Hi All It’s very early days with our new puppy. She’s been with us 4 nights. I’m worried I’m giving her mixed messages and would appreciate some advice/opinions. Sorry if it’s long. She spends all of her days in our lounge and this is also where she sleeps. She has a small crate which we hope to use for night times because it’s a big room to be in and I don’t want her to get up to mischief in the night. On day 1 she slept in the crate of her own accord, door open. On night 1 we started her in her crate but I stayed with her. She would fall asleep on me and I would lift her into her crate each time but most of the night was spent on me, right next to the crate. Night two started in her crate but she was unsettled, crying/whimpering etc. I’m very conscious she is a young pup so wanted to try the ‘roommates’ method. Having her in our bedroom is not an option so I thought the next best thing would be for me to sleep on the sofa and put her in a bed on the floor by me. I think this night tainted her positive association with the crate and I determined we would start the crate training the next day with renewed effort. Night 3, we repeated the previous night without trying the crate at all. I slept on sofa and her in her bed. Continued crate training in the day. Night 4, decided it was time to go cold Turkey on the crate. She cried for twenty minutes and went quiet. I made the mistake of coming down at this point (for a drink) and noticed she was still awake in her crate, sitting wide eyed. I tried again and she spent a similar amount of time, a bit longer crying. I am so worried about not getting things ‘right’ with her that I chose a time she was quiet to open her door and we spent the rest of the night with me on the sofa and her in her bed. I’m so torn between what to do. Everyone I speak to seem to have a very strong opinion that she should be in her crate and that she should cry it out. I feel I am doing something wrong with her by not doing this and that she will see me as a litter mate and not a human. Yet I read other things that make me think the more secure she is as a puppy the more rounded she will be as an adult. I personally feel that it’s early days and it doesn’t feel right to leave her cry if she’s distressed. I am happy with the current arrangement - as long as it’s temporary, and I am happy to work on crate training over the next few days. I will continue to put her kibble and meals in there, and may cook some chicken to use (haven’t tried her on any new foods yet). I will also try to move her to the crate when she naps. Am I confusing her by not sticking to a method and getting the night time crate training over and done with straight away. This isn’t a text book situation so don’t have anything to refer to and would appreciate some opinions. Can this arrangement work?
I am no expert but if you look in old posts there are umpteen about crate training. Mist folk tend to have the pup by their bed for a goid few nights as they settle them in and create an attachment to their human. The first few weeks away from their litter are quite scary which is why most on here would not let them cry it out. As you can't have the crate in your bedroom seems sense to replicate that situation downstairs then slowly withdraw from being there. You may find that can naturally happen as she settles in. Keep making daytime crate time postive. My dog loved her crate, and was in it for a good couple of years with the doors open. Then was replaced by a bed in the same spot. Not sure if that helps at all, good luck.
