You have successfully implemented all the necessary steps to train your puppy using a crate: such as providing meals inside, incorporating enjoyable toys and comfortable bedding, and encouraging your puppy to think of it as their personal area. However, now you may wonder how to proceed with crate training your puppy during the nighttime.
Puppies can be a challenge when it’s time for bed as they tend to struggle with settling down. Like babies, they frequently wake up during the night due to various reasons such as needing to use the bathroom, feeling lonely, missing their littermates, or wanting to play, cuddle, or eat a snack. However, there are techniques to assist your puppy in staying asleep. Dog trainer Heather Gillihan has shared some secrets for helping your adorable pup sleep through the entire night.
Where to Put the Crate
“Put yourself in your puppy’s shoes,” Gillihan says. “It’s scary to go to a new home where you don’t have your littermates or mom. So for the first couple of nights, it’s your job to help your tiny canine get comfortable in his new surroundings.”
To begin, position the crate that is the size of a puppy next to your bed at the same height as you. Utilize a strong chair, table, or nightstand. In the event that your puppy begins to make noise, place your fingers inside the crate through the door to provide reassurance.
Once your puppy becomes comfortable with being in the crate at night, you can gradually move the crate farther away from you. Begin by increasing the distance between the bed and the crate. Then, shift the crate to the floor and eventually relocate it to the room where your pup will permanently sleep. According to Gillihan, once this happens, your puppy will have adapted to family life.
How to Handle Whining and Barking
When it comes to nighttime crate training, the main issue pet parents face is dealing with puppies who create a disturbance. It can be difficult to determine whether your puppy genuinely needs to relieve themselves or if they just want attention. However, if it is during the middle of the night, Gillihan advises assuming that your puppy needs to go potty. Therefore, allow your puppy the opportunity to relieve themselves and then place them back in the crate. Use this information as a reference for determining how long your puppy can hold their needs while inside the crate.
- 8–10 weeks old: 30–60 minutes
- 11–14 weeks old: 1–3 hours
- 15–16 weeks old: 3–4 hours
- 17+ weeks old: 4–5 hours
What Should You Do If Your Puppy Whines Or Barks In Their Crate?
The action you should take when your puppy begins to whine or bark in the crate depends on the underlying cause of their noise-making behavior.
Setting up a camera to monitor your puppy at nighttime can be very beneficial for crate training. It is also useful during the day. You can even receive notifications on your phone when the camera detects movement, alerting you when your puppy starts to wake up in their crate. The Furbo is a commonly chosen camera option that offers features like night vision, barking alert, and the ability to toss treats.
Distress Barking
It is typical for puppies who are new to their home to engage in whining, barking, and howling. The adjustment period for these puppies takes time, and it is normal for them to feel stressed due to the new environment and routine. This stress comes from the significant change of going from sleeping closely with their mother and littermates to sleeping alone. Distress barking is identified by incessant, high-pitched barking or howling, or long periods of whining. Additionally, your puppy might exhibit behaviors such as pacing in the crate, attempting to escape the crate, panting, or excessive self-licking.
In this video, Finnegan, the most recent puppy addition to the office of Preventive Vet, can be seen barking in distress during his first night in his new home. This occurred after he was placed in his crate at around 10 pm for bedtime. Following this, he was promptly taken out for another potty break.
To provide comfort to your distressed puppy that is barking, it is important to avoid excessive coddling. Instead, speak to them in a soothing manner and express praise for any signs of calm behavior. If necessary, sit near their crate to establish a sense of closeness and safety. It is advisable to refrain from removing them completely from the crate, as this may mistakenly reinforce the association between barking and being let out. However, in specific situations, opening the crate door and gently stroking them while they remain inside can help them relax and fall asleep. Additionally, relocating their crate closer to your vicinity might contribute to their feeling of increased security.
Observe how Finnegan calms down as his owner joins him during his initial night in the crate. After taking him outside for a bathroom break, they realized that was not what he required. Despite having his “big sister” Clover in a nearby crate, Finnegan simply needed the presence of a human to feel more at ease. While the video is merely a minute in duration, the owner remains with him for approximately ten minutes, gradually moving away as they exit the living room to assess if he has settled down or not.
Demand Barking
Many puppies figure out that if they make noise in their crate, you will come over and let them out. Demand barking often involves repeating the same behavior, while your puppy eagerly watches you, expecting your next action. This is usually an unintended result of nighttime potty training practices, where owners react to puppy noises by taking them outside in case they have to relieve themselves.
By consistently and proactively taking your puppy outside to use the bathroom at night, you can prevent them from forming this association. For more tips on nighttime house training, continue reading this article or click here to skip to that section.
When practicing crate training, be mindful of the timing when you open the door for your puppy to leave the crate. Make sure to wait for a brief period of silence before opening the door. Utilize this moment to also train your puppy to respond to the “Quiet” cue.
If your puppy does not need a potty break and is barking in their crate at night, there are several options available to you.
- Ignore the barking for a very short period of time to see if they give up. I only wait one minute at most to see if a puppy settles on their own.
- Give your puppy the “quiet” cue. Mark a few seconds of their being quiet with a “yes” and provide them with something safe and appropriate to do in their crate, like a stuffed toy or puppy-safe chew.
- Consider if they actually DO need a potty break!
- Evaluate if you need to change something about their crate setup. Are they barking to get your attention because they are too warm (or too cold) with their current bedding or surroundings (like a heat vent or drafty window)?
- Determine if they need more physical and mental exercise before going into their crate for the night.
Need for a Potty Break
If your puppy needs to go outside for a bathroom break, they might express it by whining or barking. This behavior is typical for puppies who are up to four or five months old. It usually begins with restlessness or moving around their crate before they start whining. It is essential to react to this type of vocalization because you want to prevent your puppy from having an accident inside their crate. Such accidents can greatly hinder their overall house training progress.
Finnegan required potty breaks one to two times a night, even as he grew more comfortable in his crate during his first week at home. When he needed to go to the bathroom, he would become restless. His owners would wake up before he started barking and take him outside for a break. They would remain calm and unaffected during the process of leaving and returning to the crate. After the potty break, Finn would take about four minutes to settle down before lying back down.
Before opening the door, pause for a brief moment of silence and then promptly take your puppy outside. In order to avoid instilling a habit of demanding barking in your puppy and to promote longer periods of uninterrupted sleep, establish a routine of waking up before them by setting an alarm and immediately taking them outside. It is always more effective to proactively train your dog rather than reacting to their behavior! Gradually increase the duration between alarms until your puppy can sleep through the night for 6-7 hours without needing to go outside.
How Your Puppy’s Eating and Drinking Schedule Affects Nighttime Potty Breaks
It is recommended that young puppies are given a chance to relieve themselves outside approximately 10 minutes after consuming water. If they drink water before going to sleep, there is an increased likelihood that they will require a bathroom break during the night when their small bladders become full.
To ensure successful nighttime crating, consider scheduling your puppy’s last meal of the day three to four hours before bedtime, allowing their body ample time to digest and eliminate outside before settling down for the night. Don’t forget to take them for a final bathroom break before the last person in your home goes to bed.
Be Consistent
Creating habits by repeatedly doing the same thing is important for teaching your dog to fit in with the family. Establishing a bedtime routine helps puppies anticipate and prepare for sleep. Consistently using positive reinforcement to crate train your puppy during the day results in the benefit of a content pup settling into the crate. By putting in some effort and maintaining consistency, both you and your puppy will soon be enjoying a restful night’s sleep.
Practice Consistent Crate Training
It is important to introduce your puppy to their crate in a positive manner for successful crating during the night. The goal is for your puppy to feel protected, confident, and content in the crate, and to avoid associating it with punishment or isolation.
In addition to using a crate for your puppy at night, introducing crate training during the day will also speed up their nighttime crate training. To achieve this, you can feed your puppy their regular meals inside the crate (which is also useful if you have multiple dogs at home), provide them with a delicious stuffed KONG for mental stimulation and relaxation in their crate, and incorporate brief and enjoyable training sessions involving the crate throughout the day.
Follow these steps for crate training your puppy to help them learn to enjoy being in their crate. It’s even possible to teach your puppy to enter the crate on command! While you gradually increase the time spent inside the crate, use a playpen called a “Puppy Zone”. This can also be useful overnight if your puppy struggles with the limited space of a crate. However, keep in mind that relying too much on a playpen can hinder house training in the future.
Helping Your Puppy Burn Pre-Bedtime Energy
To ensure that your puppy goes to sleep easily at night, it is important to give them time to release their excess energy before bed. This can be achieved by allowing them to run around and play, as well as engaging them in mentally stimulating activities. However, it is crucial to note that for certain puppies, high-energy activities like fetch or tug-o-war can lead to excessive stimulation. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of the physical exercises chosen and avoid overdoing it before bedtime. Taking your puppy on a sniffari, provided they have received the necessary vaccinations for outdoor exploration, is an excellent and less intense way to help them burn energy before going to sleep.
Engaging in mental exercises is equally important as engaging in physical activities for puppies. By offering puzzles and interactive toys before bedtime, it can aid them in calming down and unwinding. Moreover, incorporating enrichment activities throughout their day allows your puppy to express their natural instincts and behaviors, such as chewing or digging, in a suitable manner.
To encourage a peaceful night’s sleep for your puppy, create a bedtime routine. This routine should involve giving them their evening meal a few hours before going to bed, providing them with an appropriate toy to help them relax, taking them outside to go to the bathroom several times to make sure they don’t have any more needs, and finally, calmly guiding them into their crate for sleep.
Setting Up Your Puppy’s Crate Area for Nighttime Rest
Make Sure You Have the Right Size and Type of Puppy Crate
When it comes to nighttime crate training, the type and size of the crate are important factors to consider. A plastic crate in the style of an airline crate can effectively block out light, but it may not provide as much airflow as a metal dog crate.
To avoid potty accidents, it is advisable not to have a crate that is too big. Conversely, if the crate is too small, your puppy may have difficulty settling and may instead whine or bark. For guidance on measuring a crate and comparing different types, refer to our article titled “Choosing the Best Crate for Your Dog and Your Life.”
If you want to avoid buying multiple sizes of crates as your puppy grows, consider finding a crate that will accommodate their estimated adult size. Some crates include divider panels that can be inserted and adjusted as your puppy grows. If the crate lacks a divider, you can create a makeshift “wall” using a large and sturdy cardboard box to limit the excess space in the crate.
The sleep patterns of your puppy can be influenced by what is both inside and surrounding their crate, impacting their overall health and safety. Utilizing the following items can assist your puppy in both falling asleep and remaining asleep.
The things inside and near your puppy’s crate can impact their sleep patterns, as well as their overall health and safety. The following items can assist your puppy in falling asleep and remaining asleep. To find a complete list of crate supplies and daytime setup suggestions, refer to our article titled “What to Put (and Not Put) in Your Dog’s Crate.”
Calming Pheromone Diffuser
The Adaptil pheromone diffuser releases artificial versions of the pheromone that mother dogs produce while nursing their puppies. It encourages dogs to feel calm and at ease, aiding in relaxation and providing a sense of security. It is one of my preferred methods for acclimating a puppy to a new environment and assisting them in settling down.
Calming Snuggle Puppy
After reviewing the situation, the Preventive Vet staff determined that Mary Berry was experiencing discomfort sleeping alone in her crate, possibly due to missing her mother and litter mates. When the Snuggle Puppy was placed in Mary Berry’s crate, she was able to sleep peacefully, only waking up when she needed to go to the bathroom.
When she slept with the Snuggle Puppy, she slept very deeply. When we went to see our friends, we would take it along so that she could have a familiar and cozy item to sleep with. We strongly suggest the Snuggle Puppy to assist your new puppy in sleeping uninterrupted at night.
Even if your dog no longer needs it at night, you can remove the batteries and heating pack from the Snuggle Puppy, allowing your dog to continue carrying it for years.
When it comes to batteries, it is important to closely supervise your dog during their initial interaction and cuddling with their Snuggle Puppy. If your dog tends to mouth, chew, or tear apart this toy when snuggling, make sure to remove the toy to prevent any potential danger from swallowing batteries, which can be harmful to dogs.
Should You Cover Your Puppy’s Crate?
Covering your puppy’s crate will eliminate any extra light and dampen noise that could disturb them. Certain puppies may prefer having their entire crate covered, but others may need to leave the door uncovered to prevent feelings of isolation or confinement.
If you are thinking step by step, rephrasing the text while keeping the same meaning would be: You should be mindful of the airflow inside your puppy’s crate if you decide to use a blanket; it is important to avoid them waking up due to overheating. During hot weather, a dark-colored bed sheet can be used as a suitable alternative.
If your dog has a habit of pulling their crate covers, towels, or sheets through the bars, it is not advised to cover their crate. This is because ingesting these items can lead to dangerous obstructions, and puppies may put themselves in perilous situations if they become entangled in hanging fabric strips.
