# Crate placement-bedroom or living room



## Kayla&Kuba

Kuba (black male standard) came home last week, today he is 9 weeks old! I have been crate training, his crate is located in my living and I have a small one story ranch style house. He has been barking, whining, howling most hours of the night. I am wondering if I should move his crate in my bedroom, in hopes of less barking/whining. 

What would your opinion be? Should I keep his crate where it is now (living room) and hope that he begins to sleep through the night? Or should I try moving his crate into my bedroom and slowly transition him back out to the living room?

Right now I do have a blanket to cover the crate and a white noise machine going. I also have a blanket and 1 toy in the crate. When the barking/whining does get to the point of being really loud and going on for awhile, I do say from my room, "Kuba, Quiet" and that does seem to quiet him a little bit. 

Thank you!


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## lisasgirl

It's sort of up to you, really. If you definitely don't want him to sleep in your room, then I would say don't put his crate in your room. It's harder to move them out once you've set that precedent, at least in my experience. If you're open to him eventually sleeping in your room, then there's no harm in moving him in there now.

It does help with the whining to have the crate in your room. Remember, puppies basically NEVER sleep alone when they're with their mothers, so this is entirely new for Kuba. It's probably scary, too, since puppies aren't generally safe on their own (yes, you're looking out for him, but he doesn't know that yet). If you don't want him in your bedroom, see if there's some way to make him feel less alone out in the living room. I've heard of people putting a hot water bottle or another heated, soft thing in the crate so they have something to snuggle with. I've even heard of toys that have a simulated heartbeat.

Does Kuba ever nap in the crate during the day? Or is he only separated from you at night? Practicing with shorter intervals may help as well.


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## scooterscout99

Yes! I have crates both in the dining room (only room with enough space) and in my bedroom. I even keep singleton foster puppies in my room over night. I don't want them to be alone and also want to be alerted if they need to go outside.


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## Kayla&Kuba

Lisasgirl - thank you for your opinion! Right now Kuba has not got to the point where he voluntarily goes into crate. I do try to put him in crate once he does fall asleep for a nap during the day, to get him used to sleeping in crate and waking up in it. I have seen other articles mentioning trying a warm water bottle, I will definitely consider this. I do have to remind myself that Kuba is just a puppy and these things take time!


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## rj16

Within about 30 minutes of putting Monty in his crate the first night we had him in the bedroom. First he liked licking my fingers to calm down and then just seeing me was enough. Not a young puppy but he'd been in the shelter so he was obviously still going through a lot. 

He'll never be allowed to sleep on the bed (for real!) but the bedroom is fine so that's not a concern for us. I intend to slowly inch the crate out of the bedroom eventually but for now he's happy so we're happy. It was much much more important to me that we all be able to sleep and that he be happy in his crate.

Is there a specific reason why you are reluctant to put him in your bedroom?


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## snow0160

I put the crate in my livingroom because that is where I hang out the most. Kit is 15 weeks old today and she came to us from living outside in a barn. She has never been crated ever and hated her crate. Now she won't leave her crate with the door open. I make the crate fun because she is always where the action is. If I am reading on the sofa, I give her some treats in the crate. If I am watching tv, I give her some treats. I was never able to teach her to go in her crate, it was Lucky who taught her that. They used to sleep together in his crate. Lucky has always loved his crate because he was crate trained when we got him at 16 weeks. I thought about having the crate in the bedroom but they just jump up and sleep on my bed so I didn't think there was much of a point.


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## Kayla&Kuba

*rj16*- There is no specific reason. I simply just decided to place Kuba in my living room at first. But I am thinking about moving him to my bedroom, in crate, to see if that will comfort him a bit. Thank you for the reply!


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## fjm

I think young pups need company at night, especially in the first week or so away from Mum. I would either have a crate in your bedroom, or sleep close to him for a while.


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## rj16

Krelph said:


> *rj16*- There is no specific reason. I simply just decided to place Kuba in my living room at first. But I am thinking about moving him to my bedroom, in crate, to see if that will comfort him a bit. Thank you for the reply!


In that case, I think bringing the crate into your bedroom would be an easy solution. Being able to see and smell you will comfort him.


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## Caddy

When I brought the girls home they slept in a grate on a large chair right beside the bed, they could see me and I could see them. As soon as i was comfortable that I wasn't going to squish them and they'd wake me up to go potty, on the bed they came. I always had two crates, one in the bedroom and one in an xpen in the kitchen/living area. Puppies don't like to be alone.


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## tbarr

I'd definitely recommend the bedroom. When my older poodle, Lucy, came home, we tried to put her crate (a heavy, homemade wooden one) in the living room, and she immediately started whining and barking. I ended up going down to the living room and sleeping next to her crate on the floor. Every time she started to fuss, I'd put my fingers through the bars and make shushing noises until she settled down. 

The next day, I went out to the pet store and bought a cheap, smaller wire crate that could fit next to my bed. Problem solved. Lucy just wanted to be near people, and after a few small whimpers, she settled right down and slept all night.


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## fjm

I have to say I am another who quickly transitioned from crate-by-the-bed to puppy-in-the-bed! I surrounded the bed with soft stuff in case of falls, flicked the Baby Alert switch in my brain that tells me to wake up at the slightest odd noise or movement, and we all slept blissfully with one trip outside in the early hours.


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## Jetboy

My little puppy was crate trained from 3 weeks of age. They all had their own crate and spent more time in it as they got older.
I got him when he was 10 weeks and he would sleep in there from about 10.30pm until about 3am then he would want out for the toilet but he wouldn't want to go back in the crate he would howl and cry. So in the end I would pop his bed next to mine and he would happily sleep there for the rest of the night.

Then he was desexed and when I put him in the crate the first night with that plastic collar on he was scared and he cried and cried and I couldn't bear to hear it the crying was not for attention or naughty he was scared. So I dragged his crate into my bedroom and he was so happy he curled up and went to sleep.

From then on he sleeps in my bedroom in the crate. Since then he sleeps through the night and doesn't wake up until 7am which I love!
He is happy and I realised he just wanted company. He was lonely and I thought there was no reason really that I wanted him to stick to the living room so being in a crate in the bedroom is no big deal it just means we all sleep much better.

If there is a reason you don't want the crate in your bedroom then I wouldn't put him in there because once you do it will be really hard to break the habit because he will love being in there. I realised once I started that from now on Jet is going to want to be in the bedroom but I don't mind so all is going well now  Good luck!!


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## pudellvr

I have one in my room and one in the den. There's no dogs allowed on my bed overnight but I like being able to hear him and visa versa. 


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## Kayla&Kuba

*Update!*

Since I posted my original question, Kuba has been sleeping in his crate in my bedroom. And ever since then we have both slept great! Only whines a little but then passes right out. Thank you to all who shared opinions. I also bought one of those heart beat plush toy animals and I swear this has helped too!


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## Caddy

That's great to hear, thanks for the update.


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