Should I put toys in the crate with my puppy?

A solid rubber chew toy or a stuffed food puzzle toy, sized appropriately for the puppy's mouth, gives it something constructive to do if it wakes briefly during the night. Rotate a small selection rather than filling the crate with everything the puppy owns.

Plush toys with stuffing, squeakers, or small plastic parts are best kept for supervised play rather than left in the crate overnight, since a determined chewer can destroy and swallow pieces while no one is watching.

A toy left in the crate overnight needs to survive several hours without supervision, which is a higher bar than a toy used during an evening play session with you in the room. A solid rubber chew rated for the puppy's current size, checked for any cracks or worn edges before bedtime, is generally the safest overnight option.

If your puppy tends to get more wound up by a food stuffed toy right before bed rather than calmed by it, save that type of toy for daytime settle practice instead, and leave only a plain chew overnight, since the goal at bedtime is winding down rather than continued engagement.

Replace any crate toy the moment it shows a crack, a torn seam, or a chunk missing, even if it seems minor, since overnight is exactly when a partially broken toy is most likely to be swallowed without anyone noticing until morning. A quick check of every crate toy as part of your own bedtime routine takes only a few seconds and is worth making a habit.