09/24/2026
For crate training overnight, we have to remember that puppy is accustomed to snuggling her littermates for warmth and comfort for the first several weeks of life. It is, however, important for pup to sleep in the crate to help her have a safe place to stay and not get into mischief or go potty around the house while everyone is sleeping. For the first week to two, we keep the crate right next to our bed so puppy knows theyโre not alone. Comfort includes using a cover to indicate it is time for nighttime sleep, putting our fingers in the crate if puppy whines and placing a litter scented stuffed toy in the crate. We use a phrase such as โgo to bed,โ give pup a couple treats and then close the door. We expect puppy to stay in the crate overnight even if there is a potty break or two the first few nights. We keep everything very calm and boring for those potty breaks, no playtime, no bright lights and very little talking. Puppy learns very quickly that this is a calm, gentle routine that gives her rest, comfort and safety overnight. Lyndy is 12 weeks old, and she started sleeping all the way through the night (7.5 hours) in the crate after 5 nights. The first 5 nights included one potty break after 4 hours of sleep, then right back to bed in the crate for another 3-3.5 hours. One key to success is not feeding pup until YOU are ready to start your day, otherwise theyโll begin waking earlier and earlier because they know theyโll get let out and fed. Patience and consistency in following the training we send our puppy families home with from ๐ถ ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐ฌ / ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง are the other big keys to successful crate training. We are proud of Lyndyโs progress! ๐ ๐ถ ๐พ
