Puppy Suddenly Doesn't Want To Be Crated At Night

by Melanie
(New Jersey, USA)

My 5-month-old Australian Shepherd has been sleeping overnight in her crate since we brought her home. She's been doing great until a couple of nights ago. Suddenly she is barking when crated at night. I'm sure it's because she wants to be with us. She is crated in the living room and we sleep upstairs. We live in a split level and so really only 6 stairs away. It's not like she's alone in some faraway segment of our house.

She barks when we first crate her and then again after I let her out at about 3 a.m. So far, I have been letting her bark and she has been settling within a couple of minutes but I'm worried as she gets older she will become more persistent.

Have any of you have come across this and what did you do? Will she outgrow it? How long will this barking last? We were really hoping to have her sleep on the main level of the house to keep watch over the house. I know that once/if I let her sleep in my room that will be the new norm.

The concern about having her in our room is really just that she'll interrupt my husband's sleep which he desperately needs.

Are any of you having success with your Aussie sleeping in a different room? How did you get there?

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