Usually the best place for dog crates at night is in the owner's bedroom, so the dog has the feeling of being in safe company during sleeping time. Having the crate in your bedroom will also allow you to hear your dog if she gets restless during the night and needs to be taken to her potty area.
Place the crate in an area of your house where the family spends a lot of time, such as the family room. Put a soft blanket or bed in the crate. Take the door off or keep it propped open and let the dog explore the crate at their leisure. Some dogs will be naturally curious and start sleeping in the crate right away.
If you are crate training your puppy, you can start with their crate in your bedroom, if there is space. As they mature, you can certainly change the location of their crate to a more convenient area of your home in small increments.
At the very least, move the crate to your bedroom at night. A puppy sleeping in another room will feel insecure, stressed, and even abandoned. If you don't want to move the crate from the bedroom to the living room or kitchen every day, getting a second crate is not a bad idea.
A dog crate is more suited to going in the bedroom if you have a young puppy or if you have a dog who suffers from separation anxiety. A dog crate should go in the living room in most other situations as it is a larger, busier space during the day and will also teach your dog to be more independent.
It is totally fine to crate your dog for that long during the night, especially if he has plenty of activities during the day. Young puppies however won't be able to sleep for that long right away. You should take them to the bathroom halfway through the night to prevent any potty accidents.
The quick answer is that yes – it is absolutely ok to move a crate from room to room! However, this may not always be the most convenient solution, depending on your setup and household. Let's look at how you should plan out where to put your pup's crate.
Try placing their crate in a quiet corner or a separate, less active room. You can also keep their crate near where you sleep at night, but set up a fan or sound machine to help muffle any noises that might interrupt your puppy's rest.
How long is it okay to leave a dog in a crate? Adult dogs shouldn't be left in crates for more than 6-8 hours. Puppies of 17 weeks and older can handle up to 4 or 5 hours in a crate at a time. Leaving a dog home alone in a crate longer than this can hurt their mental and physical health.
Prolonged close contact to dogs exposes them to pet dander and may result in respiratory symptoms. But even people who do not have pet allergies can suffer increased allergic symptoms when co-sleeping with their dog. When dogs are ouside, dust and pollen clings to their fur and can exacerbate human allergies.
You should never completely cover your dog's crate as it can block airflow. Keep blankets away from heat sources, ensure the fabric is breathable, and avoid using knit blankets that may snag or unravel. Monitor the conditions inside the crate in humid summer weather to ensure it doesn't get too hot.
While pups were most distressed in the bedroom, the team found that dogs feel comfortable in the kitchen (71.2 BPM), followed closely by the living room (71.8 BPM).
Most adult dogs can stay in a crate for about half a day as long as the dog gets ample exercise and walks when he or she is out of the crate. Many adult dogs can manage eight or so hours in a crate while their owners are at work, but longer than this can often cause behavioral problems.
If you have a younger pup that likes to roam the house in the middle of the night to amuse themselves, then they should be crated. Dogs who aren't house trained should also be crated and should definitely not be allowed to sleep in your bed as you could wake up to an awful accident in the middle of the night.
You can usually stop closing your dog into your crate when they are around two years of age. Before then, they are usually more likely to get into trouble. It isn't until they mature fully that they are able to behave properly when not supervised. This is especially true for larger dogs, who tend to mature later.
Dog Kennel Pads: One of the most important elements to include are indestructible dog crate pads. This bedding can allow your canine to be comfortable while sitting or sleeping in the crate. These dog kennel pads should be durable, particularly if your dog is prone to accidents or destructive behaviors.
Your dog shouldn't see their crate as a place of isolation.
Put the crate in a commonly used room during the day. If your pup is using the crate at nighttime, have it in your bedroom. Your pup will have the comfort of your sounds and scent, plus you can hear if they need to go out for a potty break.
It's a common mistake that some owners make to just leave their puppy in their bed or crate to 'cry it out'. Even if they seem to settle down, this could actually be having the opposite effect to what you want and making them more anxious to be alone, causing them more stress.
Nina Torres says it's fine for most adult dogs to be in a crate “nine hours maximum” during the day (with a walk in the middle), and then eight hours at night – unless they are seniors or large dogs needing to stretch their joints.
Most dogs can be left alone for hours at a time (there are those exceptions to the rule), but if you're going to be away for too many hours, you do need to check into a pet sitter or dog walker. “Too many hours” is different for each dog; you know your dog best and know what her limits are on being home alone.
This common practice of all-day confinement in a cage or crate means dogs suffer in many ways, including separation anxiety; excessive self-grooming, chewing and licking to the point of self-mutilation; worn and broken teeth and zinc poisoning from chewing metal cages; extreme boredom, leading to depression and ...
Impawtant Note: While it's common for dogs to sleep in crates at night, we don't recommend that you keep your dog in a crate for more than a couple hours during the day. Before you go back to the office, make sure your dog is fully potty trained so they do not have to stay in a crate at all while you're gone.