Crying in crate at night

[ChiChiGabor]

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).

Why is she crated overnight? Genuine question btw... because I’m wondering if she needs to be...

As in, could you leave the door open overnight and go right back to making the crate a positive place during the day? Or is it needed at night?

My dog is crate trained. His crate is folded up now he's an adult but if I get it out to take him somewhere, he runs into it because he views it as his safe place.

I don't have any problem with crates used correctly. I don't think shutting an adult dog into one overnight is very kind, especially when your other dog is allowed on your bed.

All crying will stop when you have her with you 3. You are her family and you are excluding her.

She has been in a too large crate so plenty of room to move, the issues starts from us running out of logs and the house getting cold around 4am (old house). Tried a blanket on the crate to no avail. Tried moving the crate to a warmer part of the house.

Her and the other dog will happily sleep apart during the day, he sleeps upstairs and she sleeps downstairs. They’re definitely not inseparable.

No doors to close to shut her in a room.

She can’t be free range as I don’t want her in the children’s bedrooms. Old house, doors don’t close well.

She would love to sleep in our bedroom but DH won’t allow it. I can’t afford to rehome DH!

Also, she has been in this set up for THREE years, over 1000 nights before we had an issue!

We had a similar issue, think they get more achy as older! We now have. Stairgate which stops her coming upstairs and snuffling the kids awake

I would just get a stair gate then.

If she’s crying in the night you have to persevere, ignore her, as you would a child.
😉😁😁

It doesn't really matter that it's worked for there years though, it's not working now.

I totally get you not wanting her to roam the house but the answer doesn't have to be a crate - there are loads of other ways to contain her and keep her warm.

I would use a pen or baby gates to confine her to a bigger space with several options for sleep - maybe containing an igloo bed (in case she's cold) a hard surface (so she can spread out and cool down) and a couple of blankets for her to burrow under if she wants.

Sounds horrible, poor thing. Animal cruelty

It doesn’t really matter if it’s been ok for 1000 nights or 3000 nights it’s obviously not ok now . Why can’t the dog sleep in with the kids .

Oh behave. A dog happily sleeping in a large crate isn't cruel 🙄

It’s not a dog sleeping happily in a large cage , it’s a dog crying in a cage .

Can you get a puppy pen if you want her to be enclosed still? Then she is restricted, but with much more room to move around as she wishes.
Provide a variety of surfaces for her. A hot water bottle well wrapped if she’s cold.

Maybe sleep downstairs with her for a few nights while she gets used to it.

It’s very common for an older dog to decide they no longer want their crate at night. A night is a long time to be confined, even in a large crate.

Let her out of the crate! She's not a fucking budgie! (Which shouldn't constantly be confined to cages either but that's another thread.)

I will never understand this obsession with crates. It's like dog ownership for people who think they like dogs but don't actually like the reality of owning one. Dogs like to move around and should be allowed to do so.

Whether or not it's worked(she suffered it) before is irrelevant. She's clearly unhappy now. Why you'd leave her in a situation where she's miserable and confined to a small space? As others have mentioned there are other ways to restrict her space if necessary like pens and baby gates.

Your DH should spend a night or two in the crate and see how he likes it. Why is he treating the two dogs so differently?

I agree, but this dog isn't happy.

I won't comment on the crate issue as we all have our own thoughts on that but have you thought about a puppy heat mat? Might keep her warm through the night

@ChiChiGabor
You could try a hot water bottle and a big snuggly blanket over it or a cave bed inside the crate - something like this assuming she’s not too big https://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/pets-at-home-chenille-canopy-dog-bed?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google_shopping&cm_mmc=Google--CPC--%20google_shopping-_-google_shopping&ita=1976&ito=google_shopping&istCompanyId=7255ccad-a1fc-4729-af31-478f79e5071c&istFeedId=385e6b9a-8b03-4076-a8bb-e4737df8549c&istItemId=rwxxlpxqw&istBid=t&cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=10908489065&cq_term=&cq_plac=&cq_net=g&cq_plt=gp&gclid=CjwKCAjw6vyiBhB_EiwAQJRopqChVbQNOEiIT-tUVCdjK5xR1uRpaM7zVbguH2WrE0oYAoKaR1VTURoC0hoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

you need to create a warm body safe space for her.

I’d also start from the beginning rebuilding her comfort with the crate. Only use it when she enters willingly, don’t put her in there. Ensure she always has a treat/toy/puzzle to occupy her and that she has a nice time in there and of course access to water and a snack.

used properly, crates should be cosy safe spaces with all the resources a dog needs to feel comfortable and relaxed.

if you’re simply putting her in there and locking her away, it will very quickly become aversive.

My dog was about 3 when she decided she hated her crate. She didn't bark but she used to really pant when we put her in. Like she was really anxious. Ended up just letting her sleep in her bed in the kitchen. If we come downstairs at any point in the night she's usually wandering round or lying on the doormat. She's always back in her bed by morning time though.

Maybe your dog just doesn't like being locked up any more.

Could you get some sort of barrier to fence off a corner of the room at nighttime?

I agree, but this dog isn't happy.

I was referring to the last three years being happy in it...(I didn't make myself clear) but some folk on here think it's the height of animal cruelty full stop.

Possible options.

put the crate in your room and slowly move it out.

try more options to keep her warm and cry it out.

leave the crate open and find some other way of keeping her out of bedrooms.

I’m pro crate training btw, but, she’s clearly not happy and honestly, I’d only shut a crate overnight with an adult dog for a safety issue.

Hot water bottle under her bed ?

Our dog chooses to go into her crate at night, once it's turned 9pm that's where we find her. We didn't want a stair gate so use a piece of expanding trellis at the bottom of the stairs to stop access upstairs (and the cat can get through)

Could you use baby gates to confine her to a room?

If the problem is she's getting cold overnight, does she need a rug underneath the crate as well as her bed? If she's a lean dog then she may well feel the cold more, maybe a jumper would help too?

Yes this OP. Dogs are not meant to sleep in one small place all night. It's completely unnatural behaviour for them and that's why crates are regarded as cruel for overnights.

I would expect any decent dog owner to know this basic info about polyphasic sleep behaviour.