My new puppy cries in the crate. Should I make him sleep in his crate?

I would try putting Co co in a crate at night. Keep in mind she's quite young, and it will take time for her to adjust to being in a new home away from her mother and siblings. It's truly like having a newborn baby in the home! But the good news is that puppies will get better at sleeping at night faster than babies. If you are comfortable with it, you can have her sleep with you at night in your bed. That might make her feel more comfortable. I hope you get some sleep!

Thanks for asking about crate training your puppy. I'm a professional dog trainer. It sounds like you are doing some of the general recommendations for crate training, like feeding in the crate and giving treats in the crate. I'm going to share with you all of my tips for crate training. But the two most important things are to ALWAYS give high value treats for going into the crate and never let him out if he's crying or barking. For you I recommend doing this: Step 1: Throw a handful of yummy treats in the crate and say "Crate" or whatever phrase you want to use and let him go in to eat them. While he's eating them, close the door and stand there. When he's finished eating the treats and not crying, open the door and let him out. Do this 5 times. This teaches him that he gets lots of treats in the crate. The crate is good! Step 2: Throw the treats in the crate, say the word "Crate", let him go in and eat, close the door and walk out of site for a few seconds or a minute (very short time). Come back when he's not crying. Open the crate and let him out. Do this 5 times. This teaches him that you put him in his crate, leave and come back and let him out when he's not crying. Step 3: Throw treats in the crate, say the word "Crate", let him go in and eat, close the door and walk away for 5 minutes. Come back when he's not crying. Open the crate and let him out. Do this 5 times. This teaches him that you stay away longer but you still come back and let him out when he's quiet. Step 4: Do same thing for 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour and then at night. Step 5: Now that he knows the crate is good, keep reinforcing it by always giving treats to go in. Give him a stuffed Kong or special toys that he only gets in the crate. Keep feeding him in it and don't let him out when he's crying. More tips: Guidelines: 1. A puppy should be able to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably in the crate. 2. Do not leave any extra space inside the crate where the puppy might be able to eliminate. If the crate is large, place another barrier inside that will leave just enough room for the puppy, as stated in step one. 3. Place a towel or padding in the bottom of the crate for puppy to lie on. Remove if you feel the puppy will chew or ingest it. 4. Select an area in your home to set up the crate. This should be in a room where the puppy is engaged with family activities and able to view the family. This may be the family living room or master bedroom. 5. Setup the crate and let the puppy see it in his environment and explore. Keep the door open and hide yummy treats inside, he will learn that good things happen in his crate. 6. Hold a yummy treat in your hand and lure the puppy into the crate. As the puppy enters the crate, say “Crate” or whatever word will be used as the crating cue, and praise and treat. 7. Continue to leave the door open and keep hiding treats under the crate bedding. This will encourage the puppy to explore the crate. 8. Repeat several times until she is comfortable going into the crate. Additional Information: • NEVER force the puppy into the crate. • If a puppy should begin whining or barking in his crate, check your housetraing schedule to ensure the puppy does not need to potty. If the puppy just eliminated, wait until she is quiet before you let her out of the crate. Wait patiently for a split second of silence, and then open the crate door. If you let a puppy out of the crate when he is whining or barking, this will become an “I want out of the crate” cue. • The crate should become a calm and positive environment. • For crate training to be successful, the puppy must view the crate as a refuge and associate it with positive experiences. • Add special yummy treats or toys that the puppy only receives when he is in the crate. Food-stuffed toys like Kong’s work well and make the crate a happier place for the puppy. • When a puppy is left alone in his crate, play soft music in the background.

It can be hard for a 7-week-old puppy to be comfortable sleeping by himself in a crate, as normally puppies this age would still be sleeping all snuggled up with their mother and littermates. I'm not sure where Jasper's crate is in your home, but I always recommend putting it in the bedroom right beside your bed at first - you can move it later on if you want to, once he's a bit older and sleeping through the night without any problems. This way, he's much less likely to whine and cry because he knows you're right beside him. If he does fuss a bit, you can talk softly to him and rest your hand on top of the crate for him to sniff. For small puppies, if needed, you can even get a soft-sided pet carrier and have him sleep in this on the bed at first. You can gradually transition him to the floor once he's comfortable and no longer crying at night.

I would crate him at night since you cannot watch him and he is so young. Once you know that you can completely trust him (potty and getting into stuff) then I would say you can let him out of the carte and sleep with you. My concern is more that he can do something that can cause harm to himself. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Congrats on your new puppy! There is no one best answer here. If you ask 10 people you'll likely get 10 different answers. I always recommend going with your gut but being open to modifying your plan based on the puppies personality. When I got my rescue dog at 9 months, my plan was to crate him downstairs but he barked and I couldn't sleep. So I brought him upstairs and he has slept on a dog bed on the floor ever since. I think you should list out what is acceptable and what isn't (allowed on the bed/furniture or isn't, crated or not crated) and then make that the goal and stick to it. Whether you have the crate in your room temporarily and then move it somewhere else can depend on how needy Samson is in the beginning. Are you willing to let him "cry it out" or not. I am a fan of trying to set up a routine early so they get used to that. He will be needy the first several days but then should start to adjust and you can get stricter. I hope this helps and I wish you and Samson the very best

You can't do anything to make sure he sleeps, as his own body rhythms will dictate that. You can keep him safe, and out of trouble during the night, by putting him in a crate at bedtime. Introduce him to it gradually. First, put his food right inside the door so he learns to eat there. Step-by-step, move the bowl farther into the crate each time he eats, leaving the door open. When he is comfortable eating inside, close the door, opening it as soon as he finishes eating. Gradually extend the time the door is closed. Do not oen the door if he is whining or trying to get out. Just ignore him, and wait until he is settled before letting him out. For additional assistance with this, you can click on the prompt to initiate a consult.

Young puppies like this are often anxious about being left alone, even if they're just in a crate across the room. You can help him learn to enjoy being in his crate by giving him a special long-lasting treat each time you put him in - something like a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter works very well for many puppies. This will help to keep him busy and encourage him to settle, and will also teach him to associate good things with being in his crate.