Crated pup

[Zoebianca]

Hi my pup is 8 months old now has the run of the house but of a night will only sleep on my bed or shut in her crate, as a light sleeper we both get a bad night sleep if she sleeps with me so we opt for crate, problem is that she will only sleep with the door closed. I feel bad with her still shut in a crate but if I leave the door open and give her the run of downstairs to sleep where she likes she gets all flustered and barks. Should I just leave her to it in her crate as she’s happy? I feel horrible locking her in but she won’t have it any other way I don’t want her in it forever. any advice

Does she have water?

She has water before bed about 10 and then is let out at 6 she just sleeps

Nice cosy blanket or vet bedding inside, crate big enough for her to lie out full and stand up fully. Blanket over outside of crate so it feels like a cave.
Parrot coop cup will hang on inside for water without risk of spilling.
If she happy then and you both get a good nights sleep then I would go for it. My gang get a choice, one sleeps under my blankets, one sleeps on bed on floor in my room and one sleeps downstairs in his crate.. every dog is different.

I always think people should leave water with the dog in a crate. Dogs can overheat very quickly and it’s better they have access to water and do a little piddle than anything else.

If she’s got water, I’d be comfortable having her in her crate for that length of time.

But, I am very cautious about crating animals without water - one too many bad stories in my previous life!

Crating overnight is fine but please make sure she has access to water overnight.

It's one of the five freedoms of animal welfare that they always have access to water in the home.

We crated our puppy until around 10 months at night, when he wouldn’t settle in there anymore and would wake up barking after an hour or so, it had to be closed shut as he was a chewer and would chew furniture all night if we let him. He would still put himself in the crate daytime to sleep and was happy going in when we left him alone. He never came upstairs until he was 6 months old, so when he could come up at 10 months old, he wouldn’t stay long preferring to sleep downstairs. We finally took away crate when he was 2 as it was a bit small for him. He’s 6 years old now and mainly sleeps downstairs although will come up if he hears us moving around. He loved his little den though.

We have a crate in the kitchen, but never close the door on it. We’ve got a baby gate on the kitchen door way so she gets closed in the kitchen at nighttime. Would something like this work if you’re reluctant to close the crate door?

Crating overnight is absolutely fine! It isn't really 'crating' if you leave the door open! It sounds like your pup is the perfect example of how crating can help a dog to settle by creating some boundaries.
It's a no-brainer, really. So long as the pup has water and comfortable bedding, and the crate is an appropriate size, then go for it.

We stopped shutting the crate door when our pup was reliably going through the night but she still chooses to sleep in there with the door open unless it’s very warm. The crate has always been a really positive and relaxing place for her and she sleeps well in it. I doubt we’ll take it away now (she’s 2).

Yes I have a baby gate as I thought that might help but she still barks and is unsettled until I shut the crate door little weirdo likes to be shut in 😂 it seems I am more bothered about her being in there than she is

Awww like she’s barking to let you know you forgot to close her bedroom door 😍😍

Exactly x