Puppy refuses to go back in crate after night potty break
Puppies often freeze, run away, or bite when approached for a middle-of-the-night crate return. This makes it impossible for owners to get back to sleep and turns routine toilet breaks into an exhausting battle.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Ignoring the whining and howlingDid this help you?
- 2Using a house line or collar to guide the puppyDid this help you?
- 3Picking up the puppy to carry them backDid this help you?
- 4Trying to let the puppy sleep loose or confined to the kitchenDid this help you?
- 5Using high-value treats like cheese to create a positive association with crate timeDid this help you?
- 6Offering frozen green-lipped mussels when asking the puppy to go to the kennelDid this help you?
- 7Providing choices of locations or cooling options like fansDid this help you?
- 8letting the puppy sleep on the couch and play with toysDid this help you?
- 9taking everything off the side tables to prevent the puppy from getting into thingsDid this help you?
- 10Looked into crate gamesDid this help you?
- 11Leaving the carrier open on the floor with a worn t-shirt insideDid this help you?
- 12Tossing treats randomly inside for the puppy to find on their ownDid this help you?
- 13Gradually closing the top for a few seconds at a time once the puppy is calmDid this help you?
- 14Enforcing naps and overnight crating despite resistanceDid this help you?
- 15Feeding meals, tossing high-value treats, and playing crate gamesDid this help you?
- 16Using a breathable crate coverDid this help you?
- 17Ditching the old cue word and rebuilding training from scratch with a new wordDid this help you?
- 18Moving the crate into a common room during the day so the puppy can watch normal activity.Did this help you?
- 19Leaving the crate door open during daytime naps and only closing it at bedtime.Did this help you?
- 20Making the environment predictable with the same blankets, chews, and routine.Did this help you?
- 21Feeding high-value treats or meals inside the crateDid this help you?
- 22Putting a blanket or cover over the crateDid this help you?
- 23Adding articles of clothing that smell like the ownersDid this help you?
- 24Moving the crate into the bedroom to be closerDid this help you?
- 25Sitting next to the crate with the door openDid this help you?
- 26luring the puppy into the crate with treats and something to chew onDid this help you?
- 27keeping a hand near the crate until the puppy falls asleepDid this help you?
- 28leaving the crate door open at nightDid this help you?
- 29letting the puppy settle on a blanket near someone's feet instead of using the crateDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I genuinely feel like we've made little to no progress, and if anything, he seems to dislike his crate more and more as he gets older.”source ↗
“When he was younger, he'd eventually approach the crate when asked, although he clearly didn't like it. Over time, he's become increasingly resistant. He knows the "crate" cue, but now he'll actively avoid going near it.”source ↗
“He briefly showed his teeth and moved his head/mouth toward me. He did not make contact or bite me, and this is the first time he's ever reacted this way when being asked to crate.”source ↗
“She is around 6 months old and we have never been able to successfully get her through the night in the kennel without her throwing an absolute fit.”source ↗
“We broke eventually and let her out of the kennel at night and for a while it worked out great.”source ↗
“Recently, however, she has started getting on the side tables of the couch and getting into stuff.”source ↗
“We’ve watched countless videos, Reddit posts, ect and nothing works.”source ↗
“She will run to the bathroom where she has a clear view of the living room and lay down, I'll grab a treat and give her the crate command and she just doesn't move.”source ↗
“I can't go and grab her because she bites.”source ↗
“I haven't slept normally in months and it's starting to show.”source ↗
“I have a 6 month old toy poodle puppy who is not wanting to be put into her crate. We put her in there for naps and bedtime, and as soon as I approach the crate, she starts to climb all over me and wants nothing to do with being put into it.”source ↗
“we’re still at this point where it is so difficult to get him to voluntarily go into his crate.”source ↗
“Mine however, will find every way and reason possible not to go into his crate when he knows it’s about time to.”source ↗
“What is the best way to train my 9 week pomeranian puppy get used to and be comfortable in his carrier?”source ↗
“Right now he ***hates*** it. It’s one of the ones that zips at the top, and the last time i tried to zip him in it was the first time he aggressively growled and nipped at me.”source ↗
“I’ve tried giving him treats + luring him in, but everytime he gets in there he starts digging obsessively and chewing on it.”source ↗
“Our border terrier mix was exactly the same. Slept fine once inside, but getting her to go in was like negotiating with a tiny furry lawyer who'd already decided she was going to lose the case.”source ↗
“5ish month old pup is fairly crate trained, but still cries in the crate for a few mins before settling down as well as is not comfortable enough inside to chew on chews yet.”source ↗
“he does fine going in and out and eating kibble but it’s when the door closed he doesn’t want to eat or chew anymore”source ↗
“he needed to see me doing normal stuff nearby before he'd relax enough to chew in there.”source ↗
“Now he despises the crate and has for the last two days even though he had no issues with it up until now.”source ↗
“We’ve spent the last two days trying to repeat the success we had over the weekend to no avail.”source ↗
“We are now on separation anxiety for the day time which isn’t going so well lol”source ↗
“What’s been really a strain, is that he finds it very difficult to relax”source ↗
“getting up / doing anything is super difficult, he wakes up and looks for me, and sits up, falls asleep if approached with hand near the crate.”source ↗
“Even if I manage to get up, he usually wakes up after 30-40 mins max and starts whining, especially that my household is rather a loud one”source ↗
“What to do guys, I’m stressed out I’m screwing up his training, my wife hates me for being irritable.”source ↗