Crating at night.. advise me

[StillMedusa]

So I've had Orla just over a week. Crate in the living room and she has had treats in there and the odd short nap, but at night she has slept on the floor (ignoring various nice dog beds) while I've been on the sofa.

I'd like to have her in the crate at night if possible.
Do I... start putting her in during the day for a few mins only with a treat and bear the crying?
Can I... pop her in tonight after her last wee and sleep by the crate?
going upstairs and ignoring isn't an option..dh has to sleep early and get up very very early and needs to be alert (he's happy to take turns at weekends but he drives for a living).

If she whines and cries with me next to her is it worth persevering? I'm a wuss when it comes to crying babies, but we off camping in a few weeks and it would be very useful if I could have her in a crate at night there!
Thanks

Persevere with the crate. I would pop her in there as long as she has positive associations with it ( treats and all meals) and I wouldn't sleep in the same room as you'd have to break that cycle later. You need to get up a couple of times a night ( every 2 or 3 hours) to let her have a wee but don't speak to her. Don't go when she cried or whines. Can your partner use ear plugs for a few weeks? We always use the crate for camping

Sorry but I don't agree with letting them cry it out, puppies get taken from mum and siblings it's a scary time, they need to have reassurance and love. We got a new pup 6 weeks ago, she sleeps beside my bed in the bedroom, if she wakes I take her out for a toilet break. She started off in a crate but hated it so she now sleeps on her bed but still in our room. I have done it this way with all my dogs over the years, all house trained quickly and none have suffered from separation anxiety, maybe I'm lucky 🙂

You must do it as you think best yetwig . We've had 3 puppies over the years and used the crate with no problems, and ours are (we're) the loveliest friendliest most chilled dogs so I hope they were okay. From memory they cry a little bit but because they are so tired at bedtime they generally just slept through. I won't have dogs in the bedroom though ( personal preference). Hopefully the OP will find her puppy settles quickly

I can't have her upstairs yet because I have two cats who are currently having the upstairs as 'theirs'.
I popped her in the crate last night and lay of the floor next to her to sooth her.... and fell asleep! Woke up on the floor at 2am during the storm so we popped out for a wee and back into the crate, where she stayed fine til 5.30 a,m. I let her out then as I was up anyway,

Tonight I am going to go on the sofa (last night's plan!) then tomorrow night I'm going to try going upstairs if she settles ok tonight.

She only whimpered for a few mins at most so I am hopeful we can do this... we need her to settle in a crate for camping in a few weeks.

stillmedusa that's brilliant! Well done and it sounds like you have a good plan

I put my dog in his bedroom on the first night, he was absolutely fine. He adores his bed, he retreats there if there's noisy teens in my house (often) or just to nap. You need to establish a routine that you can live with quickly

We got our pup at 8 weeks. She slept in crate from first night. I put a soft toy in there that came from the breeder, my shirt that I wore when picking her up at the breeders (held the siblings of her). And covered the cage w a towel. She never made a peep after I covered cage w a towel. She is now 15 months and sleeps very well in her crate. During the day she is around me most of the time, gets nice walks and play time in the park. She is rarely left alone. But if she does no problem and I think this helps her sleep well at night. She is a content dog.

We crated from day one with our last terrier puppy, he joined our older dog (spaniel) who was very patient and kind but would eventually tire of him hanging from his ears and the constant playing. As pup got more and more tired he became more and more obnoxious and rather like a toddler, needed "putting down" for a nap and then he'd be much nicer when he woke up. He'd protest a bit when we put him in there, but he was so tired it would only be a few minutes before he'd pass out with tiredness. Then he'd sleep for an hour or so and the cycle would begin again when he woke up.

It's also safer and better for everyone if they can be put in there if you have to leave them for short periods. For their own safety as much as anything else.

I used to be so against crating, but after the spaniel puppy found and ate some dressmaking pins when I popped out we had to have a rethink. The terrier is now 7 and sleeps in his crate (with his dog bed) every night, he's very happy in there, it's his little haven.

I'd keep persevering, the wailing is just a kind of protest, like putting a human baby down for a nap when they don't want to leave the party.