# No more crate at night?



## I3rowneyedgrrl (Sep 18, 2006)

What age did you start letting your dog sleep outside of its crate at night? Penny is starting to get sick of her crate i think cuz she is waking up a lot earlier and digs in it till i get up and let her out. I dont know if i should just let her start sleeping with me or in a bed on the floor, or should i keep her in the crate a lil longer?


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## starry (Sep 4, 2006)

When I had my other malt she started digging in her crate too, mostly she had to go to the potty very badly, so beware. 
I would've let her sleep with me by then but I was afraid she would fall off and I also have a older dog and all she wanted to do was play all nite. My older dog did not appreciate that.
So I bought a baby gate at Walmart and blocked her in a bedroom or big bath w/her pads. Then I could get up when I wanted and she could play till then!
Also I left the tv on animal planet.


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

Penny is 6 mths old? That's about the age that Boo started to sleep in my bed. He was fully potty trained by then & could hold himself all night long, well at least until about 6 in the morning. He also learned real quick,that if he didn't settle in & be still,he would have to go back to the crate,so he was very good & went right to sleep.


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## munchkin1616 (Dec 8, 2005)

I rescued Nikko just before his 7th birthday. The first night, he was out of the crate but kept with me in my bedroom with the door closed. He cried alllllllllll night and paced around the room. The second night, I let him on the bed so I could get some sleep (since he'd kept me up all night the night before). He went right to sleep then and has been sleeping on the bed with me ever since.

He's about 10 lbs, which is bigger than many, I know. I've never crated him except as punishment, when he potties on the floor or gets super protective of a milkbone to the point of trying to snap when someone gets near.


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## paris (Apr 8, 2005)

When we got Paris she was about 9 weeks old...yeah, I know too young, but she was a gift and we didn't know any better. Anyway, the first two nights she was in a crate by my daughter's bed. That didn't work because all Paris did was cry. As a result of that, Paris and I slept on the couch for little over a month. It was a lot easier to take her out to potty during the night that way. By the time she was 3 1/2 months old she was sleeping through the night so she and I went to the bed. That is where she has slept for the past two years. Her crate is now "her room". It is in the family room, has the door removed, and has her blankets in it. She lies in it every so often, but not much.


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## louis' mom (Jul 7, 2006)

louis is 4 and still sleeps in his crate. he is so funny, he puts himself to bed around 8pm - he will go in there and look out from his crate (waiting for his mint) if you don't come and give him one and say good night, he will hound u down until you do! he is safer in there than in bed with me no matter how big the bed is - so it all works for us. good luck.


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## Julie718 (Feb 17, 2006)

I think Tango was 6 or 7 months when he started sleeping in the bed with us.


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## I3rowneyedgrrl (Sep 18, 2006)

Yeah I guess my question is .. Is it mean to keep them in their crates even after their puppys? I like the fact that Penny cant get into trouble and wont get squashed by me, and she still isnt that great at the potty training thing.


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## louis' mom (Jul 7, 2006)

> Yeah I guess my question is .. Is it mean to keep them in their crates even after their puppys? I like the fact that Penny cant get into trouble and wont get squashed by me, and she still isnt that great at the potty training thing.[/B]


i personally don't think it is mean - it is their "room/bed" where they can go and get away and rest without a worry in the world. the door on our crate broke a year ago, so louis can easily let himself out (which he has on occasion) but usually, he puts himself to bed and stays there until i open his door in the am. i have a blanket in there - he sometimes puts some of his "babies" in there with him. 

if you are more comfortable with her in there, then don't feel guilty. you would put your skin baby in a crib right? the crate is no different than a crib. don't guilt yourself about it.


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## Sassy&Alyssa (Aug 29, 2006)

Sassy has slept in her crate all night for 9 years, and it's staying that way. Otherwise, she will eat her poop or something else utterly digusting. I feel safer with her in her crate, but that doesn't mean she likes it lol. She growls whenever you close to door on her. 

We even have a command for it. "go in your house" and it works!!

ETA:

It's not at all mean. Crates were created specifically to make a dog comfortable and easy to take along somewhere. Did you ever wonder why they were so small looking, or maybe even crampt? Well, they are supposed to create the feel that the dog is in a den, like it would be in the wild. ALOT of dogs love their crates.


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## Bijousmom (May 29, 2005)

Bijou sleeps in a pet taxi next to our bed. Last week he threw up on his blanket in the pet taxi. I have had one of my children throw up in our bed and in my hair. I am getting too old to want to get up in the middle of the night to change sheets on a king size bed and shampoo my hair.







Another reason to keep Bijou in his crate is that if he heard a noise in the night he would sail off the bed and on to the hard wood floor.







He has a serious case of guard dog instinct.


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