How do I stop my puppy crying in the crate at night?
· Dr. Steve Pelton, DVM
Quick answer
Put the crate right next to your bed, do a calm last potty trip and keep the same bedtime routine every night. If he wakes up crying, take him out to pee, and if he's protesting right after you bring him back, wait for a few seconds of quiet before you do anything.
If you're up at 2 a.m. with a crying puppy next to the bed, you're doing fine, and so is he. He's never slept away from his littermates before, and crying is how a puppy calls the litter back.
How do I stop my puppy crying in the crate at night?
Put the crate right next to your bed, do a calm last potty trip and keep the same bedtime routine every night. Most puppies are settling well within a week or two.
The crate goes by your bed because he's crying about being alone. Hearing you breathe settles a lot of puppies, and you'll hear him when he really does need to go out.
The routine matters because puppies crave it. Same order every night: last play, a calm last potty trip, then into the crate with a chew and a T-shirt that smells like you. After a few nights, that order tells him what comes next.
Should I take my puppy out when he cries in the crate?
If he was asleep and woke up crying, yes. Assume he needs to pee, especially if he's under about 4 months. Carry him out, wait, praise him quietly and carry him straight back. No play, and no lights if you can help it.
At 8 to 10 weeks, one or two potty trips a night is pretty common. From 10 to 14 weeks it's often one, and by 15 or 16 weeks many puppies sleep through.
It's different if you just brought him back and he's protesting. Stay put. A calm word or your fingers through the side of the crate is fine. Then wait for a few seconds of quiet before you do anything else.
That quiet moment matters. If the door opens every time he barks, he learns that barking opens doors, and he gets louder. If it opens after a couple of seconds of quiet, he learns that calm opens doors.
What if my puppy keeps crying in the crate?
Check the simple things first: cold, wet bedding, an accident, or tangled in something. Houston houses run the AC hard well into the fall, and a little puppy on a thin mat under a vent can get chilly. Fix it quietly and go back to waiting for quiet.
Don't make it a party. Overnight trips are short, dark and boring. And never punish the crying. Yelling, banging on the crate or a squirt of water only teaches a lonely puppy that nighttime is scary too.
How many nights will my puppy cry in the crate?
The first three nights are usually the hardest. Nights four to seven get shorter, and by week two most puppies are settling well. That's a common pattern, not a promise.
If it's still hard after two weeks, talk to your vet. The fix for most crate crying costs nothing but a couple of weeks of short, boring nights, so when that isn't working, it's worth a closer look.
When is crying in the crate more than crate training?
Crying in the crate at night: which door?
WATCHCrying in bursts in the first week or two that settles once he's been out, he's warm and you're close by.
CALL TODAYPanic in the crate (drooling, frantic, biting at the bars, hurting himself), weeks of crying, or crying plus vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, straining to pee or not eating.
GO NOWCrying and he's also weak, flat or has a swollen belly. Head to your vet or the nearest emergency clinic.
Panic isn't something to wait out. Let him out, go back to much easier steps, and talk to your vet. A reward-based trainer or a veterinary behaviorist can help a lot, and earlier is easier.
Crate training basics, with the crate time table by age
Potty training, including nights
Is this an emergency?
The crate chapter is in The New Puppy. The puppy email comes every two weeks: sign up here.
Questions owners ask
How do I stop my puppy crying in the crate at night?
Put the crate right next to your bed, do a calm last potty trip and keep the same bedtime routine every night. If he wakes up crying, assume he needs to pee. If he's protesting right after you brought him back, wait for a few seconds of quiet. Most puppies are settling well within a week or two.
Should I let my puppy cry it out in the crate?
Not if he might need to pee. A puppy who wakes up crying usually does, so take him out calmly. If you've just brought him back and he's protesting, wait for a few seconds of quiet before you open the door or fuss. Never wait out panic, like drooling, frantic biting at the bars or hurting himself.
How many nights will my puppy cry in the crate?
The first three nights are usually the hardest, with crying in bursts and one or two potty trips. Nights four to seven get shorter, and most puppies are settling well by week two. If it's still hard after two weeks, talk to your vet.
Where should the crate go at night?
Right next to your bed at first, so he can hear and smell you. Once he's slept through quietly for a week or two, you can move it a little every few nights, or leave it in the bedroom for good. Lots of dogs sleep there for life.
General education, not veterinary advice. Your vet's plan for your puppy comes first.