Dog Crate in Bedroom or Living Room? What is the Best Place?

Last Updated on November, 2024

While crating your dog can be an excellent way to keep them safely confined, choosing the right place for your dog crate can be challenging. 

Although crates benefit dog owners and their canine pals in various ways, choosing the inappropriate place cannot work things the right way. 

Should dog crate be in bedroom?

If that is your question, keep reading. This is what we will be discussing down the line.

Pet owners who have just bought a new crate to crate train their dogs, we are here to assist you in selecting the ideal location. Let’s get in! 

Quick Summary

The living room is ideal for keeping the dog crate during the day, as it can help the dog feel engaged and included in the household.

It is ok to place the dog crate in the bedroom, especially during the early stages of crate training, as it can provide puppies with a sense of comfort and security and reduce anxiety.

Important factors need to be considered when putting the dog crate in the bedroom or living room, such as avoiding drafty spots, heat sources, and power cords, and providing comfortable bedding and entertaining toys inside the crate.

Is the Bedroom an Ideal Place for the Dog Crate?

pictures of dog crates kept in bedrooms

When you start crate training a dog, the first couple weeks may need some resistance, especially during the first night.

If your question is, can the bedroom be the right place? The answer is YES! Moving your crate into your bedroom during the night for the first few days of crate training your puppy can be a great idea.

By doing so, you could eventually watch your young puppy settling in the crate in no time. Your dogs need to get familiar with the environment and feel comfortable in the place where they spend their time throughout the night.

When that’s the case, placing the crate somewhere far away from your bedroom or alone in a room can scare puppies and make them whine, bark and cry. 

Although it’s best to ignore all that and not let them out, they must still be comforted. To do so, your dog crate must be kept in a place near you. 

It’s great if you can hear your dog during the night. When your furry pal can listen to you overnight, you’ll both have a happier night’s sleep.

Because puppies can’t manage their bladder for an hour per month of age, be sure to take them out at set times instead of letting them hold their pee for too long.

If you hear your little furry buddy stirring or whining, they must be allowed outside for potty breaks.

On the other hand, if you are to crate train an adult dog, crating them alone in a room can make them feel stressed and abandoned and increase their separation anxiety.

You can gradually move the crate further into a different location of the house every couple of nights where you want them to finally sleep.

This way, they can feel much more relaxed, which would help them avoid whining or crying and reduce anxiety when left alone at night. 

A bedroom can be ideal for young puppies and adult dogs to rest and sleep at night. 

Pros and Cons of Placing the Dog Crate in Your Bedroom

Pros

Comfort and Security: Provides a sense of comfort and security, helping puppies settle in.
Anxiety Reduction: Reduces anxiety during crate training, especially at night.
Closeness and Bonding: Promotes closeness and bonding between you and your dog.
Convenient for Nighttime: Eases nighttime potty breaks for young puppies.
Whining Reduction: Minimizes dog whining and crying when they feel near their owner.

Cons

Limited Space: Limited space in smaller bedrooms, potentially impacting room functionality.
Sleep Disruption: Can disrupt your sleep with dog noises like whimpering or barking.

Is the Living Room an Ideal Spot?

pictures of dog crates kept in living rooms

Ideally, yes! Usually, the family members spend a lot of time in the living room, and this can be an ideal spot to make your dog feel engaged and included throughout the day. 

Putting your dog crate in a place with plenty of foot traffic would help your dog a lot.

In fact, it allows your dog to engage in more physical activities with the rest of the household, giving them more room to enjoy. 

That said, it also prevents your dog from getting bored and isolated as dogs are naturally social animals, and their enthusiasm and enjoyment to be in the same room as you would be higher.

This is also one of the aspects of positive association. Moreover, placing the crate in the living room makes your pal energetic and allows them to interact with the family members and be a part of the household. 

So, the living room can be the best spot to crate your dog throughout the day. 

Which is the Best Spot to Place the Crate? Bedroom or Living Room?

dog crate in a bedroom and a living room

All right, moving on to the important part! Which is the right place: the bedroom or the living room?

Well, I’d recommend placing your dog’s crate in the bedroom during the night and in the living room during the day. These can be the best possible location where you could put the crate. 

Especially if your pup is still in the early stages of potty training and needs to be let out for potty break, placing the crate in the bedroom during the night can be a lot easier for you as well as your pup.

On the other hand, placing the crate in the bedroom for the first few nights will let your young puppy know that the crate is a comfortable place to sleep and relax and reduce its whining or crying out of fear. 

Dogs are social animals who love human interaction. Leaving them alone and isolated for long periods may cause separation anxiety and improve destructive behaviors. They need to be engaged and entertained throughout the day. 

So, placing your pup’s crate in a spot where the family spends a lot of time during the day is crucial. With that in mind, the living room can be the ideal spot, as it allows the dog to spend its daytime with the family members feeling included. 

Read our complete guide on placing the dog crate at home.

Places to Avoid While Choosing a Location for the Crate

While the bedroom and living are ideal places to keep your crate, there are also places you should avoid putting your crate. You cannot place the crate wherever in the house as there might be potential dangers your dog would reach. 

Here are a few places you should prevent from keeping your crate;

  • Avoid placing the crate in a drafty spot where there’s direct air conditioning or next to air vents. 
  • Keep your crate away from heat sources like fireplaces. 
  • Avoid direct exposure to the sun or under windows. 
  • Avoid placing the crate near noisy engines or close to machine-like (refrigerators, washing machines, radiators, etc.)
  • Avoid placing the crate near power cords, as they can severely injure your dog if they chew on them. 
  • Avoid placing the crate close to houseplants that are toxic to dogs.
  • Keep the crate where there’s constant foot traffic. 

What Can I Do to Keep My Dog Comfortable in the Crate During Night?

During the first few weeks of the crate training process, it may be tiring for you and your puppy.

However, staying committed and consistent throughout the process can make the training successful. 

It’s natural for puppies to get afraid and uncertain when they first go into their dog’s crate at night.

Make the crate a cozy den for your dog to rest and feel secure and safe. You can add a few exciting things inside the crate to calm and entertain them. 

Include things that are safe and easily washable and machine washable beddings in case there are potty accidents.

A dog sleeping in a cage on a wooden floor

Chew toys can be a good idea to add up. (Read our complete guide on “Toys that are safe to leave inside the dog crate“.)

Make sure you don’t add anything inside the crate that is unsafe for your puppy to chew.

You can pop in some of your puppy’s favorite chew toys to make sure he is occupied. Avoid any crying or whining of your puppy. Opening the crate door and letting him out once he whines or cries will only let him know that is all it takes to regain his freedom.

Once your puppy masters the crate training successfully, praise and reward him, as this can help your dog associate the crate with a positive experience. 

Other Important Things to Consider Before Leaving Your Dog in the Crate

a brown and white dog in a cage

Dogs are social and active animals who want human attention and love to do many fun things. When that’s the case, keeping him physically engaged is crucial to keep him strong and happy. 

After spending the whole night in the crate, the first thing your dog will want in the morning is some quality time with you.

Though dogs may enjoy their crate, shutting them inside the whole day is the recipe for an unhappy dog. So make sure you take your dog for walks, play, and cuddle with him, along with short training sessions. This is their ideal way of spending their day. 

Fulfilling your dog’s necessities during the day and tiring him physically would let him settle down in the crate easily without a fuss.

If your dog isn’t given quality time when awake, he can be bored for the rest of the day and will likely refuse to get out of the crate. 

Interactive toys like kongs filled with treats, treat dispensing, and puzzle toys can keep your dog busy and entertained throughout the crate time. Your dog would love to enter the crate, looking forward to rewards. (Get the best interactive toys from this article.)

Make sure you establish a proper crate schedule in training your dog to ensure that he’s given a few hours to spend with you. Adjust your schedule according to your dog’s needs.

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FAQS

Yes, it is okay to move the puppy crate from room to room.

No, dogs do not hate sleeping in their crate after they have gone through crate training. The process is meant to help them become more accustomed to their crate, leading to them feeling more comfortable sleeping inside it.

Yes, you should provide water for your dog during the day while he is in the crate, but avoid providing water during the night.

No, do not cover your dog’s crate with a blanket as it can prevent proper air circulation.

Final Thoughts 

Crate placement is an important decision that can significantly impact your canine pal’s overall well-being.

The location you choose to place the crate entirely depends on your and your furry friends’ needs, preferences, lifestyle, and home environment.

Whether you choose to keep the crate in the living room or put the crate in the bedroom, many factors must be considered.

But whichever spot you choose must ensure your puppy is happy, healthy, and comfortable in their personal space. 

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Author
Stefano Giachetti
Stefano Giachetti is always excited to share his knowledge and love of animals with you through our blog, IPetGuides. And he has always loved animals and has been blessed to have many pets throughout his life. Currently has a Pomeranian Dog Breed.

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