Crate training a puppy has many advantages, including helping with toilet training, preventing destructive behaviors, and keeping your puppy safe when you’re not watching him.
Having your puppy sleep in his crate in your bedroom can help to prevent potty accidents and make your furbaby feel more relaxed and secure. But a puppy moving around in his rattling, creaking crate can lead to restless nights for you. So, ideally, you want to relocate your pet’s crate for bedtimes.
Read this guide to learn when to move your puppy crate out of your bedroom.
Should You Have Your Puppy’s Crate In Your Bedroom?
Dogs are highly social creatures that do best when in the company of their human “pack.”
At first, your puppy will feel insecure since he’s been taken away from his mom and siblings. So, allowing your puppy to join his new pet parent in their bedroom overnight is the best way to help your new pet settle into his new home.
But there are a few other reasons why it’s beneficial to keep your puppy’s crate in your bedroom.
Chill Out!
As mentioned above, puppies often feel frightened and stressed when first separated from their mom and siblings.
Although you’ve bought your new pet a bed, a few toys, some treats, and a comfortable crate, he’s bound to feel insecure and unsettled in his new environment. Isolating your puppy at this vulnerable stage in his life could lead to longer-term behavioral issues, including separation anxiety. So, it’s a good idea to keep your puppy close to you until he gets used to his new routine and surroundings.
Silent Night
It’s natural for your puppy to whine and cry during the night at first. If you have your puppy’s crate next to your bed, you can easily reassure your pet and touch him through the crate’s bars to soothe him.
That little bit of reassurance can help your puppy settle down and sleep. However, always double-check that your pet doesn’t need a potty break, as that could be the reason he’s crying.
Potty Breaks
Young puppies generally need to relieve themselves several times during the night. It’s essential for your puppy’s potty training regimen that you let him out to go potty in the garden when he asks to go.
Having your puppy’s crate next to you means that you’ll be alerted to your pet’s needs rather than waking up to find a mess and a distressed pup. You can expect a few weeks of interrupted sleep, but that goes with the territory and is something new pup parents must expect and accept.
Bonding
Puppies love to spend time with their human family, craving affection and companionship.
Allowing your pup to sleep in his crate at night in your bedroom with you can help to build a strong bond between you that will endure throughout your relationship. You’ll also find that training and socialization will go more smoothly if the bond between you and your pet is strong.
Related: What should I put in my dog’s crate?
When To Move Your Puppy’s Crate Out Of Your Bedroom
The best time to move your puppy’s crate out of your bedroom is when the pup can last through the night without a bathroom break and sleeps in his crate without crying or whining.
Of course, the timescales depend on the individual puppy, and every puppy is different. However, you can generally expect most pups to go a whole night without needing a bathroom break once they reach the age of three to four months.
Can Relocating Your Puppy’s Crate Ruin Crate Training?
When crate training is done patiently, positive reinforcement techniques can create a healthy bond between the puppy and his crate. Your pup should regard his crate as his special den-like personal space where he can relax and sleep securely.
Where you put the crate has nothing to do with how the dog regards his crate. Many owners like to take their dog’s crate on vacation to make their canine companions feel safe and secure in a strange location. So, moving the crate to a different location in your home as required shouldn’t interfere with the actual crate training process.
How To Move Your Puppy’s Crate Out Of Your Bedroom
Relocating your pup’s crate from your bedroom should be done gradually, and you must watch your pup’s reaction throughout the process to see how he copes with the change.
Start by moving the crate a few feet away from your bedside. If all goes well and the puppy will stay in his crate without whining, move the crate closer to your bedroom door, then just outside the door. Keep your bedroom door open so your puppy does not feel completely isolated. Continue the process until the crate reaches its final resting place.
If your puppy starts whining for no apparent reason, don’t cave in and bring the crate back into your bedroom! Your pup will get used to his new sleeping location after a couple of days once he understands that you will be there to let him out again in the morning.
Do I Have To Move My Puppy’s Crate Out Of The Bedroom?
Many pet parents choose to let their dogs sleep in their bedrooms for years without a problem. Some dogs are confined to crates, whereas others are not. So, there’s no hard and fast rule about whether you should allow your dog to sleep in your bedroom with you or not.
If you have a multi-dog household, allergies, or if your dog is very restless at night, the best policy for a healthy relationship with your pets might be to have your dog or dogs sleep elsewhere.
My Puppy Is Whining After I Moved The Crate Out Of My Bedroom!
Provided that your crate training has gone well, you shouldn’t have any problems when you decide to move the crate out of your bedroom. As previously mentioned, the dog should be bonded to his crate, not to its location. However, if your puppy whines or cries constantly, it’s likely that you haven’t crate trained him properly.
If your puppy whines after you’ve moved the crate, deal with the behavior as you did when you were crate training your pet. At first, ignore the complaining puppy. Turn your back on the crate and whining puppy until he stops crying. As soon as your puppy is calm again, turn around and reward the good behavior with a treat and plenty of praise.
Is The Crate In The Right Place?
Of course, your puppy could be complaining because you’ve put his crate somewhere uncomfortable. So, you’ll need to look at where you’ve put the crate.
- The crate should not be in a drafty spot or underneath an air conditioning unit.
- Avoid placing the crate in direct sunlight, where your pup could overheat.
- Don’t put the crate next to a fire or other direct heat source.
- Don’t place the crate close to loud machinery, such as radiators, refrigerators, TVs, etc.
- Ideally, the crate should be placed where your puppy can see people around him during the day.
You also need to ensure that the crate is not within reach of any electrical cables, power outlets, and other potentially dangerous items.
Can You Leave Your Puppy Crate In Another Room?
If you’re a first-time dog parent, you might be wondering if you can leave your puppy’s crate in a room other than your bedroom during the first couple of weeks after you get your new pet home.
Although there’s no strict rule of thumb surrounding whether you should move your pup’s crate or not, we don’t recommend that approach. The first two weeks in his new home are critical for your puppy, and keeping him close to you as much as possible is best for your new furry friend’s wellbeing.
However, you could have two or even more crates placed in different rooms around your home. For example, you could have a crate in your bedroom for use at bedtime and another in your living room where your pup can spend time relaxing with his human family.
You could have one crate and move it from room to room. However, that’s not the best idea, as constantly relocating the crate could confuse a young puppy. Ultimately, your pup might refuse to use the crate, or he might think he’s done something wrong.
So, we strongly recommend buying more than one crate.
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed our guide on when you should move your puppy’s crate out of your bedroom. If you found the article helpful, please share it.
Puppies take time to adjust to life without their mom and siblings and keeping your puppy close to you as much as possible can help your furbaby settle into his new routine. That can help prevent behavioral issues such as separation anxiety from developing.
For the first few months of your puppy’s life, he won’t be able to last all night without a bathroom break. By keeping your puppy’s crate next to your bed at night, you’ll be able to hear your puppy asking to go out, and you can attend to your pet’s needs before an accident happens.
Does your dog sleep in your bedroom with you? Tell us about your pet in the comments box below.
