Where to keep the crate?

[Puppy Madness]

I am anxiously awaiting my puppy's homecoming in 3 weeks.  While waiting, I am trying to get as ready as possible.

Where do you keep your crate? Does it move to different locations? Does this change based on age of the dog?

I want to keep the crate in the dining/living room so that my puppy's close to outside when needing a bathroom break but also because I spend much of my time in those two rooms. 

My bedroom is upstairs. I want the puppy to sleep in the room with me, but I'm not sure how to make this work. Do I get a second crate? Move the crate up during at night? Or just use a plastic storage bin as a "temporary kennel" until the puppy's house trained?  I'm not planning on getting a dog bed right away until I can figure out if the puppy will chew, urinate, or just not use the bed.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

[Jennifer & Truffle]

For the first couple of months we had one crate for our puppy Truffle.  We'd move the crate from the living room downstairs to our bedroom upstairs at night and back downstairs in the morning.  When he started to get too big for the crate, we bought a second, larger one that is now in our bedroom. The small one is still in the living room, but it's not comfortable for him anymore. We need to move the larger crate downstairs and transition him to sleep there at night. It's something we probably should have done several weeks ago (he's six months now)....My husband is eagerly awaiting the day when we get our bedroom back to ourselves!

[Brittney & Cally]

I personally have two crates and I love it! I have one in the living room/dining room/kitchen area and one next to my bed. She knows the routine for night time, we take the last bathroom break at 9:30-10 and she heads upstairs and hops on my bed to chew on her nylabone and then once I turn off the TV she gets into her crate  and I lock it and she goes to bed! I love having two, that way you are not lugging them from room to room and I even take the crate from the living room with me places. I used it a lot over the Christmas holiday while visiting family. The best part was we got home at 1am one night and I did not have to worry about setting up the living room crate because I had one upstairs. I think you will really like having two!

[Kelly & Zoe]

+1 on having 2 crates.  We have a 2 story and when Zoe was a puppy, we wanted to have her near us in the bedroom for potty training so we could hear when she needed to go out.  After lugging the crate up and down the stair a few times, we bought another to have near the living room.  The one we bought for the living room can be broken down easily so that I can put it in the car when I take her somewhere.  Crates are really the only safe way to transport your dog, after seeing a report on seat belt harnesses and the like.

[Brittney & Cally]

Also crates are cheaper on Chewy.com as are most things!

[Kimberly Cook]

Yep, we had 2 crates as well. One in the family room and his travel crate in our room. Made things much easier for all of us. Once Chopper was potty trained he no longer needed a crate in our room.

[Kelly & Zoe]

Same with us - once Zoe was potty trained, we did not need the crate in the bedroom - she just sleeps on the floor, her bed, and, more frequently *on* the bed <sigh>

[Stephanie and Ragley]

You took the words right out of my mouth with both of your posts here, Brittney. That is our exact situation and routine. Plus chewy rocks. Period. lol When I was looking to buy a crate, petco had the one I wanted on sale for almost 50% off and it was $88 if I remember correctly. The chewy.com all-the-time price for the EXACT SAME CRATE is $79.99. Plus with chewy there is no shipping cost to have that crate shipped to you. 

[Susan and Bentley]

I think you do what's best for you but we have the crate in the ktichen/living area during the day and in my daugher's room at night.  We didn't want him to be alone at night, and I think it really bonded them, even thought he was not sleeping right next to her.  He sleeps the best when she's in there with him.  I do wish I had a second crate though, sometimes so we didn't have to move it back and forth, but we don't have to go upstairs with it.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

We only ever had one crate, which is still in our bedroom. It is only used now, for the times we have to be away.  Once Enzo was housebroken, she was given free roaming privileges of the  bedroom, nights.

  You mentioned a Plastic storage bin for a crate?  Not sure what you had in mind, but I doubt it would contain any puppy for long.  Plus, the crate gives the pup a "safe, den like" place for them to go when they want to be out of the hustle and bustle of the house.  Enz occasionally goes into hers (door open) for quick naps, especially, if we have guests.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

We had two crates. One in the bedroom and one in the living room.
Now he sleeps on our bed at night with the bedroom door closed, then during
the day, he has 80% run of the house at 5 1/2 months old.

[Susan and Bentley]

you guys are lucky.  At almost 10 months old, we are not ready to let Bentley sleep out of his crate.  He actually just started chewing on shoes and carpeting again so if we are not here he goes in the crate.  And at night, if we don't put him in the crate he tries to jump up on the bed, and my daughter does not want him sleeping on it.  He has his own bed, but he wants to sleep on her bed if not in the crate.  I tried one night, he kept finding things to chew on - so for now, it's the crate for him!

[Jennifer & Truffle]

We're in the same boat - although Truffle is only 6 months now.  We just had a visit with our trainer and I asked her when we'd be able to allow him more freedom in the house when we go out. She laughed and advised us to hold off until the little monster is at least 11 months.  I'm beginning to wonder if we'll ever see the day when we can trust him enough to leave him alone in the house uncrated!