Help puppy really isn’t liking crate at night

[W0rdl3]

Done all the crate wizard stuff ie popping treats in etc and she has dived in to get said treats during day but doesn’t hang about.We have been letting her sleep on sofa during day. Suspect this is wrong but feel mean making her stay on floor when we’re all sitting on chais abd sofa and going forward don’t mind.Tried transporting her to crate when dropping off but it didn’t work. Is now sleeping on sofa without us in room ie she’ll open an eye if she hears movement but doesn’t jump up to follow. Is eating more so generally more settled. Dh sleeping next to her crate at night. She did sleep several hours in it but started crying at 4 and didn’t give up as Dh trying to put hand up to crate less.

Suspect we’re doing a whole load wrong. Any advice?

Have you got a cover to put over the crate to make it seem cosy? Our puppy was very anti her crate until we put a covid on it and added more blankets. Good luck.

Find 'Dog Training Advice and Support' on a Facebook if you have it. It's absolutely incredible- ran by dog trainers and experts. A lot of things to read but you should be able to find a solution.

We didn't crate train as our dog is rescue who has spent a lot of time in cages but crating does seem really beneficial if they don't dislike the crate. Have a think about whether you definitely want to crate train and I'd say, avoid sofa/ other comfy areas for now until they get comfortable :)

**cover, not covid! Sign of the times typo!

Will she settle in a bed next to yours rather than being in the crate ?

If couch is an option then crate will be difficult. Start to keep crate only.

Was she not crying to go to the toilet at 4am?

We never crate trained our dog and he doesn't seem to be any worse off for it. He sleeps on our bed at night or on the sofa during the day.

Do you need her to be crated or do you feel it's just something you should be doing?

4am seems a toilet time, agreed.

I don't see any merit in crating a dog if she dislikes it.

I would make sure she isn’t getting cold
That’s the time our heating might occasionally come on so we have a heat pad in our crate. Plenty of space so pup can choose not to lay on it.
If she cries I’d take out to the garden, no fuss or talking. Then back into the crate.
Has anything changed which might be a reason she suddenly started crying in the crate?

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

Was she not crying to go to the toilet at 4am?

We never crate trained our dog and he doesn't seem to be any worse off for it. He sleeps on our bed at night or on the sofa during the day.

Do you need her to be crated or do you feel it's just something you should be doing?

Crate training is very handy if your dog needs to go to a vet or needs to be confined if visitors are over or if it is sick. Good to have it trained in.

Also going to suggest moving the crate next to your bed. It worked for us. But we were also happy to have her sleep in our room once she was done in the crate (which she is now, and sleeps on a dog-bed on our floor).

Ours slept in the utility room, they don't like crates basically, too small

@ThisisMax I do understand that argument but dogs coped with vets and visitors for years without needing to be crated.

I'm not against crating as such but I do think it shouldn't be something the owners feel forced into because it's currently a popular way to raise a puppy.

If it works for the dog and family in question then great, but many don't need crates and cope just fine without them.

We crate trained ours as a puppy and he only cried night one
In the day we left it open and with his blankets in and he would often sleep in there, we also used to put him in if had too many people around so he had some quiet time
But he never went on the sofa as a puppy , either his bed or his crate
From 18 months we got rid of the crate and he sleeps wherever he likes pretty much , so once he was reliably house trained
You almost have to ignore the crying , maybe take him out for a wee incase thats what they need , then pop him back in
Or just don't use a crate if you don't want to and are happy to just put a bed in a room at night and close room off

Why are you using a crate ?

I never crate trained my dog. Instead I had a small pen when she was a little pup. I also included a blanket on her bed which I slept with for a week before she came into the home, and a puppy heating pad.

She very quickly learned that this was a safe space and a place for her to sleep. It barely took anytime to toilet train her using this method (I also did get up every 3 hours overnight to take her to the toilet for 2 weeks).

First night was lots of crying, second night was better, third she was fine. Other than the trips to the toilet, I did not try and settle her. When I went to bed, lights were off, and no more cuddles.