# Advice on crate training at night...



## kicker0927

Hello all, let me preface this by saying I'm a single male with 3 dogs and a king size bed. I love having my dogs sleeping in my bed at night. I have always crated my dogs at night until they were about 6-8 months old and then it just always works out where they begin sleeping in the bed. 
Well now I have Otis who is about 9 weeks old and I am keeping him in a crate, in my bedroom, while I sleep. I would prefer he just sleep with me, but I'm hoping the crate will help us with house training efforts. 
During the day Otis is kept in an expen with his 2yo brother Spyke. In the expen, I have two crates for them to sleep separately if desired. 
When Otis first came home, there was ONE night where I didn't have a crate to keep him in my room and he slept like a baby all night on the bed. I have crated him every other night and he whines and cries all night long. When he slept on the bed, he was perfectly quiet all night long. 
I have read about crate training and I know the ideal thing is to ignore the cries and keep him in crate all night, which I do. However, then I read where you shouldn't keep a young puppy in a crate more than their age (months) in hours + 1 hour. So in this case it would be 3 hours for Otis. So is nighttime an exception to the rule? 
Is it really beneficial to keep him in the crate every night when it doesn't bother me at all for him to sleep in the bed? He's in his pen all day when I work and I hate having to put him back in a crate at nighttime. But I also don't want him to develop any issues that could arise from not being crated at night. I'm up and down quite a bit, so he is still let out to potty at least twice each night.
Also, if the 3 hour rule is advisable, then would it be counteractive to crate him half the night and after letting him out the second time allowing him to sleep on bed?
In summary...is crating at night really going to have any positive effects when in the end he will be allowed to sleep on my bed after a year or so?


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## Molly120213

It is true that a puppy that young can not go that long during the day between potty breaks. However, during the night it is a different story and they can go all night without having to go potty. Molly was 10 1/2 weeks old when I brought her home and she sleeps in a crate next to my bed. For the first week or so she did need a middle of the night potty on some nights but that quickly passed. Personally I wouldn't trust a puppy that young on my bed. I think I would get them to a more reliable age before letting them sleep with me. My last dog did sleep in bed with me. As much as I loved the cuddling, I am a light sleeper and it did disrupt my sleep somewhat. Molly is very content in her crate next to my bed and is not disturbed by me if I get up and down during the night. I do think it is beneficial to have a dog that is comfortable being crated when you have to to use one. If you choose to put the puppy in bed with you I would use a waterproof mattress pad to cover any accidents. I would probably keep the puppy away from my comforter too until I knew it was safe, as they are such a pain to clean. Good luck with your new little one!


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## kicker0927

Yea, you are probably right. I guess I just felt bad because the last couple days I've worked 10 hour shifts and although they are let out of the pen usually twice on days I work longer shifts, I still feel bad coming home and going to bed a few hours later and back in the crate he goes. I'm a sucker for a crying Havanese.


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## Karen Collins

You can always let your puppy out of the crate, but you can't always put him in one. By that I mean if you miss the window of crate training when they are young and its easy, then you may never be able to crate your puppy when you really need to. A dog that has learned to sleep in your bed, will not give it up without a huge fight.

I strongly recommend that you stick to your guns and let puppy sleep all night in his crate (6-8 hrs is reasonable to expect at his age) until at least 10 months of age. Give him a heartbeat toy to sleep with. It will lull puppy to sleep. Or just get a regular sound machine that you plug in and use the heartbeat setting. Wear earplugs if necessary. Usually one night of crying will solve the problem. You will have the rest of his life to let him sleep with you.


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## Zoe093014

I tried separating my dog as a tiny pup (2+ lbs.) but I got no sleep at all with the whining and crying. She slept in my bed from the first week on. Never a problem. I have a waterproof cover for my mattress and I agree with not using good comforters. But it is instinctual for them not to soil their bed and there was never even 1 accident. She sleeps through the night until I take her downstairs with me in the morning. I bought the crate but never use it. Sleeping together is natural pack bonding. She is so secure when I have to leave her during the day (no whining or crying) and she has earned the privilege of the run of the house (downstairs only). No problems there either. When she was a young pup, we would supervise her in the house and correct her so she knew the rules and we also puppy- proofed. A small gated area is a good thing (similar to an ex pen) for young pups, until they have earned your trust. So this is just another opinion. I'm sure whatever works for you will be fine. I was initially worried about rolling over on her or her falling off the bed but that never happened.


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## kicker0927

Thanks for the input. My first dog was a golden retriever who I got at 8 weeks and was not crated at night and was always the "perfect" dog. My second dog, whom I still have, is was a Great Dane whom I've had since was 8 weeks old...I crated my dane EVERY night for months and EVERY night he would wine and cry, but I stuck to my guns. Despite getting up to let him out each night, every single morning I would get up and his cage and him would be covered in poop and pee and anything I put in the cage would be destroyed, even the "indestructible" $150 nylon ballistic beds!!! After about 5 beds and about 4 months of having to wake up, give him a bath, drag the cage outside, spray it off, and clean poop off all the walls and floor in my mud room...I gave in and let him sleep in my bedroom and it was the best sleep I'd ever got. He was quiet, no messes, no issues. He was perfect then. I've never looked back. My dane is now 8yo and runs the house while I'm gone. He is such a good dog. My first Havanese, Spyke is my first little dog. I love Spyke so much, but he has been a handful and I totally raised him following all advice on this site and others. I took all professional recommendations I could get from crating to what food to feed to training to what toys and harnesses to buy. I set him up an expen and played DogTV for him every time I left or went to bed. I hate to say it, but he has more behavioral issues than any dog I've ever owned. So I give up on all the "professional" advice and take most of it with a grain of salt anymore. I still like to see what people are doing, but it is quite frustrating to do everything "by the book" and have issues you've never had before.


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## Zoe093014

Another idea might be to keep Otis and Spyke together with the crates in the ex pen, like you do during the day. Or maybe, if they get along, put them both in together in a larger crate. Otis probably doesn't like being separated from Spyke since they are together all day. Just some suggestions.


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## kicker0927

That's good too Zoe..I thought about that, but Spyke is 2yo and sleeps on the bed so he wouldn't like that very much and I'd probably have two whiners. LOL. Poor Spyke, he's been a trooper with the puppy so far.


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## Pucks104

Our first Hav, Leo, now almost 3, slept in a little crate on the bedside table until about 10 months when he transitioned to our bed. Rex, now 14 weeks, sleeps Ina little crate that sits on our bed all night, typically from 9:00 pm until 5:30 am when my alarm goes off. During the day he hangs out in an expen either at home or at my office with short play times scattered throughout the day.


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## kicker0927

Pucks104 said:


> Our first Hav, Leo, now almost 3, slept in a little crate on the bedside table until about 10 months when he transitioned to our bed. Rex, now 14 weeks, sleeps Ina little crate that sits on our bed all night, typically from 9:00 pm until 5:30 am when my alarm goes off. During the day he hangs out in an expen either at home or at my office with short play times scattered throughout the day.


This sounds very similar to my situation. Im glad to hear Im not the only one with these first world problems!


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## kicker0927

Well I got the expen all set up and I'm gonna just make him sleep in his crate each night like he has been. Hopefully I'll be able to get some more sleep soon. LOL. Here's Spyke and Otis' expen. They have it made. I may even sleep in it and just let them have the bed!


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## Zoe093014

Your last idea is the best yet!!! LOL


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