# crating at night vs during the day



## schpeckie (Jun 29, 2010)

I have my girls in separate crates in different bedrooms, and they are crated during the night and when I go to work. They have never barked. Is it possibly because you are moving her to a different room? Maybe she is not familiar with the area and is scared? Hopefully someone else on this forum has the same problem.


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

First off, I think crate training is valuable, and I crate-trained my own dog.

But I think they can be overused. I got mine out of his crate during the day as fast as possible, by about 4 months. I'm lucky that my kitchen is pretty dog-proof, and has a door, so he graduated from the crate to the kitchen very quickly(with all the cupboards held closed with bungies), and then by about 6 months to free access to the house. I don't think every dog can manage that without destroying things, but again, I was lucky. 

It's BORING in a crate. Mine (at two) spends his time when we are away napping on the back of the chair that sits in front of the bay window. He can at least see what's going on on the street, and he always has several Kongs or other food dispensing toys, and a supply of chews. 

Is there a place you can confine the dog during the day that can be made puppy-proof? 

Mine is still happy to sleep in his crate, and in fact will take himself off to his crate when he's really tired and doesn't want to be disturbed. I was probably extra wary of too much time in the crate, as my cousin had a dog that was crated WAY too much as a young dog, and by the end could escape from literally ANY crate. He hated being in a crate, and would risk injuring himself to get out. It was surreal, the crates he got himself out of ... varikennels, wire crates, wire crates with zip ties, didn't matter, you could not keep him in a crate.


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## jasperspoo (Feb 25, 2011)

I think that it depends on the dog. Jasper wasn't a fan of his crate at first. It took perhaps a month (until he was 4 months old) to get used to being in his crate. Now, he quite enjoys it. He no longer sleeps in it, but I do keep him crated when I'm away during the day. I've tried leaving him out, but he sits by the door and cries. When he's in his crate, he sleeps.


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## lauren&sophie (Jul 1, 2011)

Thank you for the suggestions. I can't leave her out just yet because she is teething and trying to chew on everything. I plan on eventually not crating her but right now its the best option. She is out of her crate almost all day right now unless I have to run errands. I just want her to be ok and not miserable every time I leave! Hopefully in time she will. I've had her a month yesterday!


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## Rowan (May 27, 2011)

I think she's okay in the crate at night because she's next to the bed and can see you the entire time. During the day, you're not right there so it's a different ballgame. She thinks if she's in the crate it means Mommie will be right there. Maybe if you move her crate at night so she _can_'t see you (to simulate the daytime arrangement) she would get used to being in there by herself? I'm sure she'll whine or bark for a while but she'll soon settle down. 

Like *JE-UK*, mine weren't in the crate for long. Alex was sleeping in the bed by 4 mos or so. During the day, I confined him to the kitchen until he was over the destruction phase, and they now have free roam of the house. During his puppy phase, I lost a bath mat, a lamp (he was 10 mos and thankfully it wasn't plugged in) and a throw rug, but that's it. 

I'm not big on crates as most dogs don't lock themselves in their dens. Being locked in something doesn't seem like it would create a sense of security and serenity to me. I understand the tool (esp when housetraining), but if I were a dog, I don't think I'd like being shut in there at all. (I would yowl my head off.) LOL


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

My puppy would do this, and when he did he got a very firm 'NO!' and my hand banging the top of his crate. That sort of behavior is NOT accepted in my house, you will go where I put you and be calm until *I* decided you can come out.


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## Feathersprings (Jul 15, 2010)

Tizzy in the beginning was very good about the crate but it didnt take long before she would make a fuss when I would put her there to go and run errands. A few things.. one , I had changed her kennel to another room not with our other Poodle.. I dont think she liked that. Also she had started sleeping on the bed so not in the crate often. What I started doing was leaving her with a stuffed kong and a happy voice telling her I would be back soon. She would start in barking and whining and i would just leave.. I hated it.. and then I found out she only did it until she knew I was gone and never a peep until I got home. She thought i left one day when I didnt LOL! We also parked away from the house and listened when we came home. As soon as the car hit the driveway she is back to it LOL! When i get home i make
her settle first and then let her out and we go play in the yard for a few minutes


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## lauren&sophie (Jul 1, 2011)

That's so funny that tizzy did that! I wonder if she stops after a while or how she acts when I'm actually gone. She would know if I was still home because we live in an apartment but I am thinking of setting up a video camera to see what she does! Today I left the crate in our bedroom where she sleeps and I feel like it might have gone better because when I got home she wasnt barking and didn't bark too much just kept jumping. The other thing is she ALWAYS pees when I get close to the crate to let her out!! She doesn't do this in the morning just when I come home. Been if I've been gone for 15 min. I'm hoping this "excitement" pee will go away!!


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## Feathersprings (Jul 15, 2010)

Tizzies kennel i in the room where she sleeps. I used to feed her there also but find she doesnt eat there well and since she is a bit of a picky eater I dont want to make things more difficult. The pee thing is so hard I would just whisk her out matter of factly with no hi puppy , puppy stuff... I have had this situation with a few rescues in the past and it was outgrown . Seemed it was the worst when i was making a fuss over them  they dont tell time well... it can be 15 mins or 2 hours and reaction seems the same !


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

Ah, the poodle greeting ... I'd never seen a breed where a 5 minute absence generates the over-the-top joy you get from a poodle. You never feel so loved as when you come home to a poodle :smile:.


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