HELLPPP I can't stand the howling

[Kota's mom]

Right now I am ready to jump out of my skin. My 9 week old puppy absolutly hates being in crate. i have to force him in, no treats no nothing will lure him. He howls at top of lungs for hours, day or night. I can get him to calm down and sleep by the gate we have to block him off from kitchen but their will be times i need him to be crated when i am gone or at night . He jumps the gate so we have to watch him at all times. But the minute i put him in he howls. occasionally he will settle down for less than a minute do I try to take him out at thati minute or do I wait till he has a longer period. Covering crate doesn't work so far either. Do I take him out to pee and then put him right back? He will spend all day and night in there. What do I do? Do I just have to wait it out? Is it okay to leave him in there till he breaks it could be hours days? has anyone done that? does it work? If i take him out other than to pee won't it just defeat the reason. Should I only try to crate him at night and when I leave or should I try when I am home too? Helpppppp

 

[ljnash]

Have you tried keeping him in a puppy-proofed room where you can close the door to keep him in and leave the door to the crate open so he can go in and out when he wants to?? That might help with the whining. If you can keep him in a small space (bathroom, etc.) that would be better for housebreaking. He may just not like being confined in a small space like a crate.

Maybe others have better solutions, but this is what came to my mind.

Good luck.
Lenore

 

[gmacleod]

Do I just have to wait it out? Is it okay to leave him in there till he breaks it could be hours days? has anyone done that? does it work?

No, it is not OK to leave him there until he "breaks". And no, it won't work - you'll just teach him to hate his crate, and cause him even more anxiety being in there. The crate needs to be a place where your puppy feels safe and secure. That's not going to happen by imprisoning him day and night until he finally stops howling (won't help with housetraining him either).

At nine weeks old it's quite normal for him to cry when he's put in his crate. Where do you keep it, btw? At night, I'd suggest that he and his crate are in your bedroom with you. Then at least he's not all alone and is more likely to settle down. He is going to HAVE to have at least one potty stop during the night (possibly two or three) so I'd suggest you set an alarm for taking him out. Take him whether he's crying or not - the last thing you want is him soiling in his crate. But in the middle of the night, he has to go straight back to bed

During the daytime, if you're home, its a good idea to have his crate wherever you are or where the activity of the house is (ie. not isolated from whatever is going on). You'll probably find it easier to pursuade him that his crate is a good place if he's not all alone. You could try feeding him in there, and playing games in and around the (open) crate too. And when he gets sleepy (has to happen with a 9 week old) or if he falls off to sleep anywhere else, pop him into the crate then. There are bound to be other brief periods when you can't watch him so need him in his crate. In those cases, try to make sure he's pottied just before he goes in, and do give him something to do while he's there (a stuffed kong, for example). You can safely ignore his crying for a while - but after half an hour to an hour, he's got to be taken out to potty again, crying or not.

If you're not home with him during the day, then I'd suggest that leaving him in a puppy-proofed room (such as kitchen or bathroom) is a better idea than the crate. Being crated all day and night is too much confinement for any dog, let alone a pup who seems stressed by the crate. He's also going to HAVE to potty every hour or so. If you can't be around to take him out when he needs to go, or don't have someone else who can come and give him potty/play breaks then IMO he's better off in a room than his crate. At least then, when he has to potty, he doesn't also have to sit in his own mess.