# Puppy screaming in his crate.. Making me feel terrible



## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

I might be misunderstanding something - is he in the crate when you're home? If so, why? 
How long is he in the crate? Can you cover it at night? That usually helps them to settle down. 

How long have you had him?


----------



## olliversmom (Mar 13, 2013)

My last dog Homer was only in the crate twice. He hated it. he did not make a sound, but just stood there miserable. So we put it in basement. He was well behaved and was not destructive and was potty trained, but I got him at 4 months. Much older than your pup.

Olliver loved his crate and still sleeps in there at night, right next to my side of the bed. When he was younger, he would happily go in there for his two naptimes during the day and settled right down with a kong and his stuffed animals.
But a couple weeks back, he started balking at day crating, so now he sleeps where he falls. 

Maybe an x pen set up might be better? or enclosed area? I used to sit for folks who kept their pup gated in laundry room and she was happy in there.
My Homer was the first pup I ever tried crate with as they were not popular back in dinosaur age. I guess the dogs were sequestered in small room or kitchen.
The crate is supposed to help with potty training and to keep pup in safe area when u are not able to watch it. If you can provide both these things in another way, then by all means I would end the torture. Does not sound like minor crate dislike to me. More of a crate anxiety.


----------



## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Can you get a crate for the downstairs? I didn't use the crate very much, Penny didn't like it. I would put her in if I had to shower, potty, run out to get the mail, run to the store, etc. Usually never more than 30 minutes at a time. It seems to go better if they know you're not there...sometimes.

I would put one in the room where you have his towel now. Put the towel in the crate. Maybe a kong or some treats and let him wander in and out on his own. He'll probably start napping there on his own.


----------



## meadows (Aug 13, 2013)

laprincessa said:


> I might be misunderstanding something - is he in the crate when you're home? If so, why?
> How long is he in the crate? Can you cover it at night? That usually helps them to settle down.
> 
> How long have you had him?


We put him in the crate when we are going out for a little while (only a half hr max) and when we can't watch him (showering, doing laundry downstairs, etc). Usually we just let him hang out with us. Its better for us to crate for now because he is just beginning to be house broken but makes some mistakes still. When he wakes up from naps we usually have to grab him and take him out asap or else there's a pee puddle. 

We have it covered with a dark blanket and it actually slightly helped the other night so hat was a bonus. I tried today to out him in when I was in the shower ( I gave him little piece of bacon which was like a super high value treat for him!) And he barked and whined for a little bit but surprisingly settled down. So perhaps he Is starting to like it more now. When he's completely housebroken and npt chewing as much we might just leave it up to him if he wants to sleep in there or not. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## meadows (Aug 13, 2013)

olliversmom said:


> My last dog Homer was only in the crate twice. He hated it. he did not make a sound, but just stood there miserable. So we put it in basement. He was well behaved and was not destructive and was potty trained, but I got him at 4 months. Much older than your pup.
> 
> Olliver loved his crate and still sleeps in there at night, right next to my side of the bed. When he was younger, he would happily go in there for his two naptimes during the day and settled right down with a kong and his stuffed animals.
> But a couple weeks back, he started balking at day crating, so now he sleeps where he falls.
> ...


It seemed like a crate anxiety to me as well. He seems to be one of the few dogs who doesn't like being enclosed for sleeping. He is happy just being right out in the open. We are trying to get him to feel more comfortable by putting him in for short times and we will see how that works. There isn't really another spot we can put him where he can't get into puppy trouble no matter how hard we tried to puppy proof the house. When we aren't looking is when he goes for furniture legs, clothes, etc. And we don't want him to get sick or injured somehow. We might try blocking off the kitchen as a safe spot for him and use bitter spray on the bottoms of the cabinets. That's a good idea for him.. If he goes back to hollering tonight we may have to head out and get another baby gate for him  

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I wouldn't worry about letting him out if he's crying. You are using the crate just as I would. You may find that he learns, rather than crying gets him out, that it doesn't last long and you'll be right back. Hang in there. For most pups they either love it or hate it. You'll know after a few more days.


----------



## meadows (Aug 13, 2013)

Penny's Mom said:


> Can you get a crate for the downstairs? I didn't use the crate very much, Penny didn't like it. I would put her in if I had to shower, potty, run out to get the mail, run to the store, etc. Usually never more than 30 minutes at a time. It seems to go better if they know you're not there...sometimes.
> 
> I would put one in the room where you have his towel now. Put the towel in the crate. Maybe a kong or some treats and let him wander in and out on his own. He'll probably start napping there on his own.


The crate was super expensive so we would prefer using the same one. But we have a kennel for the cat that may work for now as a practice crate and perhaps that might work as a downstairs crate while he is this little.

Using treats and having him wander in has been helpful. He seems to settle faster. And today he hasn't cried as much in there and while I did the laundry he cried and whimpered a little bit I came back up and he was sitting quietly in there playing with his little stuffed animals. 

Could this be a small step towards a victory?? 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

At first we had a crate (our large) in the bedroom for night and a smaller, borrowed one in the laundry room for when we went out. Other than that he was gated in the kitchen/laundry room area. When Hank out grew the smaller crate we just left him in the gated area when we were out. I put him in the smaller crate once when I cleaned the floors and he carried on the entire time!


----------



## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

Thank you for clarifying - I did misunderstand
Sounds like you're doing fine but a word of caution about bacon - while he may love it like crazy, be prepared for diarrhea. Max could never eat bacon, or any pork product, without getting a screaming case of the runs!

Is there any way you can get a towel or blanket and rub down his mom with it, then put it in the crate? That helped enormously with Max.
When it finally shredded, I took a t-shirt that I had worn and not washed and put that in with him.


----------



## EmmaandMoose (May 3, 2013)

Emma was the exact same way with her crate. I did everything you posted above and she still would cry. She went through different phases of crying before getting more comfortable. She cried when I first got her since it was a new thing to her and then ended up crying only when I first put her in there and in the early morning. At times she would cry if I had to leave her in there and go to work or go somewhere in the house that I could not keep an eye on her. She eventually got used to it and will even take a nap in there now on her own (though this is rare). Moose did not have the same issues as Emma did with the crate when he was a puppy so the crying was new to me.
I think getting Emma really tired before bed (or crating) helped out a lot. And it might just take time. Good luck!


----------



## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

That is a HUGE step towards having him settle into the routine that works for you and keeps him safe and out of trouble. You can get away with the smaller crate for now. Penny had the run of the house at 4 months. She was housebroken and showed no interest in chewing on things that weren't hers. They are all different, but it may not take as long as you think.



meadows said:


> The crate was super expensive so we would prefer using the same one. But we have a kennel for the cat that may work for now as a practice crate and perhaps that might work as a downstairs crate while he is this little.
> 
> Using treats and having him wander in has been helpful. He seems to settle faster. And today he hasn't cried as much in there and while I did the laundry he cried and whimpered a little bit I came back up and he was sitting quietly in there playing with his little stuffed animals.
> 
> ...


----------



## meadows (Aug 13, 2013)

Willow52 said:


> At first we had a crate (our large) in the bedroom for night and a smaller, borrowed one in the laundry room for when we went out. Other than that he was gated in the kitchen/laundry room area. When Hank out grew the smaller crate we just left him in the gated area when we were out. I put him in the smaller crate once when I cleaned the floors and he carried on the entire time!


Ah OK I was under the impression that all GRs were crate lovers and I felt like I was doing everything in my power to make it an enjoyable experience. I'm glad others have pups who aren't fans either. We might start keeping him in he kitchen instead if the crate doesn't work out. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## meadows (Aug 13, 2013)

EmmaandMoose said:


> Emma was the exact same way with her crate. I did everything you posted above and she still would cry. She went through different phases of crying before getting more comfortable. She cried when I first got her since it was a new thing to her and then ended up crying only when I first put her in there and in the early morning. At times she would cry if I had to leave her in there and go to work or go somewhere in the house that I could not keep an eye on her. She eventually got used to it and will even take a nap in there now on her own (though this is rare). Moose did not have the same issues as Emma did with the crate when he was a puppy so the crying was new to me.
> I think getting Emma really tired before bed (or crating) helped out a lot. And it might just take time. Good luck!


Ah OK! So perhaps Marvin just isn't into the whole crate thing. We will keep working on it. Even today he was better than he was yesterday and I think he may have been a bit sad about leaving his mom and dad and litter mates. 
Last night we took him on a walk which tired him out mentally and physically (along with me and my fiance) and it went better. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Jaykay (Jul 20, 2013)

Skye, my BC, totally loathed his crate. He fought like a mad thing, in total panic, to get out of it. I felt so bad for him, I stopped using it there and then. Instead I used a baby gate and 'puppy-proofed' the kitchen instead. 

I put in plenty of things that were much nicer to chew than the kitchen cabinets, sprayed the chair spars with anti-chew (learned that from my two previous lab pups!). He was fine, relaxed and happy. 

So that's what I've done with young animals ever since.


----------



## meadows (Aug 13, 2013)

Jaykay said:


> Skye, my BC, totally loathed his crate. He fought like a mad thing, in total panic, to get out of it. I felt so bad for him, I stopped using it there and then. Instead I used a baby gate and 'puppy-proofed' the kitchen instead.
> 
> I put in plenty of things that were much nicer to chew than the kitchen cabinets, sprayed the chair spars with anti-chew (learned that from my two previous lab pups!). He was fine, relaxed and happy.
> 
> So that's what I've done with young animals ever since.


That's essentially what Marvin has been doing and we feel terrible but there are so many people telling us to just "wait it out" and its so hard to hear him so fearful and not do anything about it. Today he was more just whimpering to get out but the other nights he was going mad. If he does the crazy yelling again tonight/tomorrow night we will look into babygating the kitchen. It's the one room in the house with little that he can destroy. or at least we can prevent him from destroying it with "no chew". we don't want our little baby pup to be so scared. :uhoh:


----------



## Jaykay (Jul 20, 2013)

I think you go with your instinct. A couple of tries at a crate, fair enough. But if he's that frightened, baby-gate instead, you'll all feel happier. The people telling you to 'wait it out' can't feel and hear the fear. I'm sure it's not right to put a puppy through that. It's one thing to wait out a bit of whining - 'I'd rather be out there with you than in here' and completely another to keep putting a little pup somewhere where he's frightened, until he just gives up hope.

Hey, some people love snug dens, and others have to have space and light. I'm the latter, and it sounds as though my Skye and your baby Marvin are too.


----------



## meadows (Aug 13, 2013)

I will definitely go with my instinct on it. My fiancé doesn't understand it but I was nearly in tears the other day listening to him cry and bang the walls in his crate. I know I've been over-sensitive my whole life but there's a point where I can tell if he's just whining and sulking (he actually sighs and whimpers - he's done since we met him at the breeder) and fear. He cuddles into my neck when I get him out and it's all I can do not to cry. I'm glad that you guys understand that I'm not being a pushover but I just can't do that to my little guy if he doesn't like it! 
Now that I think of it... at the breeder's place, the brothers/sister would sleep under a chair or in a dark spot and he'd be laying out on the floor at our feet. 

Now... if we gate off the kitchen and have him there over night, how can we keep up on our housebreaking? When he was in his crate he would cry and we would go grab him and bring him outside to do his business but I'm afraid that in a big room he will just pee/poop on the floor and it will set him back in his housebreaking. We tried to avoid pee pads and the works... What do you all think?


----------



## Michele4 (Oct 28, 2012)

Murphee hated his crate too, I never had a dog that would cry and scream like he would, He loved to lay in the bathroom when he took his naps so we decided to baby proof it and put a gate in the door and he was fine with that. After about nine months old we didn't need to put him away, he is very well behaved when we go out or to work.


----------



## Finn's Mom (Aug 10, 2013)

I have attached a fenced area (bought the folding fence at petco) to my pup's crate after the neighbors complained about all the barking at night the first week we had him. I tried every trick in the book to quiet him down in there. Now I leave the door of the crate open. He has been sleeping every night from 11 to 6 without a sound but outside the crate on the floor. I think I will be using the crate only for traveling or for short periods during which I am cleaning or need the space back!


----------



## meadows (Aug 13, 2013)

Finn's Mom said:


> I have attached a fenced area (bought the folding fence at petco) to my pup's crate after the neighbors complained about all the barking at night the first week we had him. I tried every trick in the book to quiet him down in there. Now I leave the door of the crate open. He has been sleeping every night from 11 to 6 without a sound but outside the crate on the floor. I think I will be using the crate only for traveling or for short periods during which I am cleaning or need the space back!


Wow that's awesome! I might try that too. He doesn't like being in there when the door is shut but he night not mind if we gate him in front of it. I just hope he won't pee on the floor or in the crate if he doesn't sleep in it. He still has some accidents because he's very young. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Finn's Mom (Aug 10, 2013)

I have an older dog and I think this is one of the reasons he likes to be out of the crate.. he feels more like he's in the same room as the other dog this way(even though the fence separates him.) I have some newspapers in the far end of the penned area but he has only used them one time and that was when I was walking in the room first thing in the morning.. I think he was ready to burst. I would recommend if you invest in the foldable fencing, that you get the larger size. Finnegan is 10 weeks old and I can tell that the size I got is going to be too small to contain him for much longer.


----------



## meadows (Aug 13, 2013)

*New Plan*

So I just made the decision to move the crate to the living room, where we spend most of our time. It's better in this location because he can access it during the day and we spend all our time in this room (and the dining room and kitchen are right next to it). We may just sleep down here on the comfy couches to be near him at night and to hear him if he wakes up. He will be better able to signal us with the bells at the door if he needs to go out as he is becoming quite good at this. No stairs, no worries and he can come and go as he pleases. I put it where his towel is that he sleeps on down here. It makes me feel better that his little "spot" is down here where I am during the day doing my schoolwork. I can better hear him and know when he needs to come out and do his business and he might feel more comfortable in this room because he is more used to it and there's more noise, movement and light. 

Thank you all so much for your suggestions and support. I blended all your advice to come up with this and he's already snuggled up in it with his little octopus toy. Hope this makes it easier on our little guy!! :crossfing he seems to be ok with the crate but hates being upstairs where he isn't used to being and its very dark and quiet up there.


----------

