Getting a new puppy and we already have older dogs - to crate puppy or not?

[Onlyaphase]

We are getting a new lab puppy next month, and we currently have 2 older dogs.

Our house is fairly open plan downstairs, and our dogs currently are shut downstairs at night and sleep on a sofa in the living room. We didn't use crates with our older dogs (and they ate most of our previous house) and are open-minded about getting one now, our thinking being that it might help keep down the unsupervised chewing a little.

I'm in most of the day (SAHM) and only out for school runs and shopping etc, and I can take the dogs and puppy with me in the car for that mostly.

What I'm worried about is how to use a crate for the puppy to sleep in or be in when the other dogs are lounging around on the sofa all day and night. Will the puppy settle in a crate? Won't it bark to be out and join the other dogs? Has anybody tried this already?

Any advice or other thoughts most welcome!

No advice, sorry, but shamelessly marking my place as very interested to hear what the advice is and how you get on! Am hoping that we will have a new dog next year and we have an older dog already.

Anybody? Anybody at all?

I crated my lab puppy after having him in the same room as me for the first couple of weeks. The advantages are that he has a safe place to sleep that is his and his alone, he won't be able to get out to pester the older dogs, pee and poo in the house or chew anything he shouldn't, and the other dogs won't be able to pester him. Downsides are he will want to sleep with you or the other dogs so will cry until he learns to settle in his crate. I would recommend it as my dog settled really well and never wrecked the house even when he outgrew his crate and got his big bed.

Thanks, that is really helpful. I was thinking of putting the crate in the same room as the older dogs - is this what you did, or did you keep the crate somewhere else?

We have an 18month goldie who sleeps on our bedroom floor and in 3 weeks time we will be bringing home our husky puppy .
We are hopefully going to put the puppy in a crate in our room too so he's with us but we know he is safe etc

We have an 18month goldie who sleeps on our bedroom floor and in 3 weeks time we will be bringing home our husky puppy .
We are hopefully going to put the puppy in a crate in our room too so he's with us but we know he is safe etc
I'm a sham too so I will be around and same as you will only crate on those occasions ... So excited x

I would put him in his crate in your room first, then in with the other dogs. Some people have to move the crate in stages - outside room, too of stairs etc to get the dog used to being away from you, but as you would put him in with the other dogs then I think he will be fine. In fact he might be ok to go straight in with the other dogs, if they all hit it off.

we put our puppy in our room in a crate at first, then moved the crate to the kitchen next to our older dogs bed. Thats still how the sleep - puppy 13 weeks, in crate and older dog (nearly 4 ) on bed next to crate.

That's useful, thanks to all who have helped me decide what to do.

No personal experience but my MIL has just got a second dog ( puppy) and she tried the crate. He lasted all of 2 hours as he was desperate to be with her other dog!

When my pup stayed with my mum the crate was a godsend as it meant her older dog could have a break from the puppy!