Hi all...
Just did a quick search but haven't really found an answer to my question.
I have a 9 week old GS pup who im trying to crate train. During the day i will put him in there with a bone, toys and feed him in there etc, he will whine and whimper for a while and if someone walks into the room but generally pretty good.
If im in the room he'll go into the crate on his own and lay down to sleep but as soon as i move he gets up and paws at the crate door etc.
My problem is at night time im putting him in the garage so he can cry without keeping us all awake, its just that his crying is SOOOOOOOO much more louder and intense and goes for what seems like FOREVER then he will settle and start again during the night and early morning.
Is this normal? Does the crate being outside in the garage have muh to do about it? Is there anything else i should be doing or not doing? Also how long from your own experiences does it take for them to settle?
Sorry for all the questions but just want to get some advice and make sure im doing this all right for my pup!

Amanda, welcome!

Having the crate in the garage may be more stressful for your 9 week old pup than if it were in the house. If you plan on permanently leaving his crate in the garage, then you should probably just let him cry.

Remember though, a 9 week old pup cannot make it through the night without having to pee. You need to plan on setting the alarm every 3-4 hours for a potty break until he can make it through the night. If you are not doing this, it may account for some of the crying/whining.

If you'd like to keep the crate in the house, then try covering it with a blanket when you go to sleep.

If you don't give in to the crying, he will figure out pretty quickly that crying doesn't get him anywhere.

Buy some ear plugs for you and your family to get through the crying! It won't last forever...

Hi Amanda - I would try experimenting. I'm a firm believer that every dog or pup is different.

I have a pup here that absolutely refuses to enter the crate. She will stop 3 feet before the crate and drop to the ground so it's difficult to lift her in.

I've tried everything including throwing treats in there while she is watching. That is just the way she is. I never had this problem with any other dog.

Conversely once I manually put her in the crate she is perfect. I never hear a peep out of her.

I do have the crate covered in the bedroom.

Now that it's summer be careful about the covered crated crate getting too hot inside. I switched from a blanket to a sheet and leave the back part open for air circulation.

I just noticed that you live in Australia. I believe the seasons are reversed. Right? Your hottest time of the year is opposite the northern hemisphere or in Australia it is hot all year. Forgive my ignorance.

Hi Amanda,

It seems to me that 9 weeks old is a little young to leave the pup in another room (in the crate) at night. We had our pup's crate in our bedroom for at least a month and a half after we got him at 8 weeks old. It seems stressful enough for the pup who has just left his mother and siblings to be left alone in a strange environment at night.

Maybe I'm baby-ing dogs too much but that is just my opinion.

In my experience with crate training i never feed them in the crate, it takes longer to house break i find. To get your pup used to you being in and out of the room. You can take a empty coke can put about 15-20 pennies in it cover the top and shake it when your pup cries and say NO. You can use a pan and a wooden spoon also or just bang on the side of the crate while saying NO. You have to becareful your pup isnt crying because he/she has to go out. Ive never covered the crate because then they just pull in the blanket threw the bars and chew it to pieces. Also, if you have people over you want your pup to be used to seeing people and gestures in and out of your house blocking this might channel other things. The second you give in he/she will think if i cry i can come out. The crying should stop once he/she realizes you mean business about when he/she has to be crated

Michelle, I don't agree with your method of conditioning the pup not to cry in his crate. This method sounds very intimidating at the least, and I'm not sure exactly what you are accomplishing here.

Ignoring the pup when it cries in it's crate, and marking the quiet behavior that is desired will accomplish what Amanda wants with far less stress on the pup.

Why would feeding a pup in it's crate lengthen house breaking time?

Hi Michelle - I had a couple of dogs in the past got snarly when I banged on their crate. So I don't do that anymore.

I agree with not covering the crate routinely. I just cover when it's bedtime.

I use both the plastic Sky Kennel and wire crates. The dogs can pull a cover through the wire crates. I never had that problem with the plastic ones.

if your not monitoring the water intake you might not know when it has to go out, which will lead to urinating in the crate also bed

I have found housebreaking to go very quickly (sometimes days) when using the crate and tether method. (And I have also foudn crate feeding to be very successful in teaching the pup to eat without distractions.) The pup is either with you, tethered, or in the crate. Having the crate in a high traffic area helps as well if you are able to pretend there is no crate in the room and not look at it. If you keep going around the house doing your business and pay no attention (not even looking) at the pup, as well as regular exercise and potty breaks it should get you through until the pup realizes that there is no reason to whine or cry. Going over when the pup is quiet and taking it out to play etc also helps mark the desired behavior. I also agree that your pup probably needs a bathroom break in the night for now. and I would also opt for the blanket covering to help the pup settle if it really gets going whining etc. If chewing on the blanket is a concern you can get creative on hanging a curtain rod or something else to help prevent the pup grabbing it. I have used cardboard larger than the crate for this as well. Try putting kongs or other hardy toys in there to keep it's attention.

 Quote: Michelle Budd

To get your pup used to you being in and out of the room. You can take a empty coke can put about 15-20 pennies in it cover the top and shake it when your pup cries and say NO. You can use a pan and a wooden spoon also or just bang on the side of the crate while saying NO. You have to becareful your pup isnt crying because he/she has to go out.

Michele, I am not sure that I like the sound of this - it is a very good way to scare your pup, and it reall breaks down the trust! You can create a fear issue with the pup that will haunt you. The pup is crying because that is how they communicate if they are separated from the group. It takes the pup a little while to learn that it's OK to be alone for awhile. Scaring or startling them doesn't really help them learn that everything is OK.