How big is the crate? My last ridgeback was a very big puppy (22lbs at 8 wks) but he was crated at night in a pet carrier. Sometimes I wonder if that makes them more comfortable -being held/enclosed in a tight den?
Paula
We’re going through this right now, and have found some sanity restored with the addition of a (heated) sock filled with rice. Though, we don’t put puppy in crate until after he’s fallen asleep - this requires some skill and previous experience, either with puppies or human babies. :lol: He’s been sleeping from 11:00pm through until about 3 or 4 am, going out to potty and then going back to sleep until 7.
Our other BC sleeps on the bed. He used to sleep in a crate, but we moved to a new place and his separation anxiety took over. Plus, we only have pellet and wood stoves for heat in our house, so he adds some extra warmth. :lol: When Mr. Heinz isn’t home, our 7 month old GSD sleeps on the bed with me also - otherwise he’s crated.
[QUOTE=paulaedwina;6669256]
How big is the crate? My last ridgeback was a very big puppy (22lbs at 8 wks) but he was crated at night in a pet carrier. Sometimes I wonder if that makes them more comfortable -being held/enclosed in a tight den?
Paula[/QUOTE]
It is bigger than he needs, but we figured the divider wouldn’t be an issue… with him squeezing through to the other side it obviously is. We are going to get a size or two down. May even try a carrier. Thanks for the idea!
I feel strongly that puppies need to be as close to their humans as possible for as long as possible. If it means bringing your bedroll down to him overnight, so be it for the time it takes to get him used to being away from his mum and littermates. My greyhound was so lonely I had to sleep near her for three or four nights, but did not let her upstairs or in bed with us. You get a better dog in the end the more time spent with them, every day.
Your puppy is very young.
I agree with Foxtrot. I particularly think if you work during the day that sometimes at night is the best “pack” time a dog gets. I read that in the Monks of New Skete book (just to give credit, I hadn’t really thought about it a whole lot previously). My crate loving dog sleeps on an orthopedic dog bed right next to me. When we first got him (rescue) he slept on a dog bed in his crate in our room. Since he was surrendered for biting and we didn’t know him that seemed prudent. 
I used the Monk’s "Art of Raising a Puppy"book for my dogs and that’s exactly where I got the idea of crating him in a small carrier right next to his pack.
Paula
I have no tips because our shelter rescue was already crate trained when we got her. But I will say that, despite whatever else was done poorly in her life (like… no doggy socialization, allowed to become a stray), someone did a good job crate training her.
And that has been a godsend. Our first day having her, I got hurt at work and had to be seen in the ED, making my “out of the house” hours about 15. And that dog held it in the whole time, in her first day in her crate. I still feel terrible about that, but I’m also hugely grateful.
Though her favorite spots in the house is our bed or couch, she has been known to hang out in her crate sometimes. When we go visit her cousin (a similarly sized Boxer), she will sometimes hang out in his crate.
And she will put herself in her crate (even open the door if it’s closed over!) if she thinks we are going to be leaving and not taking her with us. She’s a smart cookie who picked up our “going to work” routines easily 
We did crate her the first few nights when we got her, as we have a cat and didn’t know her well yet, but after the first few nights we started encouraging her to sleep in her crate but didn’t stop her from moving around the room if she chose to. Now, in our new apartment, she sleeps on a cushy cushy orthopedic bed in our room.
Unless one of us isn’t home at night (we both do health care), and then she is the “replacement heat” and cuddles with us.
Or if she manages to squeeze on my half of the bed and I don’t kick her out because she curls up in the crook of my knees and it’s too cute for words. And if the cat is allowed to sleep on top of me every. single. night, I don’t mind letting the dog hop in bed from time to time.
