Crate training

We are going to pick up Callie today...very excited...

We set up a 4 x 4 pen in the kitchen at our breeder's suggestion for her to hang out in when we can't be watching/actively playing with her (our floor plan is all open/can't really gate off the kitchen), and we also have a crate for her to sleep in which we were going to put in my daughter's room (yeah, we'll see how that goes).

We plan to crate train her though...but now that I am thinking about it, how do you balance time in the ex pen and time in the crate?

Of course I am only thinking of this now that pickup time is about 4 hours away

advice please! thank you

I cant really help because my two never had puppy pen's .. they have crates, well skye does but they only go in at night
Good luck with your new addition!

Never crated so I'm no help either!

Good luck and congrats on your new addition, I bet you can't wait

Plenty of pics please Xx

We had a crate for Billy but kept it in the living room, we left it open during the day where billy could come and go as he pleased we left the door open. At night we closed the door and left a radio on low for during the night for a few days.

She will probally howl so ask the breeder if she could give you an old blanket or a toy with her mothers scent on and put that in the crate. Make sure during the night that half the crate has got newspaper for her to go to the toilet and the rest snuggly blankets for her to go t sleep.

If she does howl, try not to go and see her otherwise you will be doing it forever.


Bet you are so excited, don't forget some pics

Good luck

Best of luck and I bet you are excited. I would keep her in her pen when she is active and playfull and have her walk to her crate when she wants a nap so she will understand that is where she goes to sleep

Can't really add to the advice given. I put a blanket over 3 sides of the crate which helped Bella settle a little. How did your first night go? so exciting bringing them home

As Jstaff said, I would use the pen for playtime and crate for rest time. Caroline's advice about covering the crate on 3 sides is great, I put and old duvet cover over the top of Charlie's crate so it covered the back and sides, it really helped him settle.

Congrats and good luck - the fun starts now

hi and welcome i have a crate for my 5 month old puppie only had her a week but she goes in at night and since covering the sides she has settled really well also added a ticking clock as suggested so dont no if that helped also, good luck with ur new addition x x

Thought i'd best pick up on this thread for this one. So we've got Tommy home and he's a nightmare in his crate . 1 hour sleep the constant crying and howling non stop , making himself into a right state . Last night I broke the rules and spent some time with him. We only covered the crate last night , tonight I put a radio on low for him (and covered all sides of the crate) but he still makes so much noise. He will only really be crated until he is toilet trained so its not a permanent thing for us and I know I shouldn't go to him . When we got Tilly she just accepted it , bit of crying here and there but she sorted herself out.
So based on this, how long would you leave him for , I sat it out for 30 minutes this time and he just wasn't giving in, concerned he's going to wake the neighbours. I'm sure its just the crate as I can put my hand through the bars and stroke him for 2 mins to calm him and he's back to sleep again.
Should we be crating him through the day for sleeping as we have just been letting him go to sleep on whichever dog bed is available round the house.

Youll just have to ignore him until he gets used to it unfortunately. If you give in even once then he will know he wins. Where does tilly sleep? Where is the crate?

I would be inclined to have the crate close to either you or tilly

I know what you mean but if you heard him it was much more than a whimper and he was getting into a right state , and he had been doing that for 30 mins before I went into him. At the moment he seems to have settled again , had woke and had a bit of a whimper and gone back down so he's been asleep solid for about 45 mins after settling himself back down this time. I'll stop up another hour and try and keep an eye on him.

Tilly sleeps on our bed , so that will be the next move to bring the crate to our room if tonight goes no better.

Dave I had the same with Kodi (and like u only a temp thing till he was house trained, he now is asleep on the bed next to me lol) but he was getting himself in a right state, I too was worried bout neighbours so I fed him in his crate every other meal (door open), played toys and threw them in the crate for him to get, then the odd few times I closed the door and threw a handful of kibble in, within about 3/4days he accepted the crate, now if im going out I just say "cage" he goes in and waits for a treat

Hope this helps

I'd be inclined to crate tommy in the kitchen or lounge to be honest, least that way you'll get some sleep! Like others have said, you'll have to ignore the howling etc otherwise he'll never learn!
When he's then housetrained I'm sure he'll find his way up to Jenny's bed so that he can sleep there!!

lynne wrote:We had a crate for Billy but kept it in the living room, we left it open during the day where billy could come and go as he pleased we left the door open. At night we closed the door and left a radio on low for during the night for a few days.

She will probally howl so ask the breeder if she could give you an old blanket or a toy with her mothers scent on and put that in the crate. Make sure during the night that half the crate has got newspaper for her to go to the toilet and the rest snuggly blankets for her to go t sleep.

If she does howl, try not to go and see her otherwise you will be doing it forever.


Bet you are so excited, don't forget some pics

Good luck

We did exactly that and it worked really well. Ralph did howl every couple of hours, but that was because he needed a wee. I didn't want ANY wee wee's in the crate so I just let him out (no play at all) for toilet break the STRAIGHT back in and to sleep. This only lasted for a week and now he sleeps right through until about 7.00.

I didn't use a pen as he was in and out of the crate when he liked. I just shut the door if I was going out or to bed. I kinda thought the pens were a bit of a waste of money... But I guess they do have their uses.

Enjoy your puppy!