Crate problem.

[NickyBoy]

I'm having some problem Crating my 6month old rott.

Here is the situation, since I have him 3month old, I have been gradually crating him while going to work, starting from 1 hour, then 2.... then 8 as he is 6month old.

But the problem is still the same.... When I put him in his crate he is okay, he won't cry, but 20 minutes later when I leave to work he'll begin crying like crazy for some time then stop and redo it again...

When I come back home, he's not crying until I get him out of his crate then he goes crazy trying to jump on me and crying like hell.

It wouldn't really disturb me if it wasn't the fact that I'm living in an appartment and my neighbor are bored of this.

He can be in his crate without any problem if I am in the same room as him (like for sleeping at night while I'm sleeping home too), but if I leave then he's freaking out and start crying)

Is there any advice you can give me??? As it is VERY difficult for me to deal with it as he will never do it when I'm there?!?

Every time before I put him in his crate I make him go out and takes is energy off, but still it doesn't change a thing.

P.S. I tried once to leave him out of his crate in my bedroom, but then it is a real destructive behavior, and crying even more and jumping chewing...



Please help me

[Maryn306]

First, I think 8 hours in a crate is too long. Do you make a big fuss when you leave or come home? Separation anxiety is a real pain to deal with. I would not make any big deal about you leaving or coming home. Is he getting enough exercise? Is there anyone who can come and take him for a walk during the day while you're gone? If not, are there any doggy day care's in your area he could go to a few days a week?

[hmeadq]

When we have to be gone more than 6 hours for our 10 month old we do day care (at a place we train where he is only with 3-4 other dogs who he knows and are his size). If we buy 5 passes at a time they come out to be $80 US.

Its a lot of money, I know, and I'm not sure if daycare every day is good, but maybe once and a while on days you know you cannot get home for lunch it would be good. (An added benifit is he is exhausted when he gets home and sleeps pretty much until the next morning.)

If you ramped him up slowly it sounds like you have some flexability in your job. 4 hours twice a day is tons better than 8 hours all at once.

[NickyBoy]

He have walk and exercise about 1 hour in the morning before crate and between 1 or 3 hours at night (small exercise and good walk)

The weird thing is, even if I leave for 20 minutes he'll cry like crazy when I'll come back and get him out of his crate not before he is out of the crate.

I got someone who live in the same appartment with me who take care of him during the day, but when she got to go for shopping or anything, he will cry when crazy WHEN she get him out of the crate.

He's crying in his crate only when, There's somebody in the home and he's not in the same room as them, When Someone come back and take him out of the crate, When left alone in the crate at night (All the time, he never stop).

But my neighbor tell me that when he's completly alone in the home while nobodies is there, he is fine he's not crying. (Only when we get him out of the crate)

But the girl that live with me, this is not her dog, she don't really want to have to take care of him (I know it's a bit selfish, but can I do elseway???) and when I leave home she's still sleeping and then he starts crying because (he know, or smell, or fell) there's someone in the house (I think?!?)

I know there is no magic trick that'll make him stop crying, before he get's older??? But is there any gadget that might work? Like something that make noise or... I really don't know, I need a solution, and fast...

For the If i make big FUSS when leaving, no, I play with him, then throw something in his crate, he goes gently in it, and I simply close the door, he'll not complain at all, he'll lay down and look at me going, and will stay low profile until I leave. Then I think he feel the presence of my "coloc" (Don't know the word in english for that) and then start crying because he know he's not alone, is it possible???

Sorry for the long post, I'm just so confused right now on what I can do, I don't want to lose my appartment nor my best friend

Thanks for your reply :D

[ArwensMom]

Have you tried to give him something to do in his crate??? Try stuffing a Kong toy with peanut butter and kibbles. They make all sorts of toys that you can put treats in and they have to think and work to get them out. This keeps them busy and happy. I have a dog who has separation anxiety and this helps. When he's jumping all over you like that when you let him out, turn around and ignore him until he's calm. Reinforce the behavior that you want to see. If he's jumping on you and crying and just generally being psycho, don't give him attention. Wait until he calms down and then praise him.

[toshida]

my puppy has the same problem, i recently put some toys in her crate and there is a significant difference...she still whines but not as much.

[NickyBoy]

When I'm leaving I'm giving him a bone that he can chew on, I don't know if this is enough, but when I come back it looks like he didn't touch it.

But after he has finished is psycho scene of crying (I already ignore him, and push him down when he tries to jump on me) he goes in his crate and come to give me his bone and want me to play with it...

Separation Anxiety, is there any good article about it, or any good posts that I can read to inform myself about it?

I'm gonna try to check for intellectual game that he might play while I'm off, do you know if this separation anxiety thing is only when they are young or there WHOLE life???

[ArwensMom]

My dog won't eat bones in her crate either. Try to make it something really special (but not dangerous) that he only gets when he goes in his crate when you're leaving. When he's jumping on you, totally ignore him; don't even push him away; to him, this is attention. My dog is 16 months old now and still having problems. She's actually on a prescription for it. It's a definitely frusterating thing that really dampens an otherwise wonderful dog.

[NickyBoy]

So true, so frustrating, I'll look to see if a toy can be enough to busy him in the crate

Thanks for your help

[ArwensMom]

No problem, anytime. I feel your pain.

[rottnelmo]

so, do I have this straight that the pup is NOT crying in his crate during the day, just when you get home and go to get him out...then he makes a fuss?

The biggest thing is to wait for the pup to be quiet BEFORE you let him out of his crate and PRAISE him like CRAZY when you do let him out...also working on crating the pup at odd times when you are home and only let him out and praise when quiet.

Bella is quiet when we get home, but as SOON as I let her out of her crate she cries and whines all the way to the door to go outside...its like she is happy too see me and she just has to tell me about her day in the crate. I dont pay much attention to her while she is making all this fuss...just get her outside and let her go, running around and settle a bit.

[NickyBoy]

Originally Posted by rottnelmo

so, do I have this straight that the pup is NOT crying in his crate during the day, just when you get home and go to get him out...then he makes a fuss?

No he will cry as SOON as I get him out of the crate

Originally Posted by rottnelmo

Bella is quiet when we get home, but as SOON as I let her out of her crate she cries and whines all the way to the door to go outside...its like she is happy too see me and she just has to tell me about her day in the crate. I dont pay much attention to her while she is making all this fuss...just get her outside and let her go, running around and settle a bit.

My little boy is doing the same thing, but I can't let him go outside, I'm living in an appartment

The problem is really that while my roommate is at home, he feel she's there and then cry like crazy to get out the crate, but she don't want and don't have to take care of my dog, so this is the problem, because when I'm going to work, he'll start crying and wake my roommate and my neighboor.

Anyway Thanks everybody for your help, I'll try out a stuffed toy full of treat

[hmeadq]

We use a Kong w/ cheese whiz. It takes him 20-30 minutes to lick it all out, after which he sleeps. He used to whine when we put him in, but now he runs into his crate and stares at you as soon as I grab it. Anouther option we use is a hollow sterilized bone with peanut butter in it and then we freeze it, again he'll run to his crate as soon as you pull it out of the freezer.

I think the key is a VERY special treat or his favroite safe toy, that he only gets in the the box...

[groupieindenial]

You can also try placing a warm hot water bottle under his blanky in the crate (its a confort thing), and cover his crate with a blanket or sheet. Vegas used to cry or bark when he was younger when it was time for bed. Seemed to work to settle him down. Also, with seperation anxiety, which this sounds like. My friends dog was REALLY bad with it. She tried EVERYTHING, nothing worked. What did help in the end, was routine. THe more routine you can make your dogs day, day-in, and day-out will help settle his nerves.

[NickyBoy]

A big kong, stuffed with cheeze whiz isn't it bad for the dog? I mean cheez whiz is IMO pretty chemichal even for me?? Is there anything not too bad for the dog I can stuff a big kong with???

The routine, is also there, but maybe he is starting to cry again because of my new roommates, routine is broken ...