Are you starting to crate train your puppy? If you are then you have likely run into the heart-wrenching situation where they are crying after you leave them. It can be very hard to deal with this particular issue.
Your new puppy crying for you to let them out can make it hard for anyone not to cave. But how long should you actually let your puppy cry in the crate?
Well, that is what we are going to talk about in this article. So, without further ado, let us dive right in and get started!
Should You Let A Puppy Cry It Out?
The big question is, should you let your puppy cry until they simply give up or is that a bad thing?
If you have encountered your pup crying throughout the night when they are crated, it can be hard to not intervene and simply let them sleep with you. Doing this would mean that you would get sleep after all. Is that really so bad?
You should really not allow your puppy to sleep in your bed, even if they cry for hours. Puppies will naturally cry. It is how they tell you that they need or want something. Much like a baby.
But why might your puppy be crying?
Typically, there are reasons that your puppy might be crying when they are in a crate (see also ‘7 Reasons Your Puppy is Digging In His Crate‘). Below we have listed some of these reasons:
- Separation Anxiety – it is only natural for your puppy to miss their home. When you take your fluffy bundle of joy home, your pup will have left their mother, littermates, and home. As such your puppy will need to get used to their new home and their new family. It is because of this extreme lifestyle change that they might have separation anxiety. But they should stop doing this after a few days of living with you and acclimating to their new home.
- Company – If you are the puppy’s chosen favorite then you have likely become their best human friend and they will want to be with you all the time. While this may be cute it may mean that they will whine or cry for you when you are lonely, bored or just want attention from their new best friend.
- Toilet Break – Puppies will need to pee a lot . Day or night. When dogs are not fully mature they will likely not have full control of their bladder. Because of this they may start whining to let you know that they need to go out and relieve themselves.
Hungry – if your puppy has not eaten for a long time they will likely be hungry. As with any young creature they will cry when they need food or water. - Medical Issues – A sick puppy will cry. This is usually a signal to you that they are not feeling well. If this is the case then you really need to know what signs to look out for that indicate that your puppy is ill.
There may be other reasons that your puppy is crying while they are in their crate (see also ‘7 Tips For Crating A Puppy‘). So, make sure that you have a good understanding of what to look out for if your puppy is crying. You never know what might be wrong.
Ways To Stop Your Puppy Crying When You Leave The Room?
If your puppy just won’t quit crying in their crate, then you are likely looking for a solution. There must be some way to get them to stop so both you and them can get some rest.
Well, there are a few things that you can do to help them get used to the idea. So, let’s dive right in and check out what exactly you can do to help your puppy stop crying in the crate.
Get Working On Crate Training
Your puppy will need to be crate trained. So start this process and set your pup up for success (see also ‘The Ultimate Puppy Crate Set Up‘). You could start by making their crate nice and cozy for them and allow them to access it in the daytime and nighttime.
You might also want to put something in the crate which smells like you. For example, a t-shirt or old blanket that you don’t need.
If your crate training is still not working, then you may want to look up a few videos on how to make this process easier. There is loads of content out there which may be of use to you in this department.
Nighttime Crating
To set your puppy up for success, you may want to set up the crate in your room.
Allow them to sleep in the crate but close enough that they know that they are not alone. This will almost certainly help them to calm down and sleep instead of crying for you.
Day Time Crating
You should allow your puppy to be in the crate in the same room as you (see also ‘Can You Put Dog Crate In Your Bedroom?‘). Put some nice toys in the crate so that they are relaxed and want to go inside. This allows them to get used to the crate and associate it with positive things.
Toilet Breaks In The Night
Before you close your puppy in the crate at night you should certainly allow them to take a toilet break.
This will stop them from crying to potty when they are in the crate and that eliminates one reason that they might cry in the night.
Ignore The Crying
It can be hard to ignore your puppy’s cries. But it may do them good to cry it out for a while.
If your puppy starts crying the moment you close the door, then you may want to ignore them as this is likely attention seeking behavior and not a real issue.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you have enjoyed reading this article and learning about how long you should let your puppy cry when you crate them.
At the end of the day, you need to understand what your puppy is crying about and whether leaving them to cry is going to help them or not.
If you enjoyed this article, make sure to check out some of our other content. There are loads of interesting articles which you may find interesting in addition to this one.
With all of that being said, we hope that you have a great day. Good luck with crating your puppy! Goodbye for now!
