Crate training

[ElizabethBowen]

Hello,

I understand the concept of making the crate a happy place and have been doing that a for few days, I need my 9 week puppy in a crate at night for her safety and my homes.

my question is we just rescued this sweet girl Belgian Shepard/ Great Pyrenees, and I have read so much conflicting information on crate training. Can I put her crate in my bedroom? Some say no because she needs to learn to be separate from us , but I need sleep and she signals going outside to potty. 
I want to sleep in my bed, and have a safe puppy. 
 

thank you, Elizabeth Bowen

[Adrienne]

Usually, we recommend starting by placing the crate in the bedroom, especially with new puppies. The first nights are tough with these pups because they miss their litter mates and mom. I use Smart Pet Love Snuggle Pups Behavior Aid to help them through the first nights and place the crate next to the bed to reassure the puppies (occasionally by voice or simply lowering my hand for them to sniff) and inform them that they are not alone.

Also, you need to have the puppies nearby because you need to hear them signal their need to potty so that you can take them out. Unfortunately, middle- of-the night outdoors trips are a must during the first weeks if we decide to crate train, so yes, sleep deprivation is very common in the process. 

This is also a time of decision making. If the dog owners wish not to have the puppies in the bedroom as adults, then, as they adjust over several nights, we start moving the crate gradually farther away. From next to the bed, to the middle, to the end, then towards the exit, then towards the hallway. If not, then once the puppies are potty trained, they are allowed to still sleep in the bedroom either still in the crate or onto a designated mat. 

If you need sleep, there are other options,  but generally crate training is the fastest way to potty training because it encourages dogs to hold it and go potty outdoors from the get-go. 

[ElizabethBowen]

Thank you, 

I moved the crate last night and had two four hour sleep periods. This has been great! I look forward to learning more on how to train her.

elizabeth

[Adrienne]

 Four hours is actually good! I had to get up every 3 hours with some pups with teeny bladders. 

Happy training!