Crate Training - Help!

[ajr817]

Hello.  We have a 7 week old purebred Siberian Husky.  We have had him for three days now and want to jump on training for everything asap while he's still young.  We have a crate that he has slept in at night which hasn't been a problem.  We have him in our bedroom close by so we can hear him.  Typically, we put him in his crate between 9:30 and 10 every night.  He is good in there until sometime between 3 - 4am at which point, he'll whine and needs to be let out.  I take him downstairs and let him out on our front lawn.  Typically, he quickly pees and poops and I take him upstairs and put him back in his crate.  When we do that, he starts to whine and does it incessantly, at that point, we open up the crate door to let him roam around the room, which I know its likely a no no, but we are concerned that if we leave him in with the door locked, he will start to associate his crate as a negative and not use it at all.  Are we wrong on this?  Tips on how we should handle would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

[wolfpup]

Afraid I cannot help on this as I do not like crates at all,  and in nigh on 50 years of having dogs have never had the need to use one, - although I acknowledge that there are times when it might be an advantage,  as some dogs might come to see them as their  'safe space' etc., especially if they are covered as in a 'den'.

Of my current two rescues, one won't go into any small space for love/money/treats - even a bone.   The other will, on occasion, if frightened by thunder or fireworks, crawl under a coffee table and stay there, but over the years this has lessened considerably  (probably once or twice a year now).  However when I first saw him he was in a crate and going berserk and actually wrecked the crate before he could be let out.   Of my two boys,  for one his safe space is under the coffee table  (or behind a fire in an alcove),  for the other it is beside me, either on the sofa or the floor next to me.

I personally think you are doing the right thing in letting him out when he returns from his toilet break,   keep the crate door open so he can go back in if he wants to.   Have you tried leaving the crate door open?   Possibly though this might be for later on when his toilet training is complete to prevent accidents.  

[robke]

mine were also not crated trained and i did not see the need for them to have been they had the free roam of the house at any time they wanted it...

[Jay]

I’ve had experience in this. Overnight I never crated my dogs even as puppies. They slept in bed with me and I’d let them out if they woke up. When I’m gone they would be crated.