Crate Training

[CyndiOgrady]

My puppy will lay in her crate with the door open occasionally; however she will not tolerate the door closed. She will cry and howl and will not stop. What can I do?

[Adrienne]

Hi there!

Welcome to the forums,

How old is your puppy? How long have you had her for?

Do you know whether the former owner/breeder ever used to crate this puppy before?

Where are you keeping the crate when you close your puppy in it? Is it nearby you?

When does the crying howling start? As soon as you close it? When you leave the area?

How long are you crating her for?

Are you providing her with anything when you close the crate? Treat, toy, stuffed Kong?

These questions will help me better understand your pup's situation. Most puppies need some conditioning to being in the crate before they are comfortable staying in it. 

[CyndiOgrady]

Ivy is 10 weeks old and we’ve had her for 2 weeks. She will not sleep in the crate, but sleeps fine beside my bed or in any room with me. She is playing in her crate more with toys and treats. She will let me close the door For a few minutes if I sit by her now. The Breader did not crate that I know of. I have been with her every minute since we got her and am worried about how to ever leave her. She is practically glued to me at all times. 

[Adrienne]

Thanks for the additional details, they are very helpful!

Puppies are strongly attached to their owners in their first weeks, and as they mature and get closer to adolescence they start gaining more and more independence. You can read more about this process here:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/flight-instinct-period-4-8-months/

With pups like yours, we need to go very gradual though as there is a thin line between making the crate a great place to be and creating negative associations while enclosed there due to the fear of isolation. In general, if she is crying and howling, that's a sign that she's not ready yet for this level of separation, so we need to go very slowly in the process and try to help her out.

Here you can find some exercises to help a dog love the crate:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/love-the-crate/

Other things you can try: 

-Make sure your puppy's needs are met before being crated. Make sure your puppy has gone potty, has exercised, has eaten, drank etc. 

-Using calming aids. For puppies who are missing their litter mates and mom, a Snuggle Puppy Behavior Aid can help. This stuffed animal is not for puppies to chew on, but is rather a temporary aid that mimics  mother dog's heartbeat. 

-DAP diffusers such as Adaptil plug-ins are crafted to help puppies adapt in a new environment. These diffusers spread out synthetic versions of DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromones), special pheromones that are emitted by mother dogs and known for having a calming effect on the puppies. There are also DAP sprays and collars. 

-Calming music can be helpful too. You can find CDs of hours-long music composed purposely for helping restless puppies sleep. 

-Wear an old t-shirt during the day and then put that in with her when she needs to be left alone. 

-Give her long-lasting goodies (stuffed Kong, safe edible chews) to give during your absence. 

-Start with brief absences, then mix in some longer ones, but add some brief ones too every now and then so to not make your pup think the exercises get harder and harder. 

-Try to place a blanket over the crate. With less visual stimulation, some pups are more likely to relax.

-Some clingy puppies may need some more in-depth, comprehensive intervention to get them gradually used to being left alone such as encouraging them to hold brief sit/stays as we walk around the house. You can find an example under Tier 1: Protocol For Dogs Who Follow Owners Room- to- Room in this link:

Any time a puppy struggles by crying or howling, it means we have progressed too fast. 

-Finally, some pups do better being placed in an exercise pen (with the crate with the door open inside) or in an area of the home that is blocked off by a baby gate (and lined up with puppy pads in case the puppy has to potty) when they must be left alone (some dogs have confinement phobia). If the breeder hasn't crate trained this pup, it may take a while to get used to it, but some pups may struggle more than others and it wouldn't be fair to force them if they panic and taking baby steps doesn't help.

I hope this help!

Let me know if you have any further questions!

Best,

Adrienne