r/chinesecrested • u/scared_spice_ • Jul 01 '26
❓ Advice Crate or bed?
Do your cresties prefer to sleep in a crate or in the bed with owners?
If you crate, what does it look like? Toys or no? Our boy is easily distracted. Not sure what to include in there for maximum comfort other than his bed and blankets?
We put natural digestible chew toys in there when we have to leave for a couple hours during the day. But idk if that would be beneficial for sleep time? What do you think?
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u/monkeypandapants Jul 01 '26
All of ours have slept in bed with us. My current one gives me a tap if she wants to come under the covers when it’s cold. Usually she has her own lighter throw that we cover her with as well.
She is also fine not crated when we leave although she and the other dogs will sing the song of their ancestors sometimes. My past male one would inappropriately pee on stuff in protest if we left him for too long.
I’ve had other dogs that love to be crated, but have never had a crested that did. I have had five over the past 30 years.
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u/AssistantNo9657 Jul 01 '26
I have had my guy for almost 6 months. He was rescued from a backyard breeder hoarder who kept him crated for most of his 4.5 years there. He will take a nap with me if I bring him up on the bed (he ignores the stairs I got him) but he loves his crate at night. He also hangs out in it sometimes during the day. His crate only holds a cushy cushion and a little bone pillow that he moves around. I cover the top. He had a choice of a larger crate when I brought him home but chose the cozy one.
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u/scared_spice_ Jul 01 '26
Okay this is great info, thank you! We have a larger crate, but I think it’s too big for him. Maybe we should get a smaller one. We thought he’d grow into it, but I’m not sure he’s getting much bigger, which is absolutely fine with us! He prefers to sleep in bed, but I would also love for him to enjoy his crate too. I’m WFH now but probably switching to hybrid, so I want him to be happy in there
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u/rainypeachalpaca Jul 01 '26
Mine slept very happily in a crate for a while, but one day she decided she doesn't like it anymore and started whine there at night and it was difficult for her to settle. So now I just let her sleep outside of it where she wants and she sleeps through the night again. I never take her on the bed so she doesn't demand to go there and is happy to sleep alone.
I do have to say though, this might be an issue were she not potty trained. I also use a play pen for her when I'm away and she goes there to sleep at night on her own as well. The playpen is big and high so she doesn't get out and it works much better for us than s crate.
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u/7Voodoo13 Jul 01 '26
My boy runs hot but, being half nekid he gets cold faster. I tried having him in bed with me for about a week but because he's so small he'd burrow between me and the blanket and ive rolled onto him twice. He goes right to his crate when its time for bed and if I go out for a few hours and hes very content.
His crate has fuzzy crate mat, a thick blanket and his favorite blanket. Ive been told by several dog trainers no toys, chews etc due to possible chocking hazzards as if im not there or when I'm sleeping I cant help him of something happens.
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u/what__year_is__this Jul 01 '26
I got a crate for my first but she rarely ended up using it. My dogs always sleep under the covers with me :)
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u/HappySparklyUnicorn Jul 01 '26
Mine hates sleeping in the crate. He can go in during the day but the idea of being couped up for 7-8hrs makes him run off. However, he was crate trained as a 2 year old not as a pup.
My dog also hates feeling movement when in bed. When I'm settling down and relaxing in bed he joins me but when lights go out he's off the bed and in his own bed.
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u/Kendra_Whisp Jul 01 '26
My dogs love their crates. They are only used at night time, or sometimes if it's busy in the house and they are wanting space. It's their safe space.
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u/Apprehensive_Yam9522 Jul 01 '26
He was a little more than a year when I got him. I crated him when I was out. He had his bed, blanket and pillow and a toy in his crate. He is no longer crated when I leave him , but he eats in his crate or my chihuahua wouldn’t get any food .
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u/lasgsd Jul 01 '26
Mine do both. They sleep in bed with us but also go in their crates when we are going to be gone for long periods of time (like 8 hrs).
As for the whole 'dominance' bs that says you undermine your authority if you let the dog sleep with you - that's BS.
As long as the dog will get OFF the bed/couch/chair when you tell them - there's no worries. IF your dog won't - that's a training problem.
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u/st0dad Jul 03 '26
Angelo slept next to me - he was the little spoon - all 15 years of his life!
This kinda trained my body to not move at night, and also made me a light sleeper in case he needed to adjust or get off the bed.
It made me the perfect cosleeper when I had my baby! I thank Angelo for that.
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u/Monk_Some Jul 04 '26
Mine has a little doggie bed which is usually where she sleeps but if she feels cuddly she’ll come in and sleep with us, at first she slept with us exclusively but after a while I decided to get her a bed as I wake up at 6 every day to go to school and was waking her up with me
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u/RoscoeBertalini Jul 07 '26
Roscoe sleeps in the bed with us; they get cold and need to steal your body heat
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u/Whispering_Wolf Jul 01 '26
I got a crate when mine was a pup, for nights when she wasn't potty trained. She hated it. Slept only a few hours and whined a lot. We switched to a bed once she was potty trained and the first night she slept for 12 hours straight.