Help, our puppy howls and crys when left at home in the garage during the day?

Question

She is left in the garage with her bed, toys, chew sticks, radio on but the howling and barking is continuous

Answer 1

What would your toddler do if you left him in the garage by himself? Puppies have the very same needs as human toddlers..To expect otherwise is having unrealistic expectations..
very soon, your puppy will be traumatized beyond repair..and you will be saying, " This stupid dog! he is so hyper-active, and won't listen to a thing I say, and he tears everything up, and digs my yard!"
"I am going to have to get rid of him, just to have any sanity!"

and you will think that you just got a lemon..
You need to put him in daycare, or find him a new home before he is ruined..

Answer 2

She suffers from separation anxiety. There are some products you can get at your local pet store that may help. They make toys called Talk To Me toys where an owner can record their voice, and when the dog plays with the toy it will play the recording. Lots of dogs who find it hard to part from their owners during the working hours will play with this to calm them down.

Another thing I've seen are DVDs or videos called Pet Sitters. I know, it seems really weird to buy your dog a movie, but it can really help if your options are limited. Although I'm not sure how you'd work that in your garage.

If this is the first few days you've had your puppy, separation anxiety is expected. If he doesn't calm down and get the hang of the fact that you always come home at the end of the day, it could be a more serious problem and your local trainer or vet may have a better idea how to proceed than I do.

And just kind of as a funny side note, when we first got our puppy she had a kennel in the backyard because she was supposed to be an outside dog (Mom has allergies). She quickly learned that if she whined into the door of her plastic doghouse, the sound was considerably louder (and annoyed our elderly neighbors considerably more). And that's how she became an indoor dog. They're smart, even at ten weeks.

Answer 3

You puppy is experiencing separation anxiety. You don't say how old the puppy is, but here are a few recommendations.

Buy a wind up clock and put the clock under a towel or blanket in the puppy's bed. The sound of the clock ticking, will sound to the puppy, much like a heartbeat (of a litter mate) and can have a calming effect.
You might also try buying one of the toys on the market that is made to hold food and yet, be a toy. The puppy can learn to entertain itself by rolling the toy until a piece of food drops out for it to eat. They catch on very quickly to this type of play/reward.
Also make sure the garage is warm (or cool) enough to be comfortable for the puppy. You might also ask a friend, or neighbor to drop by and take the puppy for a short walk during the day, particularly if your workdays are longer than 10-12 hours (with your commute to and from work). And always try to make taking the puppy for a walk, then a romp one of the first things you do when you get home.
Just give the puppy time to make the adjustment before you panic. Like human toddlers, dogs don't like it when we have to leave them, but they soon learn we come back. With a little creative thinking, you might not be able to make your puppy's alone time enjoyable, but you can make it tolerable.

Answer 4

Puppies are like babies that want attention and reassurance.
You clearly cannot be there all the time. Give her something that smells like you to keep in the crate (used socks, a teeshirt) to reassure her.

Puppies like to have a "den", a confined quiet space. Maybe the garage is too noisy and too big for her. Try a crate in the house somewhere. Think of an overtired 2 year old. They cry and cry and nothing can please them. In the garage she may work herself up over noises she cannot define/is scared of .. combine this with separation anxiety (no Mom to reassure her)..you have the recipie for just what you are experiencing.
Puppies are like babies they sleep for long periods of time. If yours cannot do that, she is bound to be cranky, scared and tired.

When you get home at night, play with her for a while, then show her the crate and tell her "nap time". After a while she will get the idea. Do not use the crate as a "bad kiddy corner" you want her to feel that going in the crate is a good thing. If you neet to put her in time out, do so in a different area. When she barks excessively, tell her "no barking" if she stops, wait 3-4 seconds then praise her. If she continues, put her in time out. 5 seconds for each month of age and ignore her while she is in time out. When she stops barking, go in the time out area and praise her.
It will take a while but she will get the idea eventually. No matter what, be consistent; this is the real key to training.

Answer 5

Of course your puppy is howling when left alone in the garage. Wouldn't you? If you must confine your puppy while you're at work, consider a crate or puppy-safe room like the laundry room. Leave her toys, food, etc plus a worn T-shirt of yours. This may help with the separation anxiety.

Young puppies shouldn't be left alone for long periods. There are guidelines for crating times. If you have a 3 month old puppy, you shouldn't leave her confined for more than 3 hours.

Practice leaving the house and returning so she knows your going to return. Try 5 minute increments, praise lavishly if she doesn't cry or howl.

Answer 6

i guess there are two ways to try to deal with this...

1) just let the dog be...a crate is better than a bigger open space like a garage...sooner or later the puppy will stop...i know it doesnt make for good sleep or easy nerves but i have two dogs....one is a freh puppy...we crate him in the basement..and every night for the last 5 days he has cried for 20-45 minutes...we just ignored it and finally it has gotten to be less and less time...but hey if you were suddenly ripped away from your loving parents to be put into agarage you would cry too!

2) this can take a lot of time, but might be worth it...as soon as you walk out of the garage and the puppy begins to cry, rip the door open and say "NO" loudly...if the dog is within reach even give it a quick pinch on the neck cause thats what adult dogs do to teach...keep repeating that strategy all day if need be, till the dog stops...

good luck...

puppies rock!!!!

Answer 7

For one, stop leaving doggie dearest in the garage. You need to be with her at this young an age (I'm assuming she's only a couple of months - seeing as you mentioned she's a puppy) as much as possible. When she gets older, she needs to be crate trained. I know training your dog to be a cage seems cruel, but dogs are den creatures; and once properly socialized with the crate get used to it enough that they may howl and bark only for a few minutes after your departure.

I suggest placing the crate more somewhere comfortable and inviting, and the crate large enough that she may sit up and lay down comfortably and be surrounded by her toys, bed etc.. that you left her before.

Be warned, crate training isn't easy. Your baby while howl, and whine and carry on - but if you don't crate train him he'll be training you with the destruction of the house whenever your gone for more than 10 seconds.

And if you have the money, I'd look into your area for petsmarts, or a bonded, trusted pet sitter or walker, or another member of the family, if your going to be gone for a while so that she may be properly exercised and not as stressed upon your return.

And please don't listen to idiotic answers like "If you can't be with her all day - give her away." I volunteered at an animal shelter for six weeks, it's where I meet my Saint Bernard, and let me tell you, it was hell. The animals were properly cared for, and sent off to "sister shelters" whenever we could...but when we couldn't, the animals that had been there the longest , or sickest, or just plain unwanted, were walked down a long a lonesome road to euthanasia.

So you don't have a 30 acre backyard and can't feed Rover lamb and carrots ever day - you can afford a dog food from a grocery store, or can walk her everyday, you won't exploit her or beat her, are willing to make lifestyle changes to fit her comfortably in your life, and can assure her your undying love and time for as long as she lives. The simple fact that your looking for a means to ease your babies stress shows that your either a good owner or someone who's doing their best to become one.

Just because you can't give your pet the life that some people can give their pets DOESN'T mean you dog needs to be surrendered.

Just because your pet HOWLS when your gone DOESN'T mean she needs to be surrendered.

And finally, Just because you can't sit home with her all day, or have to work, ( or can't take her everywhere you go because your human and stuff happens) DOESN'T MEAN she needs to be surrendered!!

Bite the bullet and make changes in your lifestyle and invest in books and advice of qualified pet owners or vets before you decide that you have to surrender your pet just because she doesn't have what many others would consider the perfect lifestyle! What you think is giving her off to a good home could eventually lead her to shelter - and to her grave.

(and just before I get any responses, no - kibble from grocery store aren't exactly high end, but not everyone has the money to purchase lamb, carrots, cereal, etc.. to feed to themselves, their family AND Their dog everyday. Sometimes that money goes to dog insurance plans, and doggie daycare.)

Answer 8

Yoy should look into a doggy day care in your area. That way your puppy will have company besides the radio. It will also be good socializing for her. If thats not an option for you, I suggest crate training too.

Answer 9

i recommend you crate train her, keep the crate in the house though, the garage can have unhealthy fumes from past cars and such.

crates can be easier to adjust to, its in their home, its like a private den- she'll start loving it and easily going into it at night.
i wouldn't leave a dog in a crate or anywhere by themselves for more than 8 hours a day, it's not healthy and if you don't have time for that, try finding a dog walker maybe?
it'd make for a happier dog!

Answer 10

My puppy wasn't anything like that. She would basically sleep all day. I guess it's just lonely and probably scared. Maybe you could get someone to watch it and give it more attention. I don't know how long you leave it alone but I would always try to have someone check on mine regularly.