July 10, 2026
How to get my dog to stop barking in the crate?
Full Question:
We kennel our dog when we leave the house. We’re not sure if he would damage things if we left him out. He sleeps quietly in his kennel at night, but when we kennel him and leave the house, he barks and whines incessantly. Nothing we put in his kennel distracts him. Our neighbor has complained about the noise. He is almost 5. He’s had no formal training, but we have trained some basics at home. How can I get him to be quiet when kenneled? 
Leerburg's Answer:
Hi,
It is highly likely this behavior is tied specifically to your leaving the house. I would work on a mix of counter-conditioning sessions where the dog is crated randomly throughout the day while you are home to practice and establish being quiet in the crate, and then once the dog is comfortable with that, add super short leaving the house sessions. Something as simple as crating the dog when you go to take the garbage out or to check the mail. The first expectation we want to break is that any time you crate him and leave during the day, you will be gone for hours.
Other things that might help would include covering the crate to simulate nighttime and helping the dog lie down and relax. Some people find leaving on the TV, or some music, can help an anxious dog not become so focused on the quiet of an empty house and every little noise coming from your neighbors.
You could also try moving the crate so it is further away from a wall adjoining your neighbors, or to a smaller, darker room where the dog can't easily see or hear you leave or enter the house. I also make sure with my own dog to consistently reward my dog for going into the crate when I get ready to leave the house to keep the crate a positive space, and then I usually reward again when I get home, ask them to sit nicely and calmly exit the crate when I am ready for them, so we can go out for a walk and go potty.
The last thing I would consider, mostly because of the age of the dog and the repeated repetition of a self-reinforcing behavior, would be the consideration of a bark collar. All of these suggestions will take some experimenting and practice, and you might find a combination of these suggestions to be the most effective solution.
It is highly likely this behavior is tied specifically to your leaving the house. I would work on a mix of counter-conditioning sessions where the dog is crated randomly throughout the day while you are home to practice and establish being quiet in the crate, and then once the dog is comfortable with that, add super short leaving the house sessions. Something as simple as crating the dog when you go to take the garbage out or to check the mail. The first expectation we want to break is that any time you crate him and leave during the day, you will be gone for hours.
Other things that might help would include covering the crate to simulate nighttime and helping the dog lie down and relax. Some people find leaving on the TV, or some music, can help an anxious dog not become so focused on the quiet of an empty house and every little noise coming from your neighbors.
You could also try moving the crate so it is further away from a wall adjoining your neighbors, or to a smaller, darker room where the dog can't easily see or hear you leave or enter the house. I also make sure with my own dog to consistently reward my dog for going into the crate when I get ready to leave the house to keep the crate a positive space, and then I usually reward again when I get home, ask them to sit nicely and calmly exit the crate when I am ready for them, so we can go out for a walk and go potty.
The last thing I would consider, mostly because of the age of the dog and the repeated repetition of a self-reinforcing behavior, would be the consideration of a bark collar. All of these suggestions will take some experimenting and practice, and you might find a combination of these suggestions to be the most effective solution.
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