8 Week Puppy – Sleeping in Bed vs Crate Training

Hi everyone! Looking for some advice/reassurance from people who have been through the very early puppy stage. My husband and I brought home our 8 week old boxer puppy a few days ago and she’s adjusting really well overall.

We’re currently trying to work on potty training and crate training at the same time. For daytime crate training we’re working on trying to build positive associations with the crate. We’ve been feeding her in crate, doing crate training sessions with treats, rewarding her when she chooses to be in the crate, etc. During the day she does take naps in her crate and will choose to go in there on her own. We usually leave the door open and she stays in there comfortably. She’s also okay being left alone for a few minutes at a time while she’s in the crate (in another room). I’m a stay-at-home mom though, so she hasn’t actually been left completely alone yet.

However, she is really struggling with the crate at night right now and becomes very distressed… screaming, howling, etc. To set the crate up, I got a breathable crate cover, a comfy bed, and one of those heartbeat stuffed animals. We’ve also been trying to help her get comfortable with the crate by sitting near her so she doesn’t feel completely alone, but without making a big deal out of it so she has the chance to settle herself. We’ve also tried giving her opportunities to self-soothe before intervening, and we’ve also played calming dog “anti-anxiety” music on the TV to help create a relaxing environment.

The first couple of nights my husband and I ended up taking shifts with her on the couch because we didn’t want her to be alone and screaming or crying all night while she’s still adjusting to a brand new environment away from her litter. Tonight we decided to let her sleep in the bed with us she settled almost immediately and fell asleep curled up between us.

My husband and I are both fine with her sleeping in the bed with us. We honestly figured it would probably happen at some point anyway. Our bedroom is “puppy-proofed” so there isn’t anything on the floor she could get into, eat, or tear up other than possibly the legs of the furniture. I also have waterproof blankets on the bed in case she has an accident while she’s still learning.

However we still wanted to work on crate training so she’s comfortable in it for times when she does need to be home alone, emergencies, etc. My main question is whether allowing her to sleep in the bed at night will interfere with training her to be comfortable in the crate during the day when we leave the house?