young dog barking

[SarahB]

Hello, I have a 13 month old cavalier king charles spaniel who barks incessantly whenever we leave him or put him in the crate for a rest. We have tried ignoring, but he continues to bark and howl for hours! HELP, Sally

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello SarahB,

Welcome to the forum,

It would be important to evaluate why being placed in the crate causes so much distress in the first place. Here are some starting points to evaluate:

-Does your dog suffer from separation anxiety when you leave the home? Have you recorded his behavior on camera/remote surveillance when you leave the house? If so, what does your dog do?

-Does he have a history of trying to destroy the crate when he is enclosed?

-Is the crate placed in an area where he can still see you/hear you when home?

-Is the crate of the correct size?

-Have you tried placing a blanket over the crate? Have you tried darkening the room?

-Has your dog been given time to acclimate to being in a crate since being a puppy? There is a section in the archive on how to introduce crates and make them a comfy place to be.

-Have you worked on creating positive associations with the crate?

-Is he provided with a safe chew toy interactive toy (like a Kong stuffed with goodies) so he can wind down and relax chewing prior to sleeping? Chewing helps dogs relax and get ready to nap.

-Is your dog being exercised, walked, provided with brain games prior to being placed in the crate?

-Has his barking/howling been rewarded with attention or opening the crate in the past? If so, you may have provided a reward history and when you ignore, you may be triggering an extinction burst.

-How long has this behavior been going on for? Is it of recent onset?