Where to place the dog crate in the house is a confusing question for most new dog owners, and those that have just decided to crate train their dogs.
The reason being that most of the time you’ll get just a generic answer, that does not explain why the dog crate should be placed in a particular spot.
So let us first answer the question, and then go deeper to understand the logic behind crate placement, so you can never get confused about it again.
The crate should be placed in the living room during the day and in the bedroom at night, this way your dog can enjoy your company during the day, and be close to you at night so you can hear him if he wakes up for a potty break.
Dog crate in the living room during the day
Crate training is basically providing a safe and personal den for your dog to relax when low on energy and sleep at night.
While in the crate your dog still needs to feel he’s part of what’s going on with the family, it’s just a personal spot, not a solitary.
In fact, having the crate somewhere close to you and the family will make the crate training process easier.
This is why the best spot for the crate during the day is in the living room where the dog can relax and enjoy being around you at the same time.
Dogs get attached to their families and like to be always around them, even when they need to sleep or just lie down for a little siesta.
Of course by now you’ve understood that by the living room we mean where you or the family hang out most of the day, if it’s another room then that’s where the dog crate needs to be.
Dog crate in the bedroom at night
Placing the dog crate in the bedroom is especially important at the early stages of the crate training process and with young puppies.
Crate training at night
When you crate train a dog at night you can expect some resistance in the first couple of weeks, especially the first night.
Dogs tend to whine, cry or bark in the first few nights in the crate and although it is best to ignore that and not let them out, but they do need to be comforted.
You need to be able to hear your dog when he’s whining in his crate at night, generally all you have to do is to speak to them until they calm down or gently tap on the crate
To be able to hear and interact with your dog at night while in his crate, it needs to be placed in your bedroom.
Potty breaks for young puppies
Crate training a young puppy at night is also challenging, they are unable to hold it through the night and will need a potty break or two.
The younger the puppy the more breaks he needs especially small breeds because they usually have smaller bladders.
Dogs are fairly clean animals and prefer not to eliminate where they sleep, but a young puppy will definitely need at least a break at night.
It is very important to avoid potty accidents in the crate, the puppies has to know that the crate is a place to relax and sleep and not a potty corner.
This is why, having the crate in the bedroom at night is important to be able to let the puppy out when he wakes up for a break.
Two dog crates one in the bedroom and one in the living room
We found it to be more convenient to actually have two crates, one in the living room and another in the bedroom, but you can of course just move your dog crate from room to room.
Using the same crate and moving it around from the bedroom to the living room or any other room in the house is perfectly fine.
However, large dogs like the great dane have very large crates that are quite heavy and could be challenging for a small-sized person to move on her own.
Using two crates can be really convenient, and we use and recommend the Midwest Ultima Pro Wire Crate (check on Amazon), it’s foldable and easy to move around.
Perfect spot for the dog crate in the bedroom or living room
Choosing the perfect spot for the dog crate within the bedroom or the living room is also important, and can affect the dog’s comfort in his den.
- The crate should not be directly exposed to the sun.
- It cannot be placed in a drafty spot with too much airflow.
- The crate should not be placed close to machines and noisy engines (refrigerators, radiators…).
- It should have access to sunlight during the day.
- The crate should be somewhere the dog can see you around.
Moving the dog crate out of the bedroom
Many dog owners ask about taking the dog crate out of the bedroom when the puppy is old enough to go through the night without a potty break or when the dog is properly crate trained and sleeps well in his crate with no whining.
Once the crate training is done and the dog is doing greats sleeping in his crate it’s totally up to the pet parent to decide whether to keep the crate in the bedroom or place it elsewhere.
All that matters is that the crate placement should respect the key points we listed earlier and the transition should be done gradually.
It would be easier to place the crate close to the bedroom door and move it away gradually, every change can be conditioned into dogs if done properly.
