[Lurcherlad]

If she's getting frantic then ignoring her won't help but make her more anxious IMO.

If the crate is downstairs it could be a noise outside has scared her or even appliances can give off a sound that upsets them. Perhaps she is getting cold in the night?

Try putting her crate in your room so you can reassure her and she knows you are close by.

 

[Lurcherlad]

Hi there Muttly
I know there are two sides to the Great Crate Debate. Personally, I am in favour of crates as a way to ensure the dog always has a known place of safety to which they can retreat, or be put in to keep them out of harm's way at any time e.g if some one drops a glass on the floor, it's useful to have somewhere safe and glass free to put dog whilst you clear up. There are also times when, again for the benefit of the dog, they need to be comfortable with being confined to a crate for instance on car journeys or if an in-patient at the vets. So keeping her used to, and happy with, being in a crate is important to me - hence this post. I don't actually think it's being shut in the crate that bothers her as she doesn't scratch at it if she's in the car (even though she can't see out).
She used to be fine with her crate at night and went into it willingly (I only crate her at night). She often goes into it during the day and, for some unknown reason, chooses to go in there to drink water rather than drink it from the bowl outside the crate.
I understand that the easy option for me would be to stop bothering to put her in the crate at night but then I don't feel I am helping her for those times when she has to go into a crate for one of the reasons I have given above.
However, since my last post I have found a section that looks as though it addresses my situation so I shall try doing that. It's here: http://www.petforums.co.uk/threads/how-to-help-a-dog-with-separation-anxiety.112552/ in this section: "Desensitization!
Hutch6 gave this fantastic piece of advice for getting your dog happy for you to be out of sight, and teaching that you always come back".
so thank you to Sue, the original writer of that post. I shall see how it goes!

But if, as you say, she is only unsettled in there at night and is happy in there at other times, you can still keep the crate up for all those other times mentioned.

I would try the crate in your room tonight and see if she settles.

If she does, problem solved and a happy dog