Hi all

Another question on crates and puppies , Overnight how long can you leave pup in the crate , i read only upto 4 hrs , was a bit concerned that would not hear pup while sleeping , is it better not to use crate until pup is older or how does it work?

I have always used a crate at night from 8 weeks of age - but only because the crate was by my bed so I could hear the puppy wake when he needed the loo.

I wouldn't leave a puppy in a crate overnight unless you could hear the puppy wake or you will most likely force him to soil his bed which is not what puppies want to do.

Pam n the boys

I have always kept my puppies in a crate overnight. But, I keep the crate in my bedroom so I can hear it stirring in the night. I get up and take the puppy outside and then put it back in its crate for the rest of the night. Believe me, it's like a baby, you will definitely hear the puppy if you sleep in the same room.

If you do not want the crate in your bedroom you can try setting your alarm clock to get up and take the puppy outside. Chances are also that the crate you start out with will be much larger than a young puppy requires. You can divide the crate in two parts. One part you can put down newspaper or housetraining pads, the other use washable bedding.

And, it that does not suit you, you can set up a puppy pen. Put its bed in one corner and newspaper in the rest.

Stacey

Serenasq
does your puppy have a set pattern with regards to waking when wanting to go to the toilet in the night ? If so you could set your clock at roughly these times ?
We have a crate in the lounge which pup uses when he wants to be alone ( which isnt often !! :) ) or he usually runs in there with his treats . He is never shut in unless he needs to be ie; when washing the floor etc . He doesnt sleep in there at night - he sleeps upstairs with us but luckily he can hold himself until morning .
I would not recommend leaving you pup alone all day in a locked crate - then again i would not recommend leaving your pup for long periods of time anyway
Only you know what is right for you and your pup
:)
Lel