nights. Will it get better? Thanks in advance!

[scotchbunny]

Hi
We brought the crate into our room first 3 nights. Covered it with lots of blankets, made it soft and cosy inside, put in a couple soft dogs toys, a chew and loose blanket which came from the litter. 4 th night we moved crate to outside our door with door open, 5 th night further into hall and then 6th night kitchen. She's now settling with no problems. She snoozes all evening with us in living room on a soft bed, then at 1030 ish I take her out for wee then she's put into crate. Sleeps till 630/7 just now and yowls in morning to let us know she is awake!

Day time I leave crate open and she'll sometimes go into it for a sleep however she does like to flop on pillows and be around us so we will need to address separation anxiety now! I plan on putting her in her crate when she's fed, been to toilet etc for short spells with toys and chews when we have tea etc

[LilCamper]

Where is the puppy at night? He should be in the room with you so you can settle him if he wakes up.

[Hoppinggreen]

We started our pup in his own room in the crate from day one. We have a sofa in there so I would settle him and then leave, if he cried I would go down and settle him again and leave. For the first 2 nights I slept on the sofa mostly.but within a week he was fine. He has slept 10/11 to around 8 am since even though he's outgrown his crate and we've removed it.
I had no idea what I was doing and approached it like I did when I moved the DC to their own rooms as babies!!!

[tabulahrasa]

Well he'll get better if you crate train him properly, crate training shouldn't ever involve crying, if it does, you've skipped a step or moved through them too quickly.

[TrionicLettuce]

Well he'll get better if you crate train him properly, crate training shouldn't ever involve crying, if it does, you've skipped a step or moved through them too quickly.

This.

You need to build up really gradually so the crate is never anything other than a great place to be for the puppy. It's not just a case of putting them in, shutting the door straight away and letting them cry it out.

Have a read of this: Step By Step Guide to a Distress Free, Force Free Crate Trained dog or Pup

[davos]

Our puppy was in a crate at the breeders with her mum and litter. So it made it easier.

We took the crate in whatever room we were sat in and let her go in and out, when we brought her home.

On the first night we tried her in the kitchen in the crate and she wasn't happy. So we moved her to the landing (outside our room) and we also put a stuff toy in with her, that was the same size as her. She climbed I and settled down. For the first few nights we sat with her for her a bit until she started falling asleep and slowly moved further away each time.

We have had her about 4 weeks and she happily goes in her crate at night.

Had she not have settled on the landing I would have put her in our room. We did also get up several times a night for the toilet, but after 3 nights she stopped crying for the toilet.

She now sleeps in her crate in the living room (our living room is first floor opposite our bedroom) and is fine.

I would say if your dog isn't happy you need to take the slower approach or at least have her in your room.

[pinkandsparklytoo]

My puppy happily goes in his crate whilst we are having meals and I leave the door open for him to access it as he wants during the day. However I feel a little uncomfortable leaving him in it overnight. Reading this though it sounds as though he would be fine it's just me being silly. He is four months old.