Hello. I am new to the forum. I am due to collect our female labrador puppy next week from the breeder, and I have a question about where she should sleep on the first night. I am keen to have her sleep next to my bed for the first few nights and have a crate ready for that purpose. However, I will not have time to crate train her before the first night and do not wish to lock her in one if that is going to create an unwanted, negative association with it. Is it better to put her in the high sided, plastic box that I am intending to pick her up in, for the first couple of nights? I want to make sure that she is confined to try to avoid any 'potty' accidents. I think crate training will be invaluable and I want to make sure that I do it properly. Many thanks in advance for your help.
Welcome tou you. Here is some great advice - https://www.thelabradorsite.com/crate-training-your-labrador-puppy/#crate-training-night I also strongly recommend the Happy Puppy Handbook Pups are all different and there's lots of trial and error at first, but that's fine, they are very adaptable too. .
Thank you so much. This is the very piece of advice i have been searching for and failing to find! Very relived to have a solid steer on it, I'm very grateful! I will seek out the Happy Puppy Handbook. I have got the Gwen Bailey one, but Pippa Mattinson's advice has been so good on this forum it would be good to 'belt and brace' it! Many thanks again.
I have found the first few nights a bit fraught! Although they were in the crate straight away, and yes cried the place down overnight, there weren't any negative associations with it. We did take it in turns to sleep downstairs, so the pup had company, but just for the first few nights. We used a small crate initially, and had the opening against our sofa, with a blanket draped over the top. We could then just pop a hand in to soothe pup every now and then. Lots of people let the puppy cry, I don't like too, not in the early days. Later on, you begin to interpret what the crying means by tone, type and volume!
If the crate is big enough you could put the box inside to make a cosy bed. She might then have space for any 'accidents' too. Try putting a cover/towel over the crate too to make it like a den and put in a Kong smeared inside with something tasty to help her settle. She'll then associate the crate with a treat. She's bound to cry a bit at first, but she won't develop negative associations with the crate. Let us know how you get on.
