Crate training a Staffy before a new puppy arrives

A new puppy joining a home with an established dog is one of those situations where getting the crate setup right from the start makes everything easier — for both dogs. Crate training works best when the crate genuinely feels like a safe, calm space, and the size and type matter more than most people expect. The introduction approach matters too, especially when you're working with two dogs who'll need their own territories. To give you something practical: what's your Staffy's name and temperament like — calm and settled, or does he get anxious or excitable? And does he have any existing crate experience, or would this be starting from scratch?

Three weeks is actually a workable window if you start now. The goal is to get Brock genuinely comfortable with his crate before the puppy arrives, so it registers as his space — not something that appeared at the same time as this new intruder. For a Staffy, you want a solid, enclosed feel rather than a wire crate; they tend to settle better when they feel properly contained rather than exposed on all sides. What size is Brock? And are you thinking of these as permanent home crates, or will either dog need to travel in theirs?

For Brock specifically, I'd go with the Midwest iCrate — the 36-inch single-door version. It's the right footprint for a 16kg Staffy, it has a solid base pan which helps dogs feel grounded, and the folding design means it travels without any hassle. It also comes with a divider panel, which you won't need for Brock but is genuinely useful for the Labrador puppy's crate as she grows. I'd recommend getting two of the same model in different sizes — the 36-inch for Brock and a 42-inch for the Lab to grow into with the divider keeping it appropriately sized at first. Same aesthetic, same design logic, and it stops either dog feeling like the other has something different or better. Start introducing Brock's crate this week with the door off, meals fed inside, and a worn t-shirt of yours in there. By the time the puppy arrives, it should already feel like his. The Midwest iCrate 36" is widely available on Amazon UK and usually around £45–55.

Same room is usually better once both dogs are settled in their crates — it prevents either dog feeling isolated and they tend to calm each other down once they've got used to sharing space. But in the first week or two after the puppy arrives, it's worth positioning them so they can sense each other without being directly face-to-face. Parallel is better than directly opposite. Cover the sides of both crates with a light blanket initially so neither dog is fixating on the other when they're supposed to be resting. As they relax around each other, you can start leaving the fronts uncovered. The key thing is that Brock's crate is already established as his territory before any of this — which is why starting now rather than when the puppy lands is the right call.

Keep feeding completely separate, at least for the first few months. Staffies can have resource-guarding instincts that don't show up until there's genuine competition — even calm, friendly ones. Feed them in their respective crates with the doors closed, which actually reinforces the crate as a positive place at the same time. Once both dogs are reliably settled and you've seen how Brock responds to the puppy around food over time, you can reassess. But there's no benefit to rushing that, and plenty of upside to keeping it simple early on.