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My dogs love bedtime. Anytime we open the back door to let them inside, they run straight to their crate. It’s a huge crate and they each have their own space in it. Only occasionally will we hear any scuffles.

Last night, we brought them inside to hang out with us as we settled in to watch some evening TV. They ran straight to their crate. We called them back into the living room to hang out with us. I looked over my shoulder and Greta was just standing in the hallway. She looked unsure what to do. So we called them again and they happily ran to us.

We love bedtime and their crate, also. The crate gives Greta a safe haven during storms, and it provides a peaceful night’s sleep for us. The several times we’ve brought them into the bedroom to sleep with us, it’s been a disaster. After Greta settles down, she’ll curl up in a ball and fall fast asleep, never moving a muscle. Cassie, though, is very busy, even at nighttime. She only stays in one place for a short time before moving to another spot. This repeats over and over again. We then realize they’re crate-trained for a reason, and they love it as much as we do. They happily run off to the crate when we say “Get in your bed.”

Training them in the beginning to go in the crate wasn’t easy, but I’m so glad we did it.