Crying and Yelping- How to stop it?

[Rottnlove]

A similar post was posted a while back, but I had some other questions and I didn't want to post them there.

I should be getting my long awaited puppy in just over a month. In the past when we've had a puppy they'd cry and cry all night long, for days if not weeks. I believe I must've done something wrong. I didn't try the radio or the clock idea. I'll be trying that. Another mistake I made was putting the puppy away from us in the crate in another room. That dog never liked the crate, no matter what we did. The new puppy will be in our room at night, crated.

I don't want to make any mistakes this time. Not sure of tossing a can of pennies to the whinning puppy is a positive thing. I don't want her to startle at every loud jingle in her life.

So, here's a question about crying in the crate. What do you do to get it to stop? Do you get up with the puppy to comfort it and see if the puppy will settle? Or do you leave the puppy and ignore the noise, hoping that he/she will settle in time? I know that you should not take out the puppy, then it's training you. I know the puppy will probably cry when it's ready for potty, but how do you deal with the non stop crying and howling?

I want the crate to be a good thing for the dog. I want to do the training right.

Can you recommend any good positive crate training methods?

Are there and great books out there on puppy crate training?

Thanks. :)

[Steve Craftman]

How far away is your new puppy? The reason I ask is that when we were waiting for Teal'c, after he was about four weeks old he started coming for visits. At first just thirty minutes or so and then back home to mom, who lives just up the road. By the time he stayed the night (which is when he moved in!), he knew us, humans and dogs, and our home well enough that there was no separation anxiety.

[Rottnlove]

That's a great idea!

The only problem is that the puppy is quite far away...13 hour drive!

Soooo I'm just waiting for them to get old enough and the breeder will probably be picking out the right puppy for me. They won't know which one is best until closer to the 8 week mark. The pups are almost a month old now. I'm excited and I'm planning a special trip in November to pick her up! :D

Thanks!

[Roscoe's dad]

I have read that using a towel that was kept with the mom and other siblings work well. It gives them a familar scent.

[rottnkidd]

Hi Rottnlove- I just posted some info on this subject Friday. Look for the thread started by TrishB, titled "Puppy Tip: How to Avoid Crate Barking." Mine is the last post. Another thing is to make the crate a pleasant place to be! I've always kept a nice clean thick rug in there, and when my girl was a pup, I always had a couple of spare rugs around in case of an 'accident'. During the winter months I'd put an old cotton bedspread over the outside of the crate. It keeps the drafts out and makes the crate cozy and inviting. Good luck to you!
kathy

[Rottnlove]

Thanks everyone!

I'll do all of the above mentioned. I also saw Trishb's post, lots of good advice there, too!

Now, another question....

I'm looking into the "Nylabone" brand fold down crates. How good are they? The small one (up to 20lbs.) for start.

Thanks. ;)

[rottnkidd]

Rottnlove- It's up to you, but the Nylabone crate will only last
you for a short time. These pups grow fast! I'd suggest investing in a large crate. The Midwest brand sold though RC Steele or Petsmart should suit your needs through adulthood.
You just have to slip a divider in it to keep it small for now. That
will discourage the pup from 'messing' in the crate. If you give them too much room they'll use one end to 'mess', and the other end to sleep! How much is the Nylabone crate? The Midwest
crate was under $100.
kathy

[Rottnlove]

Thanks, Kathy.

The Nylabone crate is $32 at my local Wal-Mart.

I've thought about using the divider in the crate. Does the Midwest crate come with the dividers? Or do you make one?

[rottnkidd]

Rottnlove - We made the divider. My husband cut a piece of plywood and wedged it in there real tight. It worked out well for us, and she never 'thought' of trying to chew on it! Then again, she didn't spend too much time in there...just naps and overnight.
As she grew, and housebreaking was complete, we removed
the divider.
kathy

[Rottnlove]

Thanks Kathy! :)

They should just make these large crates and make a wire divider that adjusts in the crate, kind of like shelves adjust for the amount of space you need. Guess I need to invent one! :D

Thanks again.

Lisa

[Loki's Mom]

Petsmart has dividers that you can buy for the Midwest crates. I bought the largest one and it actually came with a divider. Of course, Loki was already "large" when we got her so we had no need for the divider. :D Go to their website and check it out!

[Rottnlove]

Thanks Loki's Mom, I'll check that out! :D