What Is the Right Way To Crate a Puppy at Night?

• Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.

Life with a brand-new puppy is full of excitement! While you might feel exhausted at the end of the day, your energetic puppy may be ready to play in the wee hours. Encouraging your dog to spend the night in their crate can establish a routine, keep them safe, and promote a peaceful environment for winding down.

That doesn’t mean crate training at night is easy. Puppies typically sleep between 10 and 18 hours every 24-hour cycle, but it’s not uncommon for a new pup to have trouble sleeping throughout the night. They may begin to feel anxious, bored, and lonely once their family hits the hay.

“With newly adopted puppies, I recommend crate training at night right away,” says. Dr. Scott M. Rovner, DVM, founder and lead veterinarian at Roscoe Village Animal Hospital. Here’s how to do it.

Crate Training at Night: Dos and Don’ts

“Always keep the door open so that your puppy can choose to enter anytime, even during the day, to nap.” That can make the adjustment easier come nighttime. Once bedtime rolls around, here’s what to do—and what to avoid.

Dos

• Make your puppy’s crate comfortable. Once you have a crate sized for your puppy, line the base with a cozy blanket and an old t-shirt that has your scent. Adding a puppy chew toy can help reduce your puppy’s stress, but can also become a choking hazard. Make sure it’s puppy-safe or remove it entirely at night.
• Place the crate in your bedroom. “Place the crate in the same room you sleep so the puppy knows they aren’t missing out on anything fun. This also allows the pet parent to hear the puppy during the night should they need to go outside,” Dr. Rovner advises.
• Take your puppy out before bed. Potty training goes hand-in-hand with crate training. Taking a trip outside just before bed can curb the chance of a nighttime accident.
• Give your puppy plenty of physical and mental stimulation. Puppies require lots of exercise and enrichment. Throughout the day, make sure they have toys to play with, the chance to sniff and explore outside, and the opportunity to run around.
• Use a sound machine. White noise can comfort some dogs and help reduce anxiety. Using a sound machine at night can block out noises from outside and might help your puppy relax.
• Prepare for midnight potty breaks. If your puppy is giving signals that they need to go outside in the middle of the night, make sure to let them out. While it’s not a habit you want to promote for adult dogs, puppies have much smaller bladders and can’t always wait until morning.

Don’ts

• Don’t use the crate as a punishment. “Your dog’s crate should become a happy place,” says Dr. Rovner. Avoid sending your puppy to their crate when they’re being naughty. This can cause fear and anxiety about being in their crate.
• Don’t move the crate to different locations. As your dog gets older, their sleeping spot can change—but in the beginning, consistency helps.
• Don’t withhold food and water. While it’s smart not to let your puppy eat a big meal before bed, don’t withhold feeding them the appropriate amount of food or providing access to fresh water.
• Don’t carry your puppy into their crate. Eventually, you’ll want your dog to go to their crate on cue—practice now by encouraging them to go in on their own.
• Don’t ignore a puppy crying in their crate. It might be tempting to let your puppy cry it out at night, but this typically increases anxiety. Instead, let your puppy out for an unexciting potty break and offer soothing words.
• Don’t worry if it gets worse before it gets better. As your puppy acclimates to their new home, they might not be as tired at night as when they first arrived. Expect a little regression.

Steps To Crate Training a Puppy at Night

To set your puppy up for success, begin these crate training steps the first night they arrive home.

1. Tire puppy out before bedtime. Encourage your puppy to get their zoomies out in the evening. This can be in the form of a play session with puppy-safe toys and/or supervised outside time.
2. Create a bedtime routine. Once you’re ready to hit the hay, take your puppy out for one final bathroom break. Once inside the house, use a “bedtime” cue and move to the bedroom.
3. Encourage puppy to go into their crate. Guide your puppy into their crate with a treat and praise.
4. Consider a heartbeat toy. You might provide your puppy with a soothing heartbeat toy, designed to reduce anxiety and replicate the sensation of snuggling with littermates.
5. Sit next to the crate. Since it’s best to keep the crate in your bedroom during puppyhood, spend the first few nights showing your dog that you don’t plan on leaving them. This includes praising and petting them through the crate. Once they’ve settled, you can move to the bed.
6. Cover the crate. This creates a den-like atmosphere and prevents distraction. Make sure there is plenty of airflow so your puppy doesn’t overheat. (Note that this step differs from daytime training, where covering the crate is typically not needed.)
7. Turn on background noise. A white noise machine, music, or TV at a low volume can help your puppy relax and sleep better.
8. Set a potty break timer. While your puppy should let you know when they need to go outside, it can be helpful to set a timer for that late-night bathroom break. As your puppy gets used to this routine, gradually push the timer back, eventually extending it to morning.

How Often To Let a Puppy Out at Night

Puppies typically need to go outside more frequently than adult dogs. “A good rule of thumb is that puppies hold their bladder for the same number of hours as their age in months,” says Dr. Rovner. “Plus an hour, give or take.”

Your three-month-old dog, for example, will likely need a potty break every three or four hours. Getting up in the middle of the night for a bathroom break isn’t fun, but it is necessary. Leaving a puppy in their crate too long can cause severe stress, discomfort, and accidents that set potty training back.

If your puppy is whining, scratching at their crate, or pacing, this may signal that they need a potty break. Rather than solely relying on pee pads (that can hinder house training progress if overused), listen to nature’s call and take your puppy outside as needed.

“If your puppy is getting distracted once they’re outside, I recommend spending no more than fifteen minutes in your ‘potty area’,” says Dr. Rovner. “Instead, return to the crate for about five minutes, take them out again, and say the ‘Go potty’ command. After they go, reward them with praise!”

As your puppy grows, decrease nighttime bathroom trips so they become used to staying inside throughout the night.

When Will Your Puppy Start Sleeping In?

As time goes on, your puppy should gradually sleep better and require fewer trips outside. Whining in the crate should also subside as they continue to grow more comfortable in their space. With consistent training, your puppy will ideally sleep through the night by four months old.

Some restless puppies grow into dogs who prefer snoozing until their humans rise and shine. For example, a laid-back breed such as the Great Dane or English Bulldog may sleep in more than a high-energy breed like the Jack Russell Terrier. After a good night’s sleep, your dog’s energy level in the morning depends on age, breed, disposition, and routine.

Sleepless nights with a puppy are challenging, but with love, patience, and dedication to crate training, your dream of a peacefully sleeping puppy will become a reality!