Can You Kennel Your Dog Overnight?

Short and sweet of it: yes! Dogs are denning animals as much as they are social animals—sleeping in what they deem a safe place is not cruel. In fact, with the right set-up, a dog may prefer their crate over your bed!

Why Crate Train Your Dog?

There are several reasons why you should crate-train your dog. Some dogs may be new to the household; a crate keeps them separate from other dogs during the night, allowing for safer introduction periods. Others may be specifically child-reactive or noise-averse (fireworks, anyone?), and a crate can be a safe escape point.

Other dogs may develop bad habits around a particularly enjoyed bed. They may resource guard items like that bed, snapping at you when you attempt to move them or approach them. The larger the dog, the more dangerous potential bites could be.

There are plenty of benefits to crate-train your dog, including a good night’s sleep for you and your furry companion.

Easier (More Efficient) Housetraining

Introducing crate training for puppies allows you to limit their chances of accidents. Once trained to sleep in the crate, you can take them outside to potty before and after their daily naps to supplement their usual two-hour gaps.

Eventually, the pup will understand that they’re to go outside, as they won’t necessarily want to soil their sleeping place.

But accidents happen… and it’s better they happen in a contained space. Crates made soft with machine-washable blankets, pillows, or dog beds can be removed and thrown into the wash, and any excessive mess will be confined to the immediate area of the crate.

Puppies are blank slates, so it’s prime time to acclimate them to kennels and potty training. Crates are a perfect space for them to learn the ropes of a routine.

Avoiding Bad Habits

A bed is a bed is a bed.

That bed could be your bed, the couch, or your child’s bed. As cute as a full-grown dog crawling into a baby’s bassinet can look, it’s incredibly dangerous for the baby. Likewise, an older relative may sit on the couch and get jumped on, potentially hurting them.

There is also the possibility of escalation: resource guarding can be an issue for different dogs, and a testier hound may push that boundary, protecting their spot (your bed) from you.

Many professional trainers will restrict a dog’s bed or couch access entirely until they are better behaved. It doesn’t have to be forever. When boundaries are established and respected by a dog, a command may be introduced to allow access to either.

Safety

A free dog has their own personality. They may be avid chewers, leading to gnawing through wires or couches. They could be forever-hungry, rummaging through the kitchen trash or easily-opened cleaning cabinets. Aside from the possibility of choking or regurgitating nonorganic substances, there is a serious risk of harm to the more curious dogs.

Crating your dog overnight eliminates their access to the risks common to households. For super slippery dogs, you can add an additional wall of a door or invest in a sturdier kennel. (They’re way more expensive, but they’ll also last far, far longer.)

Escape

Fireworks, loud parties, boisterous cars, storms, the cat… There’s so much to be afraid of!

A crate gives them a spot to run away. If you place a thick blanket over the top (allow for cooling and airflow) of their crate, you can additionally dampen the loud noises. The darkness also helps them feel encapsulated, with the scent of their space all around them. Everything there is familiar and comforting.

For them to see their crate as a safe and quiet place, however, you have to do your part.

Leave your dog alone. If the kennel is in the living room, and they scurry off to their crate after you give them a toy to chew on? Let them be. Similarly, if they’re in their crate and you approach them, only to be met with an anxious lip-licking whale-eye? Read your dog’s body language and leave them alone.

They may not respect your privacy, but they’re like kids. They don’t know any better. They do know when they want to gnaw on a bone in peace, or just get away from it all—let them do it.

Such a message of respect strengthens the desire to go to the crate. You aren’t running after your dog and shoving them in against their will; they’re choosing their own security .

Some dogs even take themselves to bed! (And some bark at their owners until they’re tucked in, with a blanket over their crate. And don’t forget the bedtime treat.)

My Dog Whines When It’s Time for Bed

Whining is a form of communication, and it can be an attempt to communicate their discomfort. If they’re physically okay but whine from their crate, they’re likely complaining about their circumstances.

Think about it. Your bed is full of cuddles, warmth, play, and they like your company… they’ll pick sleeping in your room every night, without fail. They won’t want to go if they aren’t tired when it’s time for bed, or you don’t give them enough reasons to be excited to sleep in the crate.

Getting them used to crate training will take time.

They may sulk! I know it’s hard to fight their begging with their puppy eyes and lowered heads, but it only lasts a little bit. Stay strong.

Giving them something fun or a reward for listening will cultivate a better connection with the crate. We’ve discussed treats at bedtime, their favorite stuffed animal, a puppyhood blanket—whatever high-value reward you can afford, let them have that in their crate.

BUT: Be careful with treats like raw hides or balls that can get stuck on their tongues or airways. Objects like these should be provided only when accompanied by your supervision.

A Pet Parent Pointer: Exercise!

To further facilitate the transition to sleeping in the crate, you can exhaust them before bed. Consider taking your furry companion on a walk with lots of mental and physical stimulation. You may opt for a demanding game like fetch followed by a snuffle mat.

Get ‘em sleepy enough, and they won’t mind where they end up napping.

With the proper precautions, you can let your dog sleep in a kennel overnight, and it certainly wouldn’t be cruel to do so.

It may happen that your dog would rather sleep in their kennel. Such is the case with my chihuahua, Spice. Crate-trained as a puppy, he prefers his memory foam bed to our mattress; and jumps away from couches! He’d much rather sit in his space, so we learned loving him meant letting him stay on the floor… as much as we love lapdogs and cuddle bugs.

Don’t let it hurt your feelings, though. I promise it isn’t a slight; they’ll still love you when they wake up!