Dog Community

barking in crate

Posted : 12/29/2006 11:24:33 AM

Im sure there is a thread on this somewhere...so a point in the right direction is appreciated...

Ive crate trained lots of dogs, but maybe its been awhile since ive had a puppy, cause i cant figure out how to deal with this.

This is a BEDTIME issue. on SOME nights Arlo (10-16 weeks old?) barks and barks and barks. i try to ignore it but he goes on and on and on. I worry about him getting to the point of "liking the sound of his voice"...he is on the vocal side as it is.

It SEEMS he is worse on days i take him out with me (to the beach, errands, etc.) and then at bedtime he gets mad.

I have the crate in our living room(he is in and out throughout the day). Id rather not move it into the bedroom. In the past i would train pups by having them sleep in the bedroom on a leash tied to the headboard (monks of new skete) but arlo still peed when i did that, so i figured the crate was the way to go until he gets a better grasp on the whle "potty outside" thing.

so i guess the question is, how do i get him to stop? ignore it? punish it? move the crate (this is the no-other-solution solution for me)

Arlo is proving to be difficult for me. i have never plucked a pup off the side of the road before...and i am finding him difficult but very workable...we have success in DOING (sit, stay, down) but challenges with the DON'T DO (pee inside, barking)

thanks for any input!

jones

Posted : 12/29/2006 12:46:19 PM

If you don't mind my asking, why don't you want to put the crate in the bedroom? IMO that is a great place for it. To get your pup to stop barking in the crate, ignoring him IS the key. However, at his age being alone is a bit much to handle, and if he's a hound (just guessing from your avatar) they're particuarly social members of an already social species. Unless there's a pressing reason not to, being in the room with you a night is the best place to be. Then just pop in some earplugs and go to bed. [

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espencer

Posted : 12/29/2006 12:59:06 PM

Animals sense the energy you project at the moment when you want them to do or stop doing things, in other words they sense your attitude, your "vibes" if you want to put it that way, if you go to him and sense a "vibe" of "i want you to stop barking" (you can help yourself with a noise like "hey" or the noise you do at a public library when you want someone to stop talking) then the dog will sense that energy you are projecting and sense you he is doing something you dont like, of course it will take more than 3 or 4 tries before the dog starts to understand the relation with the barking at night and your attitude, you have to address that behavior every single time he is barking at night, if you do it one time and leave him bark another then he wont relate anything, it will take around 20 minutes before he finally stops, if only 4 minutes passed and you feel it does not work then it wont, be patience [

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Chuffy

Posted : 12/29/2006 1:02:59 PM

The whole time he is barking he is building up a negative association with the crate and this, to my mind is a bigger issue than the noise he is making. To stop the barking by correcting or ignoring it would not make him like being in the crate more and IMO that is what you should address. I agree with jones that the best place for the crate is in your bedroom and later on you can move it gradually to its more permanent spot. That's just what I would do, I'm afraid I don't have any better suggestions.

Barb B

Posted : 12/29/2006 1:21:13 PM

First I'd move the crate to the bedroom ... he's feeling abandoned in the living room. Do you ever lock him in the crate during the day or is he just allowed to enter and exit at will? Other things to try ... put a sheet over the crate and give him something to do while in there. My favorite is to stuff a Kong with yogurt or pumpkin (the real stuff not the pie stuff) and freeze it. I do this for agility trials where they spend a lot of time in their crates.

shanmcd

Posted : 12/29/2006 1:22:47 PM

i don't want the crate in the bedroom because (wince) i dont want to be lugging it up and down the stairs...

when we are not home, the pup is in the crate and the older dogs hang out in the living room...no access to upstairs, i dont want ANY of the dogs in the bedrooms without us around. Therefore it SEEMS to make sense to leave the crate downstairs.

He doesnt have neg associations with the crate GENERALLY...he goes in willingly...and during the day when we are home (if i cant pay close attention to him) i crate him and he is fine. When we are going out, he complains, but it stops quickly.

it is a nighttime issue, and as i discuss it...it DOES seems obvious that moving the crate to the bedroom will solve the problem...

but is it the best thing? if he is whining/barking/howling out of lonliness am i at risk of creating a "sep anxiety" issue? I fear this as i fostered a barrier AND seperation anxious dog, a nightmare resulting in the dog PTS.

In conclusion, he only hates the crate at night. i havent tried music or anything (to give the impression we are in the room) maybe ill try that before moving it upstairs? unless the consensus is to bring him into the bedroom.

Thank you and your continued input is greatly appreciated!

Chuffy

Posted : 12/29/2006 1:43:07 PM

Rescue remedy? DAP diffuser? Old item of clothing with your scent on? Stuffed kong? Radio? These are mostly things I'd do with a puppy getting used to spending the night alone but you never know, it might help to calm him down.

I don't think it would create the sep anx problem because the transition could be as gradual as he needs it to be...... my guess is (and its purely a guess) that making him spend the night alone before he's acclimatised to it is more likely to create issues in that department, but that's just a guess on my part and nothing more.

shanmcd

Posted : 12/30/2006 8:30:18 PM

Welllllll....i hve him tied to the bedpost again (SUCKER!)...last night went just fine. but if anyone has any thought about CREATING a sep anxiety problem i would be interested in hearing it...thanks!

shannon

juneaudog

Posted : 1/7/2007 10:54:24 AM

We're new to this, but we found that for the first few days, when leaving the pup in the crate (which is in our bedroom) but going anywhere else in the house, she would complain. What we do now is get her settled in the crate ... after a few minutes she will lie down and relax (maybe nap). Over time she has become used to this routine and doesn't mind us leaving the room now. We are also worried about creating separation anxiety by keeping the pup too close, but since she seems to be adapting, is really seems to be ok. Since your dog did fine for the night in the bedroom it sounds like you should move the crate and not worry about the sep anxiety issue.

Any thoughts on having TWO crates (one in the living area and another in the bedroom)? Will the dog learn to see them both has her den?

shanmcd

Posted : 1/9/2007 3:00:01 PM

so in another thread i was FINALLY convinced to move the crate into my bedroom!!! the poster suggested that the bedroom gives "THIS IS WHERE/WHEN WE SLEEP" vibes. even though the leash-on-bedpost was successful, i think the crate in the bedroom WAS the way to go in the end...thanks!

tzumommy

Posted : 1/9/2007 3:13:39 PM

Chuffy: I never would have considered that - the possible building of negative association with the crate while barking..... I always enjoy reading your posts; I like your insight.