# Comfort and sleeping arrangements for new puppy



## zippity (Jan 15, 2018)

Hi,

I just joined this forum a couple of days ago, but I've been reading and learning so much! It's very helpful for a soon-to-be-first-time puppy parent (4-5 more weeks!).

I have a couple of questions about sleeping and crating for the new puppy...

1. Our breeder suggested we use a plastic crate that can put on our bedside table for our puppy's first few nights home, and so that we can have the puppy near us for whatever we're doing around the house. We've got that all set, but we also have a Richel expandable pen downstairs (main living area) with a litter box and wire crate inside...we're thinking that's where the dog will sleep more long-term. 

-So how long should we keep the puppy in our room before transitioning him to sleep downstairs? A few days, weeks, months? 
-And how should we do the transition so that it goes smoothly?
-If we have the puppy sleep in the plastic crate at night by our bed, and the wire crate in the pen during the day, will that be confusing as to which spot is his "bed"?

2. For a comfort stuffed animal for the new puppy...what size would you recommend? Something small that they can hold in their mouth, or something bigger that they can cuddle with?

Thanks!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I think that if your plan is for the dog to sleep downstairs, you are setting yourself uo for problems to let him get used to sleeping in your room. When we first brought Kodi home, the plan was for him to sleep in his pen down stairs. (DH didn’t want a dog, let alone a dog in the bed room! LOL!) so for the first week, my son and I took turns sleeping on the couch near him. After that, he was fine. (He was actually fine the first week too, it just made US worry less!!!)

Then we remodeled our house when Kodi was w, and he has slept in our room with us, in his crate, ever since. When the girls joined the family, Dave “The dog hater” was already fully on-board, and there was never even a question that they would sleep anywhere but in our room. They cuddle on the bed with us before bed, then go into their crates with a “good night cookie”. We don’t hear a peep from them before 7 in the morning.

(And every once in a while, we’ll let one of them stay in the bed with us... usually Panad, since she’s the one who always wants to. 😉


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

When my puppy first came home she slept in a wire crate next to my bed. After a couple weeks I tried to move the crate to a spare bedroom because I thought it would be less disruptive to sleep to have her in another room. Boy was I wrong! She just cried and cried. Once I put the crate back in my room she did not make a peep. I agree that you should start your puppy off in the location you intend to keep them in. I have an upstairs crate and a downstairs crate and it does not confuse the dog at all.

P.S. My last dog slept downstairs in a crate in the kitchen and that worked out fine as well. I also slept downstairs for a while after I first brought my puppy home.


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## Henry&Kate (Mar 29, 2017)

Henry has been sleeping in his crate on table next to my bed since I got him. I like being able to see him so i've left the table there. 

But lately after we come in after his last potty he seems a little reluctant to go upstairs and heads over to his pen in the kitchen. Does he want to spend the night there? 

I encourage him upstairs and after that initial resistance he heads up. we cuddle a bit in bed and then he doesn't make a sound once in his crate. 

I like having him upstairs and haven't wanted to let him stay in the kitchen overnight. But I feel bad if he'd really rather stay downstairs.


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Shama has slept in our dining room (within 2x6 ex pen) since we brought her home. We camped in the living room for a few days but then went down the hall to our bedroom. She's been fine. When we travel, we take the pen with us, and she has no problem sleeping there.

She has several small stuffed animals (dog toys) in her pen. Sometimes we find her curled around one or sleeping with her head on one. I don't think you need anything big. If you put a blanket in her pen, it can also be small. Shama lies on a folded-up blanket (or in fluffy bed or in bed within crate - she has options) but never pulls it open or moves it around or goes under it. She never goes under anything, in fact.

Welcome to the forum. Photos are always welcome.

Here is a link to some photos of Shama in her pen:

http://www.havaneseforum.com/8-puppy-area/122313-baby-loves-her-ex-pen.html


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Henry&Kate said:


> Henry has been sleeping in his crate on table next to my bed since I got him. I like being able to see him so i've left the table there.
> 
> But lately after we come in after his last potty he seems a little reluctant to go upstairs and heads over to his pen in the kitchen. Does he want to spend the night there?
> 
> ...


I think it's more likely that, like a little boy, he doesn't really want to go to bed AT ALL! LOL!

If you want him in your room, keep him there. Why not "sweeten the pot" with a tiny bedtime cookie?


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*where to sleep*



krandall said:


> I think that if your plan is for the dog to sleep downstairs, you are setting yourself uo for problems to let him get used to sleeping in your room. When we first brought Kodi home, the plan was for him to sleep in his pen down stairs. (DH didn't want a dog, let alone a dog in the bed room! LOL!) so for the first week, my son and I took turns sleeping on the couch near him. After that, he was fine. (He was actually fine the first week too, it just made US worry less!!!)
> 
> Then we remodeled our house when Kodi was w, and he has slept in our room with us, in his crate, ever since. When the girls joined the family, Dave "The dog hater" was already fully on-board, and there was never even a question that they would sleep anywhere but in our room. They cuddle on the bed with us before bed, then go into their crates with a "good night cookie". We don't hear a peep from them before 7 in the morning.
> 
> (And every once in a while, we'll let one of them stay in the bed with us... usually Panad, since she's the one who always wants to. &#128521;


I agree with Karen - start where you want to finish. I had initially (for about 2 hours) thought that we'd have Perry in another room, but then his first night he was very upset there and so I moved him to the bedroom (yes I know we could have dealt with it and kept him in the other room - but a combination of jetlag, not wanting to disturb everyone else in the house, him being a rescue (his life had already been so disrupted) and mostly me needing sleep (see jetlag) meant that it was just easier to move him to the bedroom beside my bed). At my Mom's house when we're in the US his crate is beside my side of the bed (logistically it's the only place it fits) but in our house in Kampala it's on the other side of the bedroom. He's fine either place. Now he sometimes spends time in his crate in the bedroom when no one is there - so he doesn't NEED someone nearby if he's in his crate, but because he's on crate rest right now and spends most of the day in his crate we do move it out into the living room with us during the day.


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## zippity (Jan 15, 2018)

Ok, you guys have convinced me that it's best to start him sleeping downstairs since that's where he will be long-term. I will sleep down there for at least the first few nights while he adjusts. We will hopefully have a (human) baby in the next year or two, so that's why we don't want the dog sleeping in our room. 

ShamaMama - your set up is similar to ours! Love the picture of Shama cozied in the little alley by the crate. 

Karen - that's so funny about the "dog hater's" change of heart!


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## Barbara Levy (Apr 22, 2016)

We are a little different. I started Loki in a crate beside our bed. After 2 weeks of no sleep, because I woke up when he moved or he woke when I moved, downstairs to his crate like Shama's we went. It had a bed and his pee pad in it. I covered the end with the bed with a blanket at bed time and he never fussed at all. That is until about 4:30 when he would start crying. We tried for months to get him to sleep longer - taking him out to pee (even though he had a pee pad) with no talking and then putting him back, letting him cry, whine, bark it out. Nothing worked. One morning he went on and on for 3 hours straight. We were exhausted. At Thanksgiving, I took him to my sister's with me and let him sleep in the bed. He slept until 8:00 a.m. He never went back in the crate. Now it is just used as a place for the UGODog! I leave him in the dog proofed family room, with the crate and UGODog, and the connected kitchen while we go to work. It has all worked out but I am sorry that he isn't better crate trained. I worry about if he has to stay at the vet, etc.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Barbara Levy said:


> We are a little different. I started Loki in a crate beside our bed. After 2 weeks of no sleep, because I woke up when he moved or he woke when I moved, downstairs to his crate like Shama's we went. It had a bed and his pee pad in it. I covered the end with the bed with a blanket at bed time and he never fussed at all. That is until about 4:30 when he would start crying. We tried for months to get him to sleep longer - taking him out to pee (even though he had a pee pad) with no talking and then putting him back, letting him cry, whine, bark it out. Nothing worked. One morning he went on and on for 3 hours straight. We were exhausted. At Thanksgiving, I took him to my sister's with me and let him sleep in the bed. He slept until 8:00 a.m. He never went back in the crate. Now it is just used as a place for the UGODog! I leave him in the dog proofed family room, with the crate and UGODog, and the connected kitchen while we go to work. It has all worked out but I am sorry that he isn't better crate trained. I worry about if he has to stay at the vet, etc.


Yeah, putting a pee pad in a crate often doesn't work well, because the dog doesn't want to eliminate so close to their bed. You are actually lucky that it worked that way... Some puppies who DO use a pee pad so close to their bed then associate the crate and bed as an "OK potty spot", and then you have a BIG problem.

an ex-pen is the smallest place I'd put bot a bed AND a potty. (of whatever kind you choose)


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## Barbara Levy (Apr 22, 2016)

krandall said:


> Yeah, putting a pee pad in a crate often doesn't work well, because the dog doesn't want to eliminate so close to their bed. You are actually lucky that it worked that way... Some puppies who DO use a pee pad so close to their bed then associate the crate and bed as an "OK potty spot", and then you have a BIG problem.
> 
> an ex-pen is the smallest place I'd put bot a bed AND a potty. (of whatever kind you choose)


I probably should have been clearer - I have the medium sized Reichell Expandable Crate all the way open. Its dimensions are 60.6" L x 31.1" W which isn't that different than an ex-pen. I also have the divider that divides the two areas - it leaves about a 10" opening for Loki to go through. He just didn't like being in there once he woke up. He still takes his Kong to eat in the crate and will go sleep in it - he just doesn't like it if I close the door. One thing about having the pee pad at the other end - he doesn't miss the edge because his bottom hits the side - LOL! He only uses it when we aren't home or if I am in the shower upstairs and can't hear him ringing the bell - and not every day. Otherwise, if we are home he wants to go outside.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Barbara Levy said:


> I probably should have been clearer - I have the medium sized Reichell Expandable Crate all the way open. Its dimensions are 60.6" L x 31.1" W which isn't that different than an ex-pen. I also have the divider that divides the two areas - it leaves about a 10" opening for Loki to go through. He just didn't like being in there once he woke up. He still takes his Kong to eat in the crate and will go sleep in it - he just doesn't like it if I close the door. One thing about having the pee pad at the other end - he doesn't miss the edge because his bottom hits the side - LOL! He only uses it when we aren't home or if I am in the shower upstairs and can't hear him ringing the bell - and not every day. Otherwise, if we are home he wants to go outside.


Oh, OK! An ex-pen is fine. But a potty in a "normal" (or even significantly larger) CRATE is a bad idea!


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## PacoPal (Aug 22, 2017)

I'm a horrible example of what *should* be done in this case... when we got Paco (he was my parents dog for 3 years before I 'stole' him from them!), he was crate trained, and would sleep in his crate in the family room every night, until I came home from college and 'sprung' him from his crate every night I was home, after my parents had already gone to bed... well... after I went back to school and he realized he was stuck in the crate all night again, he freaked out and carried on ALL night and that was the end of the crate training at night.... he now sleeps either in his bed on the floor next to my bed, or in my bed. Usually he starts off in his bed, and then around 5am he gets on my bed and gets under the covers and cuddles up with me until we both wake up... I normally open my eyes and see Paco's little wet nose an inch or two away from my nose... I find it kind of sweet, although this mildly horrifies my parents for some reason  

Paco is weewee pad trained, which is really nice as he'll always go on his pad at night if he needs to, so I never worry about him being loose in the house because he never has accidents.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

zippity said:


> 2. For a comfort stuffed animal for the new puppy...what size would you recommend? Something small that they can hold in their mouth, or something bigger that they can cuddle with?


We bought a Snuggle Pet because our breeder said a few families have told her they like them, and a friend said her large breed dog slept with one. We took it with us to pick him up, along with a blanket, and his mom cuddled with them for a little while before we left. He didn't really ever seem interested in or play with the Snuggle puppy, so I'm not sure about that, but he slept on our bed or with one of our kids, so maybe that's why. Maybe it would be more of a comfort in a crate. We kept the blanket draped over one end of his crate when we were first introducing the crate, and we kept the crate at the foot of bed with the door open. I did that to preserve it from any accidents for as long as possible, so I hung it so he couldn't lay completely on top of it but he could cuddle up right next to it from the inside or outside. He did go in his crate on his own, so maybe he did like the smell in there. His favorite toys are both small, one is a little penguin from a Zippy Paws set, and the other is a small stuffed lion my son gave him. He also loves crinkle toys. However, he doesn't really sleep or cuddle up with any of these. By far the item he seeks out most for comfort is my husband's pillow. He likes to crawl completely underneath it when he takes naps during the day.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

PacoPal said:


> I'm a horrible example of what *should* be done in this case... when we got Paco (he was my parents dog for 3 years before I 'stole' him from them!), he was crate trained, and would sleep in his crate in the family room every night, until I came home from college and 'sprung' him from his crate every night I was home, after my parents had already gone to bed... well... after I went back to school and he realized he was stuck in the crate all night again, he freaked out and carried on ALL night and that was the end of the crate training at night.... he now sleeps either in his bed on the floor next to my bed, or in my bed. Usually he starts off in his bed, and then around 5am he gets on my bed and gets under the covers and cuddles up with me until we both wake up... I normally open my eyes and see Paco's little wet nose an inch or two away from my nose... I find it kind of sweet, although this mildly horrifies my parents for some reason
> 
> Paco is weewee pad trained, which is really nice as he'll always go on his pad at night if he needs to, so I never worry about him being loose in the house because he never has accidents.


Ha! You were just plotting a way to get your parents to give him to you! LOL!


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