Help!! My puppy HATES his crate?

Question

Hi! My hubby and I got a new puppy, he is about 8 weeks old. We got him 2 weeks ago. We think he was a little too young to be taken away from his mom, but his litter was dumped on a local farm and the farmer just took an ad out in the paper. Little guy had a hard start in life...

Anyways, we have been "crate training" only I realize now we have been going about it all wrong. Dallas is going potty outside, every time I take him out, and he is on a strict schedule. But, at night and at times during the day when I need to get some stuff done inside the house and I can't watch him, he goes into his crate. I just stick his head in there and hold his behind until he crawls in.... he absolutely HATES his crate. He whines, cries, screams, howls, and barks frantically for about 5-30 minutes...then he stops and either just softly whines or goes to sleep. At first he wasn't pottying in there..... now it's almost every time. What can I do???? The crate is just big enough for him to stand up and turn around...that's what I read to get him. He has a blanket to lay on and a toy to chew on.... what can I do to stop his behavior?? thanks.

Answer 1

read this link on crate training..

http://www.gomestic.com/Pets/How-to-Succ...

IGNORE him when he cries..if you talk to him - even yelling at him - that is giving him attention

if he learns that he can get attention he will ask for it

eventually the crate becomes their den - a safe place

DO NOT feed them in the crate but safe toys are ok.

but you MUST IGNORE HIM!!

put a radio on and leave him.

Answer 2

He is associating crate with being lock up and unpleasant.  Start him off laying inside with the crate open, and talk and pet him, feed him some snacks.  and even play throw with him.... throw it inside and let him come out.  once he knows that he is free to come in and out, lock him up slowly.  couple mins a time, and let him know that he can expect to be release any second now.  eventually it's not that fearful to him

Answer 3

There is nothing you can do to make him stop whining when he goes in there. He's young and he's not used to being in a crate, of course he's going to hate it. All puppies do when they first go into it. He may have a little separation anxiety because he got separated from his mum younger than he should have. He may be scared to be away from you.

Also put a loud ticking clock near the crate so that he has something to listen to, it will remind him of his mothers heartbeat. It will relax him.

Keep a very close eye (as close as possible anyway) on him when he's in the crate so he doesn't "go" in there. If he looks like he is about to do his business, take him outside immediately. Never punish him for going in his crate. He's still young and can't control his bladder/bowels. Take him out every 2 hours. He can't hold himself for longer than that. Even when you're sleeping, take him out. No dog likes to sleep near their excrement's so it's much better to get him completely used to going outside and never going in his crate.

Keep in there though, it will be long, but he will get used to it. When he's about 3-4 months he should be able to stay in his crate for a full 8 hours without needing to go.  

Answer 4

I also would take him out right before going into the crate and while it may seem unpleasant, I set my alarm clock and took ours out several times a night to go potty.  They do not get their "UhOh" gotta go sensations until about 12 weeks.  Be patient, there will be accidents. Good luck to you..

Answer 5

well lets face it - you wouldn't really like being stuck in a crete in a dark room alone do the little guy a favour and take him to bed with you just a few times so he knows you're still in the house at night maybe put a crete in your bedroom - my dog can't sleep unless some one sleeps with her.

she was dumped in the snow when she was a very young pup and she was living alone for probably about a month.

she gets scared at night unless someone sleeps with her so she comes to bed with me :D

just try it if it doesn't work then think of something else maybe - just try it :)

Answer 6

Honestly, you are doing everything right. My dog didn't like his crate at first either but he got used to it and now will willingly go in it on his own.  There are still some times that he will cry if he is put in it when he really doesn't want to be in it at that time but he calms down shortly.

As far as the pottying in his crate,  take out the blanket.  With the blanket in there, it is more likely to absorb when he eliminates so he can get away from it.  We had an issue f our puppy going bathroom in his crate 2 nights in a row.  We took out his bedding and haven't had an accident since.   You may think that you are making him more comfortable but think about how many times he lays on the tile or hardwood floor in your house?  He's just as happy on a cold surface than on a blanket or bed.  (My dog personally hates being on a bed or blanket or cloth and will immediately move to a cold surface).  

Just keep doing what you are doing.  If you find he is still going to the bathroom, make sure you are always taking him to the bathroom before you put him in and if needed keep him in for shorter amounts of time.

You are doing great.  Good luck.

Answer 7

Yes, your puppy was too young to leave his mother and litter mates, but that aside, you are doing the correct thing in training your pup to the kennel.  Make sure that your pup has had an opportunity to potty before putting him in his crate.  You can also give him a doggy treat after he is in his crate to reinforce the fact that this is something good.  Ignore his crying and he will eventually get used to being in the crate.  He is a baby right now and wants to be right with you.  If you are moving around in the house, he wants to follow you since you have taken on the part as his mother/care giver.  At this age, try not to leave him during the day in the crate for more than 2 hours without letting him outside to potty.  

It also sounds like his crate is too small.  Since he is going to get larger very quickly, he does need a larger crate.  This will allow for a sleeping area and a space where he can potty if he is unable to hold it for very long.  Since he is already going potty in his crate, make sure that you clean it every time with a white vinegar/water solution to neutralize the urine smell.  In a larger crate, you will be able to put down newspaper on which he will be able to relieve himself...this is paper training and as his ability to hold it increases, you will be able to remove the paper.

Good luck with the puppy.

Answer 8

try feeding him all his meals in his crate, and giving him high value treats only when he goes into his crate, this could be some boiled chicken or peanut butter. Also give him his favorite toy in his crate so he is occupied. also you can put a sheet or blanket over the crate so that it feels more safe and den-like. at night you can leave a tv or radio on so that he thinks people are around.

Answer 9

I have crate trained all of my dogs. They hate it at first, but eventually look to it as a sanctuary, like their own "den". I would suggest getting a bigger crate, one that he will grow into & be able to stand & turn around in. For instance, I have 2 dogs. The 2 year old I have was crate trained. Now he knows to not destroy the house (it took about a year of crating). I would put him in it when we left the house for work or errands. At night, he slept in my room (a personal preference). Now, he's trained, so we got a 2nd dog, and we use the crate for her. She hated it at first, but got used to it after a couple of months. She too, sleeps with me. Both dogs are now full grown, as far as size goes. The 2nd dog is still young (not quite a year, yet), so she is still being crated when we leave the house. Both dogs are about 55  lbs. I bought the extra-large crate for the 1st one & used it for the 2nd one since she was a little puppy. It took her a couple of months to not pee & p**p in the cage, but now she's fine. I know it is hard to get things done in the house with a new "baby", but as he gets older, it will get easier. Is there anyway to barricade him outside for a while while you do what you need to do? I don't know how big he is, but how about a play pen for a baby? You could put him in it while you do your housework. It sounds like you are a responsible pet owner, and are trying your best.