Nap time! and crate culture

SUMMARY: A success with some discussion

Source: my post on Facebook October 20, 2025

💙💜Milestone!💜💙Kell is three days short of her two-month gotcha anniversary. every night at bedtime, I tell the dogs "bedtime" and she runs right into her crate and I give her a couple of treats and zip her in. She has slept through the night the whole time. Also because I am usually more or less sleep deprived, I announce "nap time"in the afternoon when I'm going to go lie down for a little sleep. She runs right into her crate and I give her a couple of treats and I zip her in and she's very good.

A couple of times, I flipped the door down (soft crate) but didn't zip it and lo and behold, she stayed in the crate. she has been getting calmer and more involved and feeling like a family member more and more every day. And, I think, less likely to play with unauthorized items as she understands everything better?

So this time I said "nap time" and she ran into her crate and stood there waiting for her treats, which I gave her. This time decided to see what she would do with the door wide open. I crawled into bed with my legs next to Zorro and closed my eyes. Almost immediately there was a gentle movement on my bed next to me, and a large face checking out my face. She then dropped her ball next to my face. I just held her back and said not now I'm trying to sleep. She lay down next to me, not crowding me– – and napped with us for the next hour!

I'm so pleased and so proud of her!

No photos because I was way too sleepy, but here is a token photo [maybe] (Oops, was supposed to be just the first photo, but the blogger interface to my phone photos is kind of wonky)

... more comments: 

yes, just as for every dog I've gotten after my first couple, I said that she will not be a dog who sleeps on the bed with me. But, you know,… I mean, I made it two months! 

• She is just a dog who seems to want to be close and cuddle. In bed is just a time that often makes it easy for the dogs to do that.
• note that "bedtime" and "nap time" are not commands. They are notificationsabout what's coming. possibly the first couple of nights I suggested that she get intoher crate, but after that, I've never had to say anything about that. So, technically, she is in the crate under her own volunteer power. In my worldview, that means that she can leave under her own power if the door is open.

• Props to the prior owners who turned her into a super crate dog before she even came home with me.