# Should I put a blanket over her crate at night?



## Alli.baby (Oct 19, 2013)

Ally likes her crate, sometimes! Mostly she'd rather be around her dad and I. At night she starts to whine until my fiancé goes and lays down on the couch where she can see him then she goes back to sleep. Today, she was going to take a nap in her crate and again, began to cry. I opened the door, she came out and layed right by my bedroom door where she could see me and went to sleep. She'll be 12 weeks on Saturday. Advice please?! Thanks in advance! 

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## Eiros (Jun 30, 2011)

How about putting the crate in your room with you at night?
If not, other things that are said to help are putting a piece of your clothing (that smells like you) in the crate with her, the blanket like you said, and for young puppies a ticking pocket watch or something under or near the crate. 

We keep Warden in our room at night; he is most comfortable being near his family. 


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## Alli.baby (Oct 19, 2013)

Eiros said:


> How about putting the crate in your room with you at night?
> If not, other things that are said to help are putting a piece of your clothing (that smells like you) in the crate with her, the blanket like you said, and for young puppies a ticking pocket watch or something under or near the crate.
> 
> We keep Warden in our room at night; he is most comfortable being near his family.
> ...


Thank you for the advice but unfortunately her crate won't fit in our room. I do have a doggie bed in there though and she does sleep on that sometimes. 

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## MrsFergione (Jul 7, 2013)

Shepherds are notorious for sucking blankets into the crate and shredding them. So if you actually do go with that option, I would get an actual crate cover that cannot be pulled in or ripped.


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## Sp00ks (Nov 8, 2013)

In the past I had thrown a blanket over the crate on cold nights and to block out light on the hopes she would let us sleep a little longer in the morning. The crate was always in the room with us. 

We never had an issue with ours messing with the blanket. However, we have a huge transportation style crate and not the mesh cage. 

Ours always had to know where we were at all times. She was good at laying in the doorway to whatever room we were in so we couldn't escape without her knowing.


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## B&Cgetapup (Nov 7, 2013)

We have been using a blanket over the crate for our almost 11 week old anytime he is in it. Remarkable difference from the first week when we did not. Usually has a few whines then settles down. He always goes in the crate with a nice chew object too! 

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## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

I put blankets over the crate during the winter. In hopes of stopping cold drafts form entering. We have a drafty house. I do not cover the door though. Just the backs and sides. He has never tried to get that blanket, but he does chew on blankets if they are left out. Their dog blankets. We have the large plastic crate for the GSD.


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## Rainer (Feb 15, 2012)

How is she in her crate during the day?

Rainer has been allowed to sleep outside of his crate in my room since he was around 14-16 weeks old during the night, but we did a lot of crating during the day. He was relatively easy to crate train.

Can you try to fit a small x-pen by your bed at night and just do extra crate training throughout the day? I used to put him in there randomly during the day with a frozen kong stuffed with peanut butter (or yogurt with honey, or cream cheese, or a mixture with kibble...etc) or frozen towel (teething). We also play a game where I tell him crate and he sprints into his crate and gets a treat...comes out for play and repeat. As far as he knows the crate is a magical treat dispenser lol


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

We started out with a sheet over our large wire crate. Then I saw a legit crate cover and bed set for $100 online. I already had the bed in the crate and I'm cheap so I made a crate cover out of very heavy material. Front is open and one side lifts up if I want. It was my time and $25 for the material on sale. Our girl prefers to have her crate covered. It's her "quiet place". Since 4-5 months she has been allowed to sleep (at night) where ever she chooses, which is the guest room bed, lol. 
As far as the whining goes. I say let your pup whine a bit. She will learn to settle down and go to sleep. She will learn quick enough that you will come back and let her out and that you haven't gone away forever. This will be helpful later should you have to move her crate to another room or travel with your dog. 
IMHO...time for a tiny bit of "tough love"...
Otherwise you may be setting yourself up for separation anxiety issues later on.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

I don't understand all the catering being done during crate training. Puppy goes in crate and you walk away ignoring all whining or crying. 

They will learn to settle and be quiet as long as you don't give in to this behavior. Please don't sleep beside crate to quiet them as they need to be ok with being alone.

Put the crate un the furthest part of your house from where you sleep and go to bed....ignoring all crying and whining. It will stop.

I don't give puppies blankets as most will chew and rip.


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## NicholasMWhite (Nov 8, 2013)

I had a similar problem with my little guy when we first brought him home (at 8 weeks old), he wined in the crate and after 45 minutes I finally gave in and brought him into my room and put him on the floor facing me in a smaller crate that I had brought him home in. I knew he would quickly out grow that and didn't want to try to fit his big crate in our room so over the next 2 weeks I moved the crate further from me and closer to is big crate in the living room. Finally on the last night I put his small crate in the big crate. The next night I got rid of the small crate and just put him in the (divided) big crate. Maybe something you could try. Possibly just a nicely sized box if you don't have a smaller crate.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i don't think you should cover her crate. i never put
anything on my dog's crate. i'm afaraid he might pull
some of the blanket in the crate and then choke 
because no one is paying attention


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## Mikey von (Oct 20, 2010)

We use a Vari Kennel type crate for Kimber. We do not cover it at night, but do cover it when we kennel her during awake hours. We have 3 young and active boys. There are times when she needs to be put up as she would cause issues, the boys playing football or soccer in the house for example. We kennel her with a chew toy during those times and it helps keep her quiet (she wants to play) if she can't see the boys running around. She really enjoys her kennel and often goes in there and just naps with the door open.


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## SummerGSDLover (Oct 20, 2013)

MrsFergione said:


> Shepherds are notorious for sucking blankets into the crate and shredding them. So if you actually do go with that option, I would get an actual crate cover that cannot be pulled in or ripped.


If Id known that, I would have learned before losing a couple blankets. Haha

*-*Summer*-*


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## brookoser (Jul 23, 2012)

I'm a wimp. I have two toddlers who Bentley was keeping up at night because he would cry and howl all night, for some reason he is fine during the day in his crate (when we leave to do errands or whatnot) but hates it at night. Needless to say, I'm going to be stuck with a giant dog in my bed in less than a year lol. (He's about 12 weeks)


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## lyssa62 (May 5, 2013)

I'm glad somebody mentioned the blanket being yanked in. That's what happens here.


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