Our puppy is 15 weeks and doing very well at house training & sit, come, down. He is nipping fingers and pant legs a bit but it is improving. Our big problem is when we need to leave the house he becomes as Ed says in a few articles a "Butt head" he barks and drools and chews the crate the entire time, I came home yesterday he had been in for about 2 hrs. and it was as if I just pulled him out of the tub he was so wet. He sleeps in the crate fine at night in out bedroom and will eat or nap in there during the day if the door is open or closed, but if you close the latches during the day he goes bonkers. toys/treats don't help he just destroys them. I was thinking of trying a bark collar but see they should not be used until 6 months old. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Maybe try draping a sheet or a blanket over the crate about 5 minutes before you leave and then don't say anything to him when you go out the door. You can practice this when you have a day off or really any time at all. You put him in the crate, go out the door like it was no biggie, saying nothing and then wait for a few minutes. If he is whining and crying, wait till a quiet time, open the door and praise him like mad for being quiet.
The more you let him know you are going to leave, the bigger fit he will generally throw.

Also, a kong filled with peanut butter or cream cheese....they usually love that stuff.


By the way....cute picture

There are several threads going on about this topic.

Are you leaving a tired, pottied pup in the crate when you go?

Does he have crate time (door latched) when you are at home (so the closed crate is not just when he's alone)?

Are you leaving calmly and with zero fanfare?

Have you tried a radio left on?

Do you ever reward his butt-headedness by relenting? Do you pay any attention at all to his fits?

Edit: Oops..... we were posting together, Carol. :>

 Quote: Bob Brobst

and it was as if I just pulled him out of the tub he was so wet.

I'm assuming you meant that he peed in the crate? I ask because some people will leave little containers of water in the crate and will end up having a soggy dog like the one you described!

The best advice I can offer you is: Patience! For some dogs, learning how to stay peacefully in the crate is a pain in the booty, for sure. Patience will be your best friend.

Keep making the crate a good, positive place for him to be. And make sure he's getting age-appropriate exercise and stimulation. Try putting him in the crate after some fun tug sessions or some romps in the yard. Anything to have him pooped.

Some people have luck with leaving a radio/TV on (didn't work for me, though) or putting a blanket over the crate. If you do put something over the crate, make sure his little needle teeth can't get ahold of it and pull it into the crate where he can chew and ingest it.

Have you tried filled Kongs?

EDIT: ARGH! Connie ALWAYS beats me! And Carol, too! I guess I'm too wordy!

The soggy dog was actually from drool. He hadn't peed, we tried a sheet once and it ended up in the crate shredded, he ignores kongs with cheese & P.B. (loves them any other time). I don't let him out until he settles down, when I walk up to the crate and say lie down he will settle. We tried crate time when we are home, early on and he went at it for almost 3 hours straight. I'm afraid he may hurt his mouth or teeth the way he chews on the crate itself. I keep telling myself we just have to stick with it and tough it out.

 Quote: Bob Brobst

I keep telling myself we just have to stick with it and tough it out.

Yup! That's the only attitude that will get you anywhere with a dog that really insists on being free-range!

I love your photo, by the way! He's got TROUBLE written all over his face!

Hang in there...only let him out when he's calm, don't speak soothingly to him when he's acting a fool (he'll interpret that as praise) and make sure to give him lots of tiring activities. Make the brain tired, too! All the stuff you've heard before, I guess! Sorry there's really nothing more to help you except sympathy as you sit and listen to the noise! I feel your pain!

What I found worked for my dogs was to put them in the crate, and carry on my business as though nothing was happening. No eye contact or anything else. I have to disagree with Carol, about praising when he is quiet "right after you come in the door". I ignore the dog for 10 whole minutes after I come in, so that he doesn't think me going out OR COMING IN is a big deal. I will prais e him after about 5-6 minutes if he is still calm, then ignore him, for a few more minutes, then let him out and continue ignoring him (even if he is jumping on me) for 5 more minutes.

So at first, put him in the crate in the same room as you, for about 30 minutes. During which you are ignoring him totally. When he is quiet for at least one minute, let him out and ignore for 5 more minutes.

WHen he can handle being in the room WITH you, put him in, watch TV, then after about 10 minutes leave the room for 2-3 mintues then come back, IGNORE THE DOG. WHen he is quiet for at LEAST one minute, (after the 30 minutes are up), let him out and ignore for 5 more minutes.

The goal eventually is to put him in his crate in one room, leave the room for the whole 30 minutes, come back in, wait 3 minutes or so then let him out. Ignore for 5 more minutes.

When he is OK with you being in a different room, try stepping outside, then coming back in several times during the time he is in his crate.

This will take about 4 weeks so DO NOT RUSH IT.

This is what worked for my dogs, but they were older than yours but... I think it will work.

The dog must learn that you doing your own thing without him is NO BIG DEAL. Do not get him frantic by praising crazily, a calm good boy is enough. Do not tell him you are leaving or make any eye contact while you are putting on your coat. And MOST IMPORTANT when you have a separation anxiety dog.. DO NOT GREET THE DOG WHEN YOU COME IN. Otherwise he will make himself frantic in anticipation of you coming home. It cannot be a big deal for him!

Let us know how it goes.

 Quote: angela burrell

I have to disagree with Carol, about praising when he is quiet "right after you come in the door".

I give up, I'm busted, should have explained myself better.....sorry

It is tough to expalin some training via typing sometimes. I am lucky enough that I have never had a really noisy pup in a crate.

My Dutch was noisy and had to have the "tough love" routine. That was a challenge because he is 4 1/2.

We had a dog with the same problem. She loved her crate as long as we didn't lock her in and leave. If we left or looked like we were leaving, her eyes would glaze over, and she would start panting, drooling and barking. She would get so worked up she would actually move the crate around the room and pull stuff into her crate. When we returned the bottom of the crate would be full of drool and the dog would be soaking wet. It was gross. We tried all of the things mentioned, kongs, exercise, ignoring when coming and going, and crating when not going anywhere. None of those things made any difference. I really don't think anyone understands what it's like unless they have had a dog that has such a severe separation anxiety problem. My other dogs have had minor problems that were easy to work with. It's a night and day difference. The behaviorist we went to suggested everything we had already done and also put the dog on medication. We went through quite a few and found the one that worked best was Buspar. That was the only one that got her to settle down enough so that she would pay attention to whatever treat we left in the crate for her. You may want to have your dog evaluated by someone who can work out a plan with you to help your dog overcome this. I would not use a bark collar in the crate because I think it would make the anxiety worse.

While medication works.....please please try to tough it out for a while. Medication should be an absolute last resort.
This is a puppy that just needs to learn that the crate is a good place to be.