Creating a new puppy overnight

[GretaGip]

Just heading to collect our 8 week old pup

I'd like her to be in a crate overnight, this did not work for our older dog (now 6).

Im concerned the transition from sleeping with her mother and litter mates to a crate in on fell swoop is too great, but have no idea how to approach this.

Please send good ideas my way.

I was intrigued but disappointed to see it's just a typo in your title!

I agree it's a big jump to go from sleeping with mum/litter to being alone in a crate. I'd expect a lot of crying overnight - are you willing to put up with that?

I'm afraid I've nothing constructive to offer as we don't like crates and have managed fine without them. Could you have the crate in your bedroom so the pup doesn't feel quite so alone?

Be prepared to sleep in the same room as the crate for a few nights, so campbed and sleeping bag.
Initially leave the crate door open, cover the crate with a blanket. The crate should be small to start with and cosy. We started with a small puppy sized crate and only moved to full size when puppy was too large.
Closing the door initially creates a cage, the puppy needs to see the crate as a safe area to go to when they want to sleep. Covering the crate initially makes them feel safe and secure.
We found our last dog found her own safe space under the large butchers block in the kitchen so put her bed there. We didn’t crate her, but with a small kitchen it was easy to contain her. Our current dog is in the same place but we put the crate there and followed the recommended training.
If you read up on crating closing the door is not advised until they are settled and are treating the area as their den. A large crate can be intimidating. If you want to contain them use a pen that still allows them to access crate to sleep in.
Crates are useful for containing them for a short period. Our main crate was in the car but could be removed if we were visiting family so dog felt safe sleeping in new environment.
It was great when we camped one year.
We haven’t had to use the crate since dog was 2/3 yrs old since she is now chilled and no longer into destroying shoes and kitchen cupboards.
I consider crates to be a training tool not a solution and shouldn’t really be a solution.

@StrawberryPot

I was intrigued but disappointed to see it's just a typo in your title!

Me too!!!!!

Our 2yr old cocker has slept in his crate overnight from the day we bought him home at 8 weeks. We made it very very snug with lots of blankets and a big teddy which he snuggled into, he now runs up and gets in it whenever he fancies a nap and when we tried to take it away in favour of a bed in our room he cried and made such a fuss we put it back. He's always been in our room though

Crating is an odd new fad IMO. We've never crated any dog and we've had a few,

Also here for the title

We crated ours, made it super cosy and slept on the sofa next to the crate for the first few weeks (just easier to get out for toilet breaks and less disruption for the rest of the house. By 10 weeks she’d go 1030-6 so we moved the crate up to our room. Now at 6 months she sleeps on her bed next to ours
We didn’t have any issues with crying and she settled and slept well

@nearlyspringyay

Crating is an odd new fad IMO. We've never crated any dog and we've had a few,

I agree, crates were never a thing were they. Now everyone seems to think having a pup is impossible without one 😂. I just don’t get it.

We created our Labrador from 8 weeks. He didn't cry much. We never put him in our room or slept near him. We removed it when he was older (below a year though I think?).

Our new dachshund pup now has a crate. He only goes in it at night. He has a separate day bed. He has never cried over night. We haven't slept near him. He does bark in the morning when he wants to go out about 7am ish.

I like crates, the dog sees them as a safe space and you know your pup is safe. No chewing furniture etc

Maybe see how your pup reacts? Lots of treats & favourite toys and rewards for going in the crate during the day. By nighttime hopefully the pup will realise it's his bed.

I have two dogs same breed and got them
At the same age but 5 years apart.
First LOVES a crate - still uses as a
Little den and actually had to work hard to get her to sleep outside of it when going away etc.
Most recent pup - poor thing screamed the place down when introduced to any kind of enclosed space. Tried everything and have given up just thinking its just not his thing!
Some dogs take to it, others dont

We didn't use a crate. Our dog has slept in a cosy bed in our laundry room behind a baby gate since he came home as a 12 week old pup, he's now 3 and a half.
He doesn't use it during the day, we WFH and he has the run of downstairs. Every night like clockwork at 10.30pm he takes himself off to bed in his little room.

Crating is an odd new fad IMO. We've never crated any dog and we've had a few

Not really, it’s just an updated version of having their own bed. All our dogs have had a bed somewhere quiet like a corner of the kitchen or utility room where they can take themselves off, and it’s understood by the children of the house to leave them alone while they’re there.

If you have the kind of dog that likes to have it’s own space, whether that’s a dog bed or a crate, it’s all the same thing.

I do what I suppose is the opposite.

I take the puppy to the bedroom with me. No crying, no waking up in the night, everybody''s happy.

I agree, crates were never a thing were they. Now everyone seems to think having a pup is impossible without one 😂. I just don’t get it.

In my parents day, dogs were not as mobile as life dictates some dogs need to be now. My childhood dogs were left at home/outside and left with a local farmer when we went on holiday. My dogs now go to hotels, holiday homes etc. and they see their crate as a safe, secure space wherever it gets placed.
I have crated my last three pups, they all settled immediately on their first night, cuddled up with a blanket set from their breeder.

We've never crated our dogs before. I have a new pup arriving soon and an older spaniel. Pup will go in crate at night at least until I'm sure everyone is settled and happy together.

We had our pup in our room for a week then she was in a large crate in the kitchen.Sleepless nights are no good for anyone! She cried for the first two nights but we ignored and she was fine.She had food,water,bed and puppy pad.
Both my dogs are crate trained,pup is now 4.5 months.

Not really, it’s just an updated version of having their own bed. All our dogs have had a bed somewhere quiet like a corner of the kitchen or utility room where they can take themselves off, and it’s understood by the children of the house to leave them alone while they’re there.

Crates are really not an updated version of a dog having its own bed. Unless of course you leave the door permanently ajar.

They're a convenience for people who don't want to put the effort into toilet training or even just having a dog. The main objection I have about them is that they normalise shutting a dog in a cage - often for very long periods of time. A dog can get up from a bed in the corner of a house, stretch its legs, find somewhere warmer/cooler, look for company etc. It can't do that in a crate.

*Crates are really not an updated version of a dog having its own bed. Unless of course you leave the door permanently ajar.

They're a convenience for people who don't want to put the effort into toilet training or even just having a dog. The main objection I have about them is that they normalise shutting a dog in a cage - often for very long periods of time. A dog can get up from a bed in the corner of a house, stretch its legs, find somewhere warmer/cooler, look for company etc. It can't do that in a crate*

Ah ok i didn’t realise people actually shut them in- i thought that was a big no as part of crate training?

Bloody cat moved into ours before we even brought the pup home, so the dog never got a look in anyway 😂. Relegated to the cat bed.

There is nothing wrong with crate training.Ours are only in them at night.

I do agree with the restrictions though, I've thought to crate him as I don't want to risk the older dog biting etc (I've never introduced pup to older dog before) but I don't like the thought that people basically use them to put the dog 'away'.

@StrawberryPot

Not really, it’s just an updated version of having their own bed. All our dogs have had a bed somewhere quiet like a corner of the kitchen or utility room where they can take themselves off, and it’s understood by the children of the house to leave them alone while they’re there.

Crates are really not an updated version of a dog having its own bed. Unless of course you leave the door permanently ajar.

They're a convenience for people who don't want to put the effort into toilet training or even just having a dog. The main objection I have about them is that they normalise shutting a dog in a cage - often for very long periods of time. A dog can get up from a bed in the corner of a house, stretch its legs, find somewhere warmer/cooler, look for company etc. It can't do that in a crate.

Absolute rubbish.

Congratulations on your new arrival!

You need to do a lot of work on making the crate a positive place to be. If you get a blanket from the breeder, I would use that in there, along with a puppy-safe heating pad/toy and one of those stuffed animals with a "heartbeat" to mimic mum. You could also put puppy-safe treats in there (and feed her there) so she always associates the crate with lots of good things happening.

Go slowly - make sure she comes out before she gets upset or distressed so she doesn't associate those feelings with being in her crate. You could cover the crate as well to make it even more cosy and pop a nice comfy bed and blankets inside - though make sure these are both cheap and easily washable

I would also set the crate up in your room at first (or have you sleep downstairs with the puppy) so you can provide reassurance and let her out to the toilet when she stirs. You can slowly move the crate to the desired location once she's settled and more reliable during the night.

I know the "crate debate" can get quite heated so don't pay too much attention to the posts about it being cruel. Done properly, a crate is a great den/safe space for a puppy. Good luck!

@Lambanddog

What part of my post is rubbish? Do you really lead such a sheltered life that you don't believe many many people misuse crates cruelly?

The people who are out at work/school all day who don't want their house wrecked by an untrained, bored, lonely dog might think twice about getting a dog. But hey - if they can stick it in a crate all day (and all night) and get it out when convenient - why not?

The people who don't want to get up several times a night to house train their puppy - just stick it in a crate for it to mess where it sleeps and clean it up when convenient.

Yes, many people don't use crates like that. They use them for limited periods of time, leave the door open so it's a safe haven for a dog to use when it chooses etc. But by making it a normal dog accessory the hard of thinking and the downright cruel will just assume it's an essential part of dog ownership for their convenience rather than for the dog's welfare.

First week, I slept next to the crate door open and basically my hand in there to comfort him. Then slowly shut the door but slept next to the crate, then move to the door shut and sleeping next to him in our own bed. Now he will happily trot in and snuggle down for bed time. Only reason we shut the door is because he will be trying to get into our bed. The first two weeks is pretty rough going if I'm honest, but stick at it, don't let them cry for hours and hours just be there to comfort them