Crate training a puppy - so much conflicting advice

[VanGoSunflowers]

I have an 8 week old Lab puppy. He is honestly such a sweetheart. I have only had him a couple of days so it’s still very early. He’s getting toilet training already etc

The first night, the breeder told me to just put him in his crate at bedtime and go to bed and ignore him. I put him in and he got very distressed - not just a bit of whining but full on barking and howling. As he is still only a baby, I did take him out and slept with him on the sofa (I was in the room trying to sleep on the sofa anyway)

All I keep hearing is one side that says, he is just a baby, you need to build up gradually until he settles etc and the other side saying that I’m creating bad habits of letting him out when he is barking so now he knows how to ensure I let him out.

I personally think it’s too much to expect an 8 week old pup to sleep in a closed crate all night and wanted to build up to that gradually by getting him in and out during the day, rewarding the process etc and eventually he will get that is where he is supposed to relax and be calm. When doing this during the day, I lead him in with a treat, praise him for going in there, close the door and sit by him and then try and wait for at least ten seconds of calm and then praise him and let him out. Shall I keep
on doing this or do I now have a dog that will only settle if he sleeps with me?

The ‘let them cry it out advice’ I feel only works if it’s minor whining and not for too long but this was more than that when I took him out - he was clearly distressed! Plus, I have neighbours and need to get some sleep myself!

Thinking of for his next nap, wait until he is really tired and lure him in to his crate but then keep the door open and sort of ‘fuss’ him to sleep. Let him sleep there but with the door open maybe?

Lack of actions to keep my dog safe and laziness?! Because I don't lock my dog in a cage?

Pleaaase explain how you get to that conclusion @ButteredRadish 😂

Have I missed all of the fun? 😂
I have used crates/cages. They can be extremely useful. For example, my girl had knee surgery and needed three months of rest. I had one in the boot of my car for safe travel. Two of my dogs saw the cage as their safe place and used them all their lives. They chose to go in there during the day.
My last two puppies slept in cages by the side of my bed overnight. Both to prevent them from annoying the older dog and to help with toilet training. At around 5 months old, I started to leave the door open. One joined me on the bed; the other continued to sleep in the cage. Much to my disappointment. 😂 They didn't use them during the daytime. They slept wherever they dropped.
My cage is 46" though and my puppies were only 3kg, so they had plenty of room to move around.

To accuse someone of laziness because they choose to crate or not crate is ridiculous. What works for some, doesn't work for others.
The only time crates become a problem is when people abuse them. Puppy is being annoying, so instead of entertaining it, they shove it in a crate. Or go to work for 8 hours and leave the dog shut in a crate.

Oh. And crate training a dog doesn't stop it getting stressed at the vets. The vets is an inherently stressful place for a lot of animals - strange smells, strange people handling it, other animals making noises. One of my dogs who loved his crate became a trembling wreck at the vets.

You didn’t miss the fun, you arrived right on time!

But I agree with what you’re saying. Use it sparingly when it’s good for your dog as well as for you in the right circumstances. God knows my puppy can be annoying at times but the rope comes out for a game of pull rather than putting him in his crate. Or I let him be Billy big bollocks and attack my broom as it is so clearly an imminent threat.