Do you cover a dog crate at night? Here’s the Answer

Should my dog’s crate be near me overnight?

Ideally, yes. If you can put the crate in your bedroom, it will help a new puppy settle down faster. If he can hear and see you, and continue to hear you breathing overnight, he will be much calmer than if his dog’s crate at night was in a room alone. This also helps you hear him overnight. If he stirs and whines, you can hear that he’ll need to be taken outside of the crate for a potty break. Remember that young puppies can’t hold their bladders longer than one hour for each month of their lives, as a general rule. So, if your puppy is four months old, he can’t hold it longer than four hours.

A puppy can really be scared in their dog’s crate at night for the first couple of weeks. They’re in a completely new situation and don’t know what’s happening or where they are. If you don’t feel comfortable putting the crate in your bedroom, put it in a room close by where you can talk to the puppy and he can know you’re still there. Leave a radio or TV on for him so he’s not sitting in silence. A white noise machine will also work to give your puppy a sense of security and calm him down.

What can I do to comfort him in his dog’s crate at night?

It’s natural that your puppy be scared and uncertain when he first goes into his dog’s crate at night. To help him keep calm, you can add some things to the crate. Things that are easily washable are best, like machine-washable bedding in case there’s a potty accident. Durable chew toys are good. You can also fill a large water bottle with warm water so the puppy can feel like he’s cuddling in the warmth of his siblings. If you have a chewing puppy, avoid anything soft until he’s proven he won’t chew his bedding. You might just want to line the crate bottom with puppy pads until he’s a bit older.

If your puppy whines to come out when you know he doesn’t have to go potty, give him some time to settle. Opening the crate door and taking him out to play or snuggle will show him that he can continue to cry in the crate just because he doesn’t want to be in it and will eventually get to come out. If the crate is in your bedroom, you can comfort him by speaking in a soothing tone, putting your hand down by the crate so he knows you’re there, and letting him hear you breathing. If he doesn’t feel like he’s alone, he should settle down and feel just in his dog’s crate at night. He’ll then learn what nighttime is and that his crate is for sleeping.

Do you cover a dog crate at night?

How can I get my dog used to having his crate covered?

Like most behavior training, this is something you’ll have to introduce gradually. You want to avoid making your dog feel like the crate is a prison. Let your dog enter the crate on his own, and over time increase how much of the crate is covered. Start with only covering one side first and letting your pup adjust to the feeling.

How To Stop Your Dog From Barking In Their Crate At Night

Yes, you should cover your dog’s crate with a blanket if your dog is feeling cold, suffers from anxiety, is noise sensitive or is having trouble falling asleep due to lights in the house. However if you do decide to cover your dog’s crate with a blanket you need to be aware of the risks such as overheating, the high flammability of blankets and also how they pose a choking hazard. Remember when covering a dog crate with a blanket you should always leave at least one side uncovered to provide adequate air flow.