Hey everyone. It's been a while since I've posted on these forums but I've got a dilemma that I hope you can help with.

I recently moved into a new apartment, and since moving here, Jenga has been relentlessly noisy in his crate. This came as a surprise to me because he was always very quiet in the crate in our previous apartments and not 3 weeks ago we spent a week with someone and he was perfectly quiet there, too.

The only reason I can imagine he's noisier here is because there's cats in this apartment - although they don't come into the room he's crated in (closed door) and he doesn't notice them the rest of the time. Still, everyone I've talked to insists it's the cats.

He's not objecting to going in the crate at all - he still goes right in and lays down any time he seems me getting ready to leave. He's perfectly quiet in the crate when we're home.

I've tried upping his exercise, and believe me, it's not the exercise. This morning before I went out I took him on a 3 hour walk - he was so exhausted we had to stop on the way home because he just stopped walking. In spite of this, the instant we left the house he was barking like a mad man and did so for the entire time we were out (according to our landlord, who lives beneath us). He's getting more exercise at this apartment than anywhere else we've ever lived - this pooch is pooped and he's still going crazy when we leave. The instant he's out he collapses on the floor from exhaustion.

We've made comings and goings low key - I leave him in for a bit when I get home and he goes in for a bit before we leave. We've also tried a bark collar - he seems to be immune to them. I recorded him while we were gone one day and he barked just as much as any other time - so much so that I thought maybe it was broken and tried the collar out myself on a lower setting (it worked).

The landlord is being patient (although today he accused me of treating the dog unfairly by leaving the house) but apparently our neighbours have been leaving him angry letters. I'm completely stumped, we've moved around plenty and this has never been an issue.

To summarize:
- tried increasing exercise drastically
- tried a bark collar
- tried leaving him out of the crate
- comings and goings are low key
- doesn't object to going in, no problems in the crate if we're home
- eats in the crate
- naps in the crate without prompting
- he always has a kong with peanut butter to try to keep him entertained (untouched until we get home, then he spends hours with it)

So it doesn't seem like a crate problem as much as a problem of us leaving.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

It could be noise leeching in from other apartments that's causing the issue. It could be the cats making noise causing the issue. Either way you need to nip it in the bud before your landlord does it for you.

Do you have a camcorder? If you have time you can set up and record and learn a great deal about what's going on when you're not home.

If there is no time for such problem solving then you should strongly consider a doggie daycare or car crating if safely possible.

I don't have a camcorder but maybe I could see about borrowing one from a friend. I tried an audio recording and discovered that he's barking in 15 minute intervals - on for 15, off for 15, etc. I couldn't hear any noise in the background but I'm sure his hearing is better than the microphone. He's used to noise from other apartments, so I assumed that'd be okay here, too.

Unfortunately car crating isn't possible as I don't have a car, and doggie daycare would truly be a last resort...I don't much like the idea of someone else taking care of him, I worry even when my family has to watch him.

Thanks.

For the doggy daycare thing, is there a way that you can ask that they leave him in a crate for the day?

Maybe have them take him out every few hours for a bathroom break and a stretch but other than that have him stay crated.

This way you know that there would be no unwanted interactions with other dogs, but your dog will have the benefit of being able to be loud without getting you evicted.

I would likely resort to boarding with strict rules and no dog contact. I would hate to see you get evicted over this...

I am sorry I have don't have better advice...

A couple of things you can try (you may have tried them but it wasn't on your list)
- cover the crate completely with a sheet/blanket (if it's not too hot and you are sure he won't eat it)
- leave music or the TV on so noises won't bug him so much, hopefully
- an anti-anxiety preparation such as Rescue Remedy, Relora or Melatonin might help
- longer contacts for the bark collar (and get a good brand of bark collar)
- Worst case, see the vet about medications/sedatives. (but avoid acepromazine)

Write letters to all your neighbours telling them you are aware of and working on the problem and you appreciate their patience.

Thanks everyone. There were a few ideas I hadn't thought of so I'll look into a few and give a few a try.

Angela, Writing a letter to the neighbours is also a good idea, they might be more patient that way.


The other thing I wondered about was essentially building a sound-proof box with half the door having holes for air circulation - obviously the holes would let some of the sound escape but I'm wondering if it'd make a big enough difference anyway. Do any of you have any experience with anything like that?

OK I have been thinking about this thread.

Heather. In the last few places where you lived, was the dog crated in a room with the door closed? How long before you leave do you close the door to his room?

An experiment you can try, is to put the cats somewhere (in a bedroom, say) and leave the dog's room door open so he can see out. Record him, and see if it helps.

Angela,

He's been crated in rooms with doors open and shut, it never made a difference before. I tried leaving my room door open at the new apartment, with my closet door open so he wouldn't see if the cats walked by (they won't go in my room, they're absolutely terrified of him - if you so much as walk by my door with a cat in your arms you get scratched).

As much as people say it's the cats, my instincts just don't lead me in that direction. When I recorded him it was 15 minute intervals - barking for 15, quiet for 15, and no sudden increase in barking that might indicate he'd seen a cat. It seemed pretty constant and there was no banging against the crate walls like there is if he sees a cat (we've been doing sessions where he's in the crate and we bring a cat into the room for them to get used to each other). He's used to sounds of other pets walking around, and he also doesn't normally notice the cats walking around anyway. I'm now staying with my parents for a bit to help take care of my stepmom (she's going through chemo) and tried leaving Jenga alone today, and as I suspected - not a peep. So it really just must be the other apartment.

He must be detecting something different. For example, my dogs bark when the street sweeper goes by (only happens every few months), or when my neighbours leave/come home (they park sort of near my window). Something is either making him worried or protective. It could be anything - your neighbours arguing, heavy traffic he's not used to, someone else's dog barking.

I wouldn't discount the cats. Your dog might be alerting to them when you aren't there to supervise. I have a dog that acts differently toward my other dogs when I'm not there than when I am. Since when I am present, I can enforce rules for everybody. Maybe when you're not there to "protect him" or enforce the kitty rules, he's telling them to stay out of his room. Or he's howling for you to come home and protect him from those darn cats. I take it your stepmom doesn't have cats. (Sorry to hear about her treatment and I hope she gets well soon).

I posted on here in the spring about my female who destroyed her crate every day when I went to work. I don't know how I eventually figured it out. She didnt like my space heaters. Funny thing was if I was home, she would lay beside or in front of one no problem. But if I turned it off *and then left* to go to work, she would freak. I had no clue for the longest time what the problem was as she liked the heaters just fine when I was there.

Food for thought.