She doesn't dislike the crate, he probably dislikes being alone. As far as ignoring her - you are still going to need to let her out at least twice at night to potty. Also, she's only 8 weeks old. Can't you move the crate to your bedroom or somewhere, just for at night. We had two wire crates, one upstairs and one downstairs. I like the wire ones because they can easily see you. Loki FREAKED at his plastic carrier so we never ended up using it, but he did fairly well in the wire crate (he loves it now!)
Also, she might freak when you put her in there because she knows she will be in there for a long time. You need to practice with the crate. Put her in the crate and leave the door open, but praise her for going in there. Give her a treat. Then close the door for 30 seconds and open it. Then put her in there for 3 minutes and leave the room, and come back. Sometimes I ask Loki to run to his crate just for a treat, just like I'd ask him for a sit or a shake. It's just a reminder that the crate is a good thing!
When she does cry, wait for her to quiet down for a few minutes and THEN go in. I don't think you need to leave an 8 week old puppy alone all night, as long as you make it clear it's not *playtime* When she is quiet for a few seconds (gradually longer) then let her out and reassure her, let her potty, etc. 8 weeks is pretty young. I let Loki out in the middle of the night for months. |