Hi, the one thing I really wanted to do with this puppy was utilise the crate more during the day, so pup could have proper nap times, ideally with a routine. However, Ivy is not really on board with this idea. I followed all the advice about introducing the crate, but the first night I ended up leaving the door open as she was very vocal. Popping her in the crate for nap time proved incredibly stressful as she just howls and jumps around. I'm trying out letting her fall asleep and then putting her in the crate and shutting the door to get her used to it, but I'd really like her to self settle, have nice long naps and not become overtired and bitey like my older Lab used to. Any advice? She's 9 weeks and been with us a week.
Hi Cherry. We actually recommend that Ivy has been with you a week to get settled in before starting crate naps, so she may just not have felt quite secure enough in her new home to get started yet. We also recommend teaching Ivy to be comfortable in the crate with the door closed before attempting crate naps. There's advice on how to train for this in Pippa's Puppy Parenting course, or you you can use the 'open and shut' game in her Puppy Games course, if you'd like some help teaching this https://dogsnet.com/puppy-parenting-enrollment/ https://dogsnet.com/puppy-games-registration/ Sammie x
