If you’ve ever asked the question, “why should you cover a puppy crate during a night,” you’re not alone. This is an important topic because puppies are just that curious! They want to see what’s going on around them at all times and can easily get themselves into a “conflict zone” if they feel they aren’t given their “rights.”
I used to have a dog that would go into one of our guest rooms while guests were sleeping and chew up everything in sight. I decided to try to stop this behavior by laying down old towels or sheets on the floor near the puppy’s bed. I also had to pick up several toys to place on top of the bed to distract him while he was looking for the things he wanted. It worked pretty well but was still a bit of an issue because he could still see everything and I didn’t want him to be able to just get out without getting his teeth stuck in the sheets.
I eventually discovered what I believe is the best solution. Puppies love blankets and they especially love them when they can go snuggled up inside a puppy crate. These little dogs have a natural need to curl up with a nice soft blanket. They also have a natural urge to snuggle up with you and snuggle up even more if you let them. When you do this, they are no longer going to be able to chew up your stuff. That’s why it’s important to cover a puppy crate during a night and maybe even throughout the day so that they can still go snuggling with you.
So how can you make sure that your puppies aren’t chewing all night long? Simple, crate training. You can get crate training books that are full of great tips and advice that will show you how to crate train your puppy. However, there are some other things you can do that will help as well.
The first thing is to simply take your puppy outside on a leash when he wakes up in the morning. Then you should immediately put him in his crate to get him used to being alone in a confined space. Leave him alone for an hour or two and then take him back inside so that he knows that if he goes in the crate he will be getting a warm wet bed to cuddle up on. You want to keep his mind focused on the fact that he needs to be left alone and that he won’t be getting a blanket anytime soon.
Another way to help with this problem is to lay down some nice soft chenille bedding. Try putting one in his crate during the night while you are taking a shower. That way when you go to bed, he’ll automatically know that if he sleeps in his crate he’ll have a nice comfortable bed to cuddle up on. Also, it’s a good idea to change out the bedding every couple of weeks because puppies are just constantly in a state of growing. Puppies will outgrow their crates very quickly, so purchasing new bedding and changing it regularly will be a must if you want your puppy to stay comfortable.
If you do decide to use bedding inside the crate, be sure not to use too much of it. A good rule of thumb is to only put bedding inside the crate about once every couple of weeks. Also, it’s important to put blankets and pillows on top of the bedding. Doing this will ensure that the puppy has a comfortable place to sleep that he can reach out and feel safe in. If he tries to climb out, the blanket will give him a firm place to latch onto.
For puppies, the most humane thing that you can do is to leave the crates where they normally belong, outside. These animals can’t control themselves when they are in their crates for more than a couple of hours at a time, so leaving them alone in them for long periods of time is cruel. So while these puppies are sleeping, you can put some newspaper on the floor near his crate to keep him from climbing on it and place a red bell inside to let him know that he’s home. Then, you can take him outside in his leash and walk him past the bell to show him that it’s OK to come out of his crate.