How to wean off being crated at night?

For us we gated off the bed room and confined them in there with us next. Closing the bedroom door for me was too hot, so we baby gated the doorway. We have not had problems with our dogs switching to our room as their "den". The gate would prompt the pup to cry if she still needed to go out. Yes they are restless for a few days with their new space but with in just a few days my pups would sleep the night away. Eventually I would go to removing the gate. Once I was sure they understood the bedroom is where we all sleep at night. I want my dogs having full roam in case of intruders. As far as sleeping on the bed or ANY furniture for that matter. My dogs must be "invited". It is a priviledge not a right, and if I don't ask them up the MUST get down. None of my dogs have ever crawled up on their own in the night. I know it is cute and it is hard to be tough, but I think it effects the leadership role if you let the dog get away with it. My dogs are bigger 63 - 85 lbs (3 dogs) we can not let them all up at once. No room for us! LOL However Teddi thinks if one is up she should be too. We were working on that with her before her surgery.

We let Charlie sleep in our bed once last year, yeah well, he hasn't left since .  That snuggle up thing is just too tempting and DH hates anything/one touching him at night so Charlie was more than happy to take the job.

We have a problem similar to this at my mom's house since he isn't allowed on the bed to sleep anymore (long story).  I put his bed that he lays on in the family room next to the bed and have him sleep there.  The first night I put his leash on and wore it around my wrist.  After a few attempts to get up/on the bed he got it and went to sleep.  One thing to consider, is that Rory might only be comfortable sleeping in her crate or with you.  She might not know what do to otherwise. 

Our dogs actually have their own bedroom and are strongly encouraged to sleep in there by the simple means of gating them in there at night until it becomes a habit.

She would just freak if I tried to put her in her own room at night.  I don't mind her in our room and we shut the bedroom door so she couldnt get out to the rest of the house alone.  I just thought we should try to "uncrate" her at night to lessen her daily crate/kennel time but maybe shes not ready for it yet.  She goes to bed very well in her crate and always let us know if she needs to go out at night.  We'll keep trying for a few more nights though.

 Sniper is not crated at night, and it took her a while to get used to it, too. She would do the same thing, wander around for a while, then plop down, then get up, then plop down. Luckily, we have carpeted room, so we couldn't really hear her little footsteps! I had her dog bed right beside the side of the bed I sleep on, and hung my arm over the side of the bed next to her and would just pet her until she fell asleep. After a few nights, she would stay in her dog bed (besides getting up to let us know she needed to go out to potty). She also insisted on trying to sleep in our bed, but luckily, it is really high and she couldn't get up in it on her own. So every time she would whine and jump at it, one of us would get up and take her over to her bed and say "go to your bed". After about a week of this (that's right, get used to no sleep for a little while!) she finally was getting it. She still sometimes comes over to try and get in bed with us, but we don't even have to get up now, we just say "go to your bed", and off she goes. Although, sometimes we both cave and let her sleep with us in the mornings! Good luck to you!

It's either the crate or the bed?  My dogs do the same thing, they come up the beds at night.  Does she have a bed in her crate?  if she does maybe if you move it out of the crate at night and put it in your room on the floor and try to encourage her to sleep there it will work.  Good luck.

I would try pulling out the blanket that's in her crate, and putting it on the floor next to your bed. That's what I did with Casey. He sleeps in my bed, but I do move  TON while I sleep, so some night he leaves my bed to sleep on his bed on the floor. I never crated at night though, only during the day when I was gone.

I am absolutely no good at not letting dogs sleep on the bed. Gingerbread sleeps on the bed, all over the place- either on my pillow above my head, snuggled up next to my chest, laying behind my legs with his head resting in the crook of my knee, at the foot of the bed, etc. It can be a little uncomfortable, but I've gotten used to it over time. The worst is when he's like a paperweight on top of the covers. lol I used to not want to disturb him; now I'm like, oh well I need those covers! lol He knows the phrase "excuse me" and moves over while I take my covers back. :)

this took a long while with Luna -- she can be a crazy girl at times and vocalizes SOOOOO much it was nuts.  PLUS we have a free-flow water bed and Luna thinks it's great to jump in the Atlantic OCEAN!!! KER PLOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LUNA GET DOWN!

(No, I'm not nice if you wake me that suddely! *I* growl!!)

Essentially she was eventually allowed "out" until she screwed up and then in the crate she went.  No shaming .. just IN the crate. 

I use leashes a LOT -- and I've been known to simply tether them to a place. 

We use baby gates a LOT.  It doesn't interfere with the circulation in the house that way. 

But the best answer for you is 'gradually' -- it won't happen all of a sudden.  But even if you tether her to the bed or to YOU, you will be able to groggily handle the situation. 

I also like to bell a pup -- so if they are up messing around I HEAR it so I can determine if it's a potty emergency or just prowling around.