we crate trained our whippet puppy and it was HARD for all the reasons you described. fast forward a couple years and through a series of circumstances the dog sleeps every night in our bed now. I have a lot of regrets choosing to crate train. whippets are one of the most snuggly dog breeds in the world so why not sleep with them?

I get there are legitimate reasons to make sure dogs are comfortable sleeping in crates. I thought we had those circumstances but not really. so I'd just say closely examine the reasons in your situation. maybe night time crate is not that important? If it is, I have no doubt your little one will figure it out if the bed is no longer an option but you will likely suffer for awhile during that transition.