When Can I Move My Puppy Crate Out of Bedroom? (Solved & Explained!)

As a general rule, it is recommended by most experts to keep the puppy crate within the bedroom for at least the first two weeks. However, this duration can be lesser or longer depending upon the individual personality of your puppy and the kind of relationship you have with it.

Read below to know more about various guidelines to have a better idea on when to move your puppy crate out of the bedroom, how to gradually condition your dog to be used to being outside the bedroom, and things you can do to make your puppy more comfortable around you especially during the first few weeks.

Is There an Ideal Time for Moving The Puppy Crate Out Of The Bedroom?

Short answer, no. It depends from dog to dog. There are various opinions on when to move your puppy out of the bedroom. Many experts suggest keeping the puppy crate in the bedroom for 2 weeks, provided that within 2 weeks, the puppy has gotten comfortable with you and the new environment of your home.

In What Scenarios Are 2 Weeks Not Enough For Crate Training?

If after two weeks, the puppy does not feel comfortable with the crate being outside the bedroom and shows signs of distress such as barking, panting etc., it’s a sign you need to spend more time for the crate training process.

This might take you weeks, months and even an year depending on your commitment to the crate training and the quality of the socialization process of your puppy as a whole.

Why Do You Need to Keep a Puppy Crate Inside The Bedroom?

You need to keep your puppy in a puppy crate, inside your bedroom because the new environment of your home can be very psychologically distressful for the puppy.

The puppy has been separated from its family and is settling in a new place, so it’s understandable that you’ll need to spend a bit of extra effort bonding with it during the first few days and keep it as close to yourself as possible.

How Does Crate Training Improve Your Relationship With the Puppy?

The idea behind crate training is to create a positive association in the puppy’s mind regarding you. The puppy will associate your smell and presence with something safe and comfortable, which will go a long way in creating a healthy, long-lasting relationship between you and your puppy in the future.

Is It Necessary To Move The Crate Out of The Bedroom?

It is not necessary – you may choose to sleep in your bedroom with your puppy even after it grows into an adult dog. The point behind moving the crate out of the bedroom is that some dog owners may be more comfortable with the dog not being in their bedroom at night for all sorts of reasons – limited room space, noise, privacy, and so on.

Do You Just Move the Crate Out of the Bedroom After Two Weeks?

Moving the crate out of the bedroom is supposed to be a very gradual process instead of an abrupt one. You shouldn’t just completely move the crate to another room after two weeks or so as that will cause distress and behavioral problems in the puppy who grew habitual of sleeping near to you.

What Is the Right Way to Move the Crate Out of the Bedroom?

The correct way to go about it is to slowly move it away from you a little bit after two weeks, till it’s outside the bedroom and the puppy shows signs of being comfortable with that.

For example, if you’ve been keeping the crate next to your bed, maybe move it to the corner of the room and see how the puppy reacts. Then keep it right next to the door and note the puppy’s reaction.

Keep repositioning the crate at different places within your bedroom, till you finally reach the point where the crate is outside the bedroom and the puppy shows no signs of distress such as barking, whining etc.

Where Should You Position the Crate Inside Your House?

You should make sure to place the crate at a place inside your bedroom that is free from harsh sunlight exposure and free from all sorts of noise and nuisances. The crate should also be somewhat near to you so that the puppy can reach out to you if it experiences any form of distress through the night.

How Do You Make Your Puppy Sleep Well in the Crate At Night?

Being social animals, dogs are very active as pets and love playing with the owner. To ensure your puppy sleeps well at night and doesn’t cause you too much disturbance, play games such as hide and seek with it prior to its bedtime so that it feels tired enough to sleep afterwards.

What is the Importance of Potty Breaks in Crate Training?

It’s important to give your puppy potty breaks every night because if you don’t, it will experience distress during the middle of the night if it wants to defecate or urinate. The crate would get unhygienic and dirty which will cause further anxiety to the puppy as it would start associating the crate with discomfort.

It’s recommended that you take the puppy out for a potty break before putting it to bed. This will ensure it sleeps well at night.

At What Age Are Puppies Ready to Sleep Without a Crate?

Again, this can vary from puppy to puppy. But generally, 6 to 18 months is a good time. Keep experimenting with having your puppy sleep with or without a crate to identify whether it’s suitable for it to sleep without one at a particular moment in time or not.

Can You Relocation the Crate Anywhere You Want When The Puppy Grows into an Adult Dog?

With a lot pets, including dogs, it’s very important to understand the importance of ‘routines.’ Even if you have an adult dog, it’s not the right practice to just randomly move the crate to a new place because the dog will find it psychologically distressful to have to immediately adapt to a new routine.

If you want to relocation the crate, do so gradually, by slowly moving it to the new place a little bit every time and noting whether the dog reacts to it positively or negatively.