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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Crying in crate at night

60 replies

ChiChiGabor · 13/05/2023 11:38

My 3 year old has started crying in her crate at night, I suspect initially as she was cold (we haven’t lit the log burner for about a month now), so I’ve moved her crate to a warmer part of the house and I’m ordering her a new bed as the old is quite worn.

Ive also stopped crating her during the day if I pop out. I wfh but go out for school run etc, she’s fine being left home alone (I have a bark alert set up).

But how do I re-crate train her? At the moment she will cry/bark randomly at night and we ignore it. I’ve never let her out when she’s cried so we’re not reinforcing it. As a pup she was always happy in her crate.

Do I need to make it a nice place for 10 minute time outs during the day?

We have another older dog who sleeps on my bed (and has done for over a decade, that won’t change!) and I suspect she wants to sleep on my bed too which is why she’s barking but DH won’t allow it (especially as she likes to sleep in between our pillows).

OP posts:

Freshair1 · 13/05/2023 11:39

What on earth is it in a crate for?

Original poster

ChiChiGabor · 13/05/2023 11:45

She’s in the crate so she doesn’t have free access to the whole house at night time.

OP posts:

ThePoetsWife · 13/05/2023 11:48

How cruel - why isn't she in your room?

Original poster

ChiChiGabor · 13/05/2023 11:49

Shes my second favourite dog so I let her know this by making her sleep in a cage 😂

OP posts:

Clymene · 13/05/2023 11:50

ChiChiGabor · 13/05/2023 11:45

She’s in the crate so she doesn’t have free access to the whole house at night time.

Why not?

Original poster

ChiChiGabor · 13/05/2023 11:52

Clymene · 13/05/2023 11:50

Why not?

Show quote history

Because I’ve caught her stealing money from my purse before, very untrustworthy dog so she sleeps in a cage.

Any other helpful input?

OP posts:

BusterGonad · 13/05/2023 11:53

This sounds like cruel behaviour but what do I know?

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 13/05/2023 11:53

You can't treat 2 dogs so differently!

CovertImage · 13/05/2023 11:58

Crating dogs for long periods is animal abuse IMO. There's my helpful input

Original poster

ChiChiGabor · 13/05/2023 11:59

Two different dogs, two different personalities, different needs etc

Thanks for the SUPER helpful input on the perceived ethics of how I manage my dogs, it has been wonderfully helpful to Small Dog and I will be emailing the RSPCA on her behalf to lodge a complaint.

OP posts:

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 13/05/2023 12:00

Dogs are polyphasic sleepers which means they rarely lie down and sleep in one position for a long period of time.

This also means they like to move around in their sleep - so for example, they may start curled up under a blanket, but then move to being stretched out on a hard floor, then back under a blanket etc etc.

Unfortunately crates often mean that dogs can't sleep the way that is the most natural for them, as there just isn't the space for them to have soft and hard surfaces, as well as room for them to sprawl out and move around.

Some dogs are happy in their crates but as your dog is showing signs of being unhappy, I would look to change where she sleeps at night - if you don't want her to have free roam, then a pen or a gated room would be a good option.

JacobsCrackersCheeseFogg · 13/05/2023 12:03

Cod science here, I admit, but I thought dogs were pack animals and prefer to stay close to their family? This is for safety & comfort?

Clymene · 13/05/2023 12:05

Well your dog is unhappy. If she doesn't like her crate and doesn't see it as a safe place which she clearly doesn't, I'm not sure what you can do. She doesn't like it.

stonkytonk11 · 13/05/2023 12:09

Sounds like she doesn't like it anymore? Can she be in a room with the door closed so she then has a few options of where to sleep and places to move around to. We don't have our dog in our bedroom either but she has access to living room/kitchen and hall and does move around a fair bit in the night it seems!

Darthwazette · 13/05/2023 12:13

I read that Dogs like to get up and change position frequently in the night (which is exactly what my dog does to be fair).

Crates can be useful for when they’re puppies and particularly destructive but once they’re older they’re better given the run of a room at least.

Shes probably crying because she’s uncomfortable and can’t sleep. Can you give her the run of the kitchen or similar?

MrsSkylerWhite · 13/05/2023 12:15

That’s awful. She should be with your other dog.

SallyWD · 13/05/2023 12:18

She's clearly unhappy and uncomfortable. I'd ditch the crate.

primoseyellow · 13/05/2023 12:20

Sounds like something has changed if she was happy before. Are there any other behaviour changes you have noticed? Is she spayed?

Could you have the crate in your room? This might make it worse though if she can see you. Or would she settle in a pen on her bed in your room?

magicstar1 · 13/05/2023 12:25

Is she any trouble during the day when she has free run of the house, and you’re out? If not, then couldn’t you leave her out at night?

Our dog has never been crated (she was a rescue who’d been kept in a box, so needed freedom). She has two beds on the floor and a blanket on the couch, and she moved between these, the kitchen rug and the tiled floor. Maybe your girl needs to moved around more.

Rolypolyup · 13/05/2023 12:25

Dog crates used correctly are perfectly fine and not cruel at all!

The only thing might be that she's cottoned on to your other dog sleeping on your bed and wants to do the same. Had you had any disruptions that might've caused the setback?

Floralnomad · 13/05/2023 12:29

If you have 2 dogs and one disappears overnight I would imagine it is distressing for the other one so that’s the answer , leave them both together .

LiesDoNotBecomeUs · 13/05/2023 12:32

People vary on crates for dogs. We like them here.

We have made our puppy's crate her den. It is open when we are about and closed at night.

Her bed is there -she is fed there and no-one is allowed to follow her in or poke or prod her there. She goes in it herself. (Some days I would like one for myself😁) she has a playpen around it to spend some of her waking time watching the household and chewing (carefully selected ) objects of interest (Ice/cubes-boxes-... anything she can get her paws on).

She is not safe unsupervised-and when closed the crate/den is the equivalent of a cot/playpen for a toddler We can sleep or do dangerous things (cooking/diy).

Relaxed Puppies sleep a lot: 18-20 hours in 24 at 8 -12weeks. Enclosing them is giving them peace to rest (and grow) in. (Teen humans grow a lot - and happily sleep all day😁)

When she is older I intend to keep her bed there -so she is used to it for travel-camping-hotel rooms and the vets. It will be open- even at night - when she is past the chewing everything stage.

If she is like our other dogs She will eventually be given run of a safe room- then run of the house (if /when she is safe alone

LiesDoNotBecomeUs · 13/05/2023 12:35

If your dog is suddenly unhappy- perhaps she needs more space?

It might be that you have a garden visitor each night and she hears it. (Even hedgehogs are very noisy.)

Spidey66 · 13/05/2023 12:37

We found a crate useful when Maggie was a puppy. Now she sleeps in the kitchen with the door closed. She sleeps most of the time in her bed but often if we get up for water she’s moved to sleep on the floor as others have said.

LiesDoNotBecomeUs · 13/05/2023 12:37

No advice - except try leaving a radio on.

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