How do I get my puppy to stop crying in her crate?

Question

I have an 8 week old shiba inu puppy that I am crate training. I have a blanket over the sides to make it like a cozy den. The radio plays as well. After 2 hours of playing, walking, and potty time, she is tired and ready for a nap. I am trying to get her on a schedule so she becomes slowly introduced to me being away when I start school in a month. However, every time that I leave the room she screams and howls! I have tried to put chew toys in there and a kong, but they don't help. She ignores them. The kong definately does not keep her occupied, she abandons it after biting the top off the cookie. I have not given in and let her out, and I tried to bang sharply on the top and reward her for being quiet. I tried staying inside so she could hear me and be comforted, and I tried to leave and see if she settled down (she was still crying when I came back in an hour). I have problems ignoring it because of the neighbors. She only sleeps when I sit down next to her. What else can I do?

Answer 1

Well, you could abandon crate training all together. I'm from northern Europe and crate training for puppies is not that popular over here. In fact, I only learned about crate training for puppies as a standard method when I started visiting US dog groups online - usually we use it only for dogs with severe anxiety problems.

As I've never crated any of my pets, except for transportation, I can't really say how much more work it is not to crate a puppy. From what I've read, however, I do suspect that it is a whole lot more work.

I puppy-secure my home and keep an eye on the pup 24 hours a day (yes, we tend to take days off when we get a pup or try to get the pup during our holidays). The pup sleeps with a blanket that smells like her mother and siblings in an open cardboard box that is just big enough for her to comfortably lie in it next to my bed the first nights, so that I can reach down and put my hand on her if she starts to fuss or wake up to take her out when she has to go. Personally, I feel this constant contact is important for the human-dog bonding and helpful when it comes to housebreaking the pup (my first dog was housebroken within 14 days).

After 2-3 days, I move the box maybe half a metre away and then gradually increase the distance until she is sleeping where I want her to. I also start home alone training at this point, starting with 1 second, then 2 seconds etc. until she has no problems staying alone for up to 20 minutes - again in a puppy-safe environment, I simply close the doors or use a baby gate to the rooms where she can get in trouble.

The whole idea about this method of training is to introduce new situations so gradually that the pup always feels secure and I can honestly say that I have never had a screaming or howling pup on my hands.

Answer 2

It's entirely natural for a new puppy to call out for someone to come when separated. Pups alone in the wild would not survive without this alarm system. Therefore all your new dog is doing is following instinct. Either in the nesting box or in the wild, a puppy learns very quickly that when separated from the pack, calls for help will allow other members of the pack to quickly locate him. If the puppy is very distressed and clearly upset, then I will often suggest allowing it to sleep in your bedroom, but within an indoor kennel/crate. Then over a period of time move the crate in stages to the spot where you want the puppy to stay for instance the kitchen. However it is vital to have a play-pen as well as the crate with paper down in the playpen NOT THE CRATE so that the dog can defecate and urinate. Shutting the crate door on a very young puppy could be a total disaster. It can cause crate aversion and toileting problems, it will definitely cause anxiety. Therefore until the pup is at least twelve to thirteen weeks old I would not shut the crate door overnight.

Answer 3

When ours did this, I did make a slight, sharp banging noise immediately when she just started to cry. I only did it very quickly, so she had to stop to see what it was. That seemed to help for her, as she was curious as to what was making the noise. (Try banging elsewhere, or in a way that she cannot tell that you are doing it, wherever you happen to adiminster the banging noise). I did not leave her out as long as you are, though. I think 2 hours outside the cage is a long time. The cage should be the place the puppy stays, like the den the mother would keep the puppies in. If she thinks the outside of the cage is the place she is supposed to be, then the cage will be the undesireable place. At night, you should try bringing the cage into your room. If you need to, get another cage, (maybe at a garage sale or a classified ad) or a smaller cage for this purpose, then do so. We usually let our dogs come outide and play for about 20 minutes (because that was the time they could be trusted not to have an accident.) Then we would let them do their business, give them a treat and lots of praise, and then put them back into the crate. We would not leave them in there for long, long periods of time, but break it up with briefer periods of playtime, then cage-time. Perhaps your puppy feels that she will be in the cage for a long time, or thinks you are really apprehensive about all this. You will have to get used to it, as well as the puppy, and ride this one out. The crate is the best way to housetrain a pup, and the safest way to raise it, too. A book about this method would probably be a really good thing for you, and would probably answer a lot of your questions regarding the "ins and outs" of it all, as well as other puppy books. Have you tried using a cover on the whole cage, to quiet her down? That is what my son did, and it helped a lot. Of course your pup will need something soft to lay on like towels or a soft pillow to make it nice and cozy. Just don't use anything you can't part with for the cover of pillow, if it gets ripped or chewed. Then ignore her.

Answer 4

I have experienced this situation before. When we first got our puppy he cried a lot in his crate but the vet told us for the crate to be in a very social place of your house so he's not secluded and he get's acclimated. Also, you could wrap one of the older alarm clocks that has the "tick-tock" sound in a towel (but make sure that the puppy wont chew or bite the alarm clock and get something in his mouth he could choke on). By doing this, the puppy may compare that ticking to the mother's heartbeat and may be more at ease. Also, take her on walks during the day and play with her and only put her in the crate when it's necessary or at the same time everyday, don't keep her locked up for long periods of time!
And also, use positive reinforcement, reward his good behavior like not barking and when he does things he's suppose to. Hope this is helpful!

Answer 5

To start out, put her in the crate for very short periods. Pick her up and love on her and pet her, and tell her, "It is time to nap. Be a good girl." or something similar, whatever feels right to you. But use this phrase every time you put her in the crate to let her know what is going on, and the loving and petting will eventually let her know that the crate is not a punishment. Put her in the crate for about 20 min or so. Do not take her out if she is crying and carrying on. If she is crying and you take her out and love on her to calm her, you are teaching her that if she cries loud enough you will let her out. Either go outside, or run to the store, or at the very least, go to another room and be very quiet. When the 20 minutes passes and she is quiet, go and get her out. Love on her and praise her and tell her what a good girl she is. Training times like this might be really good to do right after she eats. She will have to go outside around that time after eating anyway, and that will further reward her. Most dogs love to go outside. Do this a couple or three times a day for a while. At night put her in the crate in the same way, loving her and telling her goodnight. She will eventually get the hang of it. You may go over and see the neighbors, let them meet the puppy and tell them you are in the process of training her. Apologize for any disturbance in might cause and you hope it won't take long to get her trained, but you just wanted to let them know. Don't ever put her in the crate as a punishment. And I would not strike the crate either. You don't want her to be afraid to be in there, and you don't want her to be afraid of you.

Answer 6

this is what I tell my clients... first off the puppy wants attention... every time you scream, clap, stick your fingers in the cage, anything like that the puppy thinks you are giving attention to him/her (any attention to a dog is good attention...even if you think its not). So no attention. Also start slow... for the first couple of days only put the pup in for an hour at a time... you can put a kong filled with cheese (cheese is great because it sticks to the sides and is hard to get out... really works their mind).. then after that do 2 hours... and then 3 and 4 and 5... your puppy will probably only be able to hold it for 4 to 5 hours at a time... so don't put them in to long or your going to have to clean up some nasty stuff... this is a really annoying process but everyone goes through it with a new puppy. the puppy will learn it just might take a while.

Answer 7

Well because she is so young it is important to not leave her in the crate for 2 hours. Of couse when she is older and used to it it will be fine. The max is 3 hours for her age. I doube checked all this info and I will include the link in which i got it from. She might be whinning because she needs to go to the bathroom. When they are puppies they need to be take out every 30 min or so. The Website has really good info though.

Answer 8

Were crate training my puppy right now. When she gets sleepy we put her in it and if she starts to whine i'll sit by the cage and talk to her until she goes to sleep. Then she's good for a few hours. She'll get use to it because mine already is. She realizes when she wakes up she'll get to get out and go outside and spend time with you again. So after a while it wont be such a hassel

Answer 9

The first and third answers sound good. Snuggle for a few nights with a small blanket to get your scent all over it and put that in her cage. Also, before you take her inside, make sure you really tire her out. Play with her to the point of exhaustion.

Don't worry too much about this. She'll grow out of it as she gets older.

Answer 10

Crate traing is a good thing IF she isn't locked in there all the time. Put a shirt in there that you've worn. Then when it's time to go in the crate give her a small "cookie" ( milkbone) , teel her she is a good girl as she goes in. When it's time to eat put here in the crate & let here eat there, show her the crate is her "room" not a bad thing. Never put her in the crate out of anger. My Akita loves her crate, it's her room. When it's time to go in her crate i tell her to go to bed & in she goes! hope this helps.