Dealing with an anxious or insecure puppy can be very difficult. While you always want to be there to comfort them, you also don’t want to baby them into thinking they can get whatever they want when they cry. The key is finding the right balance. This is particularly true when you have a puppy that cries in their crate at night. On one hand, crates are very beneficial because it protects your puppy from getting into mischief at night and helps protect your furniture from getting chewed or peed on. However, an insecure puppy might start whining at night if left in a crate overnight.We are going to discuss ways to prevent this behavior, and in particular how long you should let your puppy cry at night before intervening.
How long to let puppy cry in crate at night?
You should let a puppy cry at night for 10 to 15 minutes before going to check on him/her. This is because if your puppy is just crying to get your attention, they will likely stop crying within this time period. If they continue crying for longer than 15 minutes, then we recommend going to check on them. There is a good chance they have a legitimate reason for crying, such as needing to go to the bathroom or hungry or thirsty. Puppies have very fast metabolisms, and they can get very hungry at random periods in the night.
What to do if your puppy cries in their crate at night?
If it is their first night in the crate, you should go check on them immediately. This is no doubt a very scary and overwhelming experience for them, and they greatly need your love and support. For other dogs, we recommend waiting 10 to 15 minutes to go check on them. The first thing you should check when you get to the crate is to see if they have gone pee or poop. If so, you should replace their crate mat with a fresh one. If not, then you should take them out of the crate with a leach and take them outside to go to the bathroom. If they use the bathroom, your problem is most likely solved and you can bring them back inside to the crate and you can go back to sleep.
If they don’t use the bathroom, then you should go to the next step which is giving them a small amount of food. If they eat it up right away, they are probably crying because of hunger. After eating, they should be put back into the crate.
If they don’t use the bathroom or eat/drink, then you have a bigger problem at hand. Your puppy is most likely crying because they feel insecure inside of their crate. The best way to fix this is to do everything you can to make your dog feel as comfortable as possible in the crate. You should always remove your dog’s collar before putting them in a crate. We also recommend putting a treat inside the crate whenever they enter to create a positive association with the crate. You should also add a toy or two into the crate so that your dog has something to do when they get bored. Chewy toys are great because they help your dog deal with anxiety and stress. Lastly, you should put a couple comfortable blankets inside the crate to make your dog feel comfortable and special. Puppies especially like blankets or towels that have your scent on it, as it can be reassuring to them and make them feel safe.
