Hi! My partner and I are bringing home our very first puppy in about a month! Her name is Maple, and she will be 9 weeks old when we pick her up. I knew I wanted a puppy about a year ago; since then I have consumed SO. MUCH. information about puppies' development and training, and a lot of it conflicts! In particular, every dog trainer on the planet seems to have a slightly different crate training philosophy.
I've heard that you need to build up to confining your puppy on the crate over several days, but I've also heard that you should start crating on day 1.
I've heard that you shouldn't put anything soft in the crate because they could chew it, ruin it, or it could prolong potty training, but I've also heard that you should make their crate a comfy, safe space.
I've heard that you should ignore your puppy when they bark or whine in the crate, but also that you should comfort them.
I've heard that you should put your puppy's crate in a different room than where you sleep, but also that you should have it right next to you.
Because of all the research I've done, I'm feeling confident about training in a lot of ways, but crate training is something I really don't want to mess up. In mine and my partner's opinions, it's so important and it is something our household is really going to need. I would really love to have some experienced dog owner's opinions on the things I've listed above. I want my puppy to feel safe in the crate and I don't want to do anything that can damage our bond, but I also will NEED her to be in the crate over night and for naps during the day from the get-go to keep her safe and well rested. I want her to feel comfortable, but I don't want the crate to be optional. How did YOU balance these things? Any advice is welcome.
Thank you!
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