New here - Crate training question

[Cait]

Hi all, Millie is 16 months old and has been crated at night since she came to us at 10 weeks. She does a great job in the crate, never barks or paws at the door, and if she needs to go out for an emergency overnight will just sit up properly and stare at us until we notice - and whine if absolutely necessary. 

That said, she does not visit her crate at any other time of the day and only goes in when instructed, leaving as soon as the door is opened and not going back in. We have been experimenting at night over the past few months and she does fantastic outside of her crate. She sleeps on a blanket on the floor next to the bed and doesn't wander around. When she is crated, she makes much more noise by moving around and scratching at her blanket on the hard plastic to get it just right - I personally am disrupted much more often when she sleeps in her crate. 

I'm wondering if taking her crate away would be mean or cruel as I know many consider it their "home", but she really doesn't seem all that interested in it. The other part of the issue is that I'm having our first child in 2 months and worry that with the up and down to tend to baby through the night, she will think it is play or potty time and try to leave the room when I do. Should we keep her crated until baby is settled? Or perhaps take it away now and work on telling her "bedtime" or "no" if she tries to get up before its actually morning? Thanks for reading - looking forward to your thoughts here. Please let me know if another forum is more appropriate. 

[Barbara Brian]

Cait
We went from the crate to a cushion with our doodle too. I think once the adjustment period is over you will both sleep well. I think there is going to be another adjustment period once your baby arrives but as your doodle realizes it's just part of the routine she will sleep.
I do know that my doodle prefers sleeping with her back against the wall or in a corner. I think that's from the crate experience which she was quite happy with. We have a retriever too who outgrew his crate so we moved both to cushions.
Good luck

[Cait]

Barbara,

Your doodle sounds a lot like ours - she is always resting against something. Her crate now is in the corner so we will likely create a little cushion nook for her there. Thank you so much!

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

It sound like she is happy without it, and you are happy without it. I'd leave the door of the crate open and let her decide if she is done using it. That's what we did with Winnie when she was about 5 months old, and she never set foot in it again. Both of our dogs sleep in our room. For safety reasons, I don't like sleeping with the bedroom door shut. So, we do set a baby gate in front of the door so that the dogs are "contained" and we can hear if they get sick or need to go out in the middle of the night. It seems like most dogs tend to get into the same sleep rhythm of their owners, especially when they sleep in the same room. So, I think she will adjust to you getting up with the baby and realize that it's not morning.

[Cait]

We've left her door open on the nights she's out and like Winnie she doesn't even glance at it. We sleep with the door closed so not worried about her roaming for now - and I'm sure you're right, she'll adjust! They are smarter than we give them credit for. Thanks Lori!

[Emery & Watson]

I don't think she'll miss her crate, especially if she only goes in there at night to sleep and only when she's told.  My pup (18 months now) never cared for his crate either and probably only tolerated it because he got really great treats if he went in.  He is much happier now that we don't crate him at night (only if we take him out of town).

I don't think you'll have much of a problem with her in the middle of the night either.  Dogs sleep for at least like.. 16 hrs a day.  When I wake up in the middle of the night for whatever reason my pup just lays there because he is tired and doesn't want to move and just watches me with his eyes.  If i wake up earlier than usual and want to take him out he is basically a sloth and gets up reluctantly and it takes a few before he is really awake.

on the other hand.. if i sleep in, he will dash around trying to play by himself or protest by ringing the potty bell by our front door

[Cait]

Hah - they certainly do get set in their ways! Thank you for the reassurance. Sounds like we're on our way to being crate-free!

[Joani, Skadi & Elli]

Congratulations on your soon to be addition!  I love the idea of having a crate available when needed.  Skadi has been with us since puppyhood, and the crate was a must with her.  Of course she soon "hated" the crate and finally did extremely well left in the house.  Then a couple years ago we took in Elli, who is almost 8 years old now.  We crate her often.  She has some bizzare behaviors and has not earned our trust for roaming in the house unsupervised.  At night her bed is near our bed, but I leave the crate door open for her to use if she wants.  Surprisingly she will get in her crate.  Do not know her history of behavior, but she, unlike Skadi doesn't mind the crate at all. 

So if your Millie is trustworthy out of the crate let her.  You have 2 months to leave the crate available to her.  If she seems to use it and like it, I wouldn't get rid of it.  I would think she would get used to living outside her crate...they are pretty adaptable...afterall, we are Elli's 3rd home and she seems very happy and content.  Have fun with your growing family!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

When Ned was about a year, we began leaving the crate door open at night and our bedroom door closed.  He preferred not to be in the crate so we eliminated it.  To me the purpose of a crate is to keep the dog safe and out of your things, when it isn't  needed any longer, why keep it?

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I agree with this.  It was the same with us.  The crate was important during potty training and when they were into their "chewing phase".  Once they got to the point where I could trust them without being watched all the time, we put the crates away.