[CoverTune]

My new puppy arrives tomorrow morning and I just had this thought pop into my head... puppy will sleep in a crate (at least until she's old enough to sleep in bed with me, hehe) and I know she'll cry... with my two previous pups I would just sleep with my fingers poking through the crate door, but I'm wondering if having a buddy to sleep with would maybe help? One of my other chihuahuas always sleeps in her crate, she loves it, so I thought maybe if I put her in with puppy it would help with the new kids loneliness (yes, the crate is big enough for two chihuahuas to snuggle). Obviously the adult girl would have to be ok with it...

I dunno, just throwing it out there. Maybe it's a bad idea? Maybe it's best for puppy to learn independence "the hard way" (is there an easy way? lol) ? Thoughts?

 

[PatriciafromCO]

I like giving a quarantine time.. I brought in a new pup from the pound who had , had the whole vet check with shots with a health certificate.. and well the pup had been exposed to kennel cough to show the signs a couple of days after bringing him into my house and around my other dogs. My other dogs didn't come down with it... but it taught me a lesson that I should give it a consideration.. that there are incubation periods.

Congratulations on your new pup.. Pictures pictures pictures

 

[Canyx]

I would recommend doing the setup that you ultimately want. Or, crate in the bedroom like you have done. Maybe even crate on the bed if your ultimate goal is having the puppy sleep with you. I can't see an adult dog enjoying being locked in a crate with a puppy all night, and you run the risk of your puppy becoming too attached to your other dog and never learning to be alone.

 

[Francl27]

I did the crate in the bedroom. With us and our other dog there, there was no issue whatsoever.

 

[Lillith]

I don't think your adult would like being locked in with the pup. I would just let the pup sleep in the bed with you if you want, but as its such a small breed, it has a small bladder and is likely to have an accident! Or, you accidentally roll over the pup or it falls off the bed. I would just crate in the bedroom. You can try one of those Snuggle Puppy things to help keep him calm so he doesn't cry. It has a hot water bottle and a "beating heart" type thing. Then when the pup gets older and can be trusted not to get into trouble or have accidents, it can be allowed on the bed with you.

 

[RonE]

When we got Molly as a pup, she slept in a crate right outside our open bedroom door and Esther slept on a dog bed right outside the crate.

This had two advantages - mostly due to Esther's maternal instincts toward the new kid. Molly never, ever cried or complained in the crate (though she has been complaining ever since) and Esther would alert me when Molly needed to go outside. Then she would go out with us to remind Molly why we were there.

These are two fairly large dogs (even as a pup, Molly had impossibly long legs) and I couldn't imagine crating them together, even in a very large crate.

 

[Jen2010]

I don't crating them together is a good idea. I suggest crating the new puppy beside your bed. See if you can get a blanket or toy from your breeder that has the puppy and parent smells on it. That might help comfort him/her.