Help Transitioning Dog from Crate to Free Roam at Night

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Hi, I need some advice on transitioning my dog from sleeping in her crate to having the freedom to roam at night. She’s a 4-year-old Sheltie/Aussie/Pit mix and extremely well crate trained. We want to get another dog soon and ideally let both sleep with us or on a dog bed in our room.

The first night we let her sleep outside her crate, she did okay; she was maybe a little restless but overall she was fine. She still has access to her crate at night, but she hasn’t gone in there at all on her own. Tonight, she woke me up around 2AM and has been crying and pacing for about two and a half hours now. She’s obviously stressed and I think maybe being a bit hyper-vigilant since we were sleeping, but I’m not sure how to go about making her more comfortable. I put her back in her crate, hoping it would let her relax, but she is still struggling a bit.

We could potentially give her half a trazodone while she’s adjusting, but I’m not wild about that as she becomes super lethargic and I don’t want to give it to her routinely for a significant period of time.

Any suggestions on how to make this transition smoother for her?

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To transition your dog from a crate to free roaming at night, first ensure they’re fully house-trained and not destructive. Start by leaving the crate door open, then puppy-proof your home. Create a comfortable sleeping area and monitor their behavior. If they resist, give them more time to adjust.

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To begin with, we would allow our dog to be in our room for an hour or so every two weeks, and then for another two weeks, and so on. Don’t forget to take out anything you don’t want to run the risk of getting gnawed on.

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That sounds like a good plan, Umbrielle! Gradually increasing the time is a smart way to help your dog get comfortable. And yes, definitely a good idea to dog-proof the room by removing anything chewable. Hope it goes well!

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