Best Tips For Crate Training A New Puppy At Night

Best Tips For Crate Training a New Puppy

Is your puppy keeping you up all night crying? Are you getting frustrated? Have you cried as much as your puppy has? Below you will find some life saving steps to help your puppy get used to their crate, help them sleep at night and to get you back to your sleep schedule!

1. Make Sure Their Puppy Crate Is Comfortable!

In order to be successful when crate training a puppy a night, you are going to want to ensure your puppy is comfortable in their crate during the day! Ensure the crate has blankets, a dog bed, and toys to ensure this is a comfy area for your dog to sleep and feel protected.

2. Keep Your Puppy Crate Close By

Once it is time for bed, we recommend you have a crate in your room or in a nearby room for your new puppy. The first few nights will be a little painful but it is important not to rush and tend to them every time they cry. Tending to them when they cry will only let them know that they get interaction when they cry, which in turn, will cause more ear-screeching cries! Schedule a regular time, usually around 7:00pm, to remove access to water so they don't drink too much before bed to prevent accidents in the crate.

3. Get Up Throughout The Night With Your Puppy

Another thing to keep in mind, is that your puppy will not be able to hold their bladders for a few hours. General rule of thumb, is take your dogs age in months and add 1. So if your puppy is 3 months old, they will be able to hold their bladder for 4 hours. As horrible as this may sound, set an alarm every 4 hours or so to take your puppy out throughout the night. Once they get older, they may cry throughout the night to let you know they need to go to the washroom. This is okay to acknowledge them at this point, however do not get your puppy excited as you are just taking them to the washroom and directly back to their crate. They need to know this is not time to play.

4. Keep Their Puppy Crate Partly Covered

I'm sure you don't want to wake up at 6:00am as soon as the sun pokes out. To help your new puppy sleep in a little bit longer try to keep the curtains closed and their crate as dark as possible. You can cover a portion or top of the crate to with a blanket to help with this. Puppies like to get up when the sun does, so if you make the room as dark as possible, this should keep them sleeping for a little bit longer.

4. Letting Your New Puppy Sleep In The Bed With You

Once your puppy is able to make it through the night without you setting any alarms to take them out, there are no accidents in their crate, and if there is no more crying, you may feel comfortable letting your pup sleep with you on the bed. This is up to your discretion whether you want this, or if your puppy is ready for that next step or not. Try to keep up with the crate training throughout the day as they grow to keep them comfortable!

5. Use Enrichment Toys Inside the Crate

To keep your new puppy busy in their new crate, use enrichment tools such as this rubber treat dispenser filled with puppy food and treats. This will help your puppy form positive associations with their crate and make it a place of enjoyable enrichment.

6. Don't Get Frustrated or Rush

Communicating with your puppy can be challenging, as they have their unique language and understanding their subtle cues will take time. Therefore, it's crucial not to become frustrated if progress is slower than expected. Keep the crate open, allowing your new pup to explore it at their own pace, and avoid rushing the process. Any attempts to rush the process and crate them for long periods before they are fully comfortable can potentially have a negative effect.

Dog Crate Frequently Asked Questions

Should I put my dog in the crate at night?

Crate training your puppy overnight can be very important as it provides a comfortable and safe place for your dog to relax.

Should I cover my dogs crate with a blanket?

Covering your dogs crate with a blanket over the top can help reduce anxiety. A blanket can hide outside distractions that otherwise would have piqued their curiosity and kept them awake. Ensure not to cover the entire crate and leave at least one side open for fresh air movement.

Should I put a pee pad in my puppy's crate?

You should avoid using pee pads inside your dogs crate for many reasons. Instinctually, dogs do not like to go potty where they sleep and this could create an uncomfortable environment. It can also create bad habits and slow down the potty training process.

Is it okay to leave toys in my dog's crate?

Leaving enrichment toys inside your dogs crate can help prevent boredom and make for a more enjoyable experience. You should select appropriate crate safe toys that can not become a hazard while you are not watching them closely. For example, you might not want to leave a lick mat in your pups crate, as they are not intended for chewing and can easily be ripped into small pieces and ingested.

Summary: Tips to Crate Train a New Puppy

By following this steps above, this will help you and your pup get to a more defined sleep schedule and into a more obtainable routine! Remember that every dog is different and some may take more time then others to succeed in crate training at night! Most importantly, do not rush the process, as this has the potential to cause a negative experience for your puppy. If you are looking for some toys to keep you busy, check out DuraPaw! DuraPaw has an all inclusive Puppy Pack which mails out every month to give your puppy new interactive toys to play, chew, and learn!