Crate training a new puppy at night can be difficult and exhausting, that’s why we and most experts recommend placing the dog crate in your bedroom.
Having the crate in your bedroom enables you to hear the puppy when whining or crying at night and calm him down.
Small puppies can’t make it through the night without a potty break, that’s why you need to have the crate in the bedroom to be able to act fast and avoid any potty accidents.
From a training or behavioral standpoint, there is no need to move the dog crate out of the bedroom, however, some puppies are restless at night or make too much noise.
Most dog parents that think about moving the dog crate out of the bedroom have some concerns and questions that we will be answering next.
When to move puppy crate out of bedroom?
The best time to move the puppy crate out of the bedroom is when your puppy is 3 to 4 months old and able to hold it through the night without a bathroom trip and is sleeping in his crate without whining, the transition, of course, needs to be done gradually.
This is of course a general rule of thumb, each dog is different but most dog breeds are physically able to go a full night without a potty trip at the age of 3to 4 months.
You also need to make sure that your dog is crate trained properly and is no longer whining in his crate at night before you move his crate out of the bedroom.
The first few weeks are important in crate training and puppies are still conditioned to consider the crate their den and sleeping space, that’s why you should make sure the puppy is well established in his crate before you move it out of your bedroom.
Can moving the dog crate out the bedroom ruin crate training?
Crate training when done properly is the process of creating a healthy bond between the dog and his crate and as a result, considers it as his den and personal space in which he can sleep and relax.
The crate placement has nothing to do with the bond between the dog and the crate itself, it will just help make the dog comfortable and closer to the family at all times for more comfort and convenience for you at night.
In fact, you can move the crate from room to room freely without interfering with the actual crate training.
Your puppy is attached to the crate itself more than the spot in which it’s placed, so moving it out of the bedroom will not ruin crate training.
Moving dog crate out of bedroom, how to proceed?
Moving the carte out of the bedroom should be done gradually, step by step while keeping an eye on your puppy’s reaction.
At first, move the crate away from your bed a few steps, then towards the door for the next night, then closer to the door, then outside of the door while keeping it (the door not the crate) open, and keep going slowly to its final destination.
If there are any objections from your dog or is whining for no reason, do not bring the crate back to its original spot just comfort your puppy like you’ve been doing while crate training.
Your puppy will eventually get used to his new spot and sleep in his crate which is where he should be sleeping.
Do I have to move the dog crate out of the bedroom?
Plenty of dog parents, let their dogs sleep in their bedroom with or without crates for years with no issues whatsoever, so one would ask do I have to move the crate out?
Like we previously explained from a training, behavioral, or even healthy (unless you have allergies) standpoint, you don’t need to move the crate out.
It is a matter of convenience, some dog owners have multiple dogs, so it would be difficult to have multiple crates around the bedroom.
Some dogs are restless at night, and if that is the case try to get your dog lower on energy with more exercising, play sessions, or walks.
Other dogs make too much noise at night and will keep waking you up for no reason, just bumping against the crate, so it would be best to move the crate out.
What to do if the puppy is whining after moving the crate out
If you do a good job crate training your dog then you can expect little to no objections from your dog after moving the crate out of the bedroom.
The dog should be attached to his crate, not the room where it’s placed, so if there is a lot of whining then your dog is not crate trained properly.
What you should avoid is bringing the crate back to your bedroom after taking it out, you need to deal with the whining just like you did while crate training.
At first, ignore it, if the dog doesn’t let go and won’t stop whining you can spend some time with him in his new spot to comfort him.
Dogs can be trained and conditioned to change, and they adapt very well if motivated properly, so use treats and toys for that purpose.
One important detail you should be checking is if the new spot where you placed the crate is a good one.
So what makes a good crate placement?
- The crate should not be directly exposed to the sun.
- It can not 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.
