Can I use the Tritronic bark collar on a 3 month old puppy who barks nonstop in the crate when we're not home?

I personally would not use any kind of electric collar on any young pup. And 3 month is WAY too young, in my opinion.

Try getting a black extreme kong & stuff it with peanut butter or cream cheese & freeze it. Give this to your pup when you put him in his crate just before you leave the house. This will keep a young pup busy for quite a while.

Does he do this when crated when you are home but in another room or just when he knows that you have left the house?

Hi,

He barks when I'm not in the room and when we leave the house. When I'm in another room, he has barked 30 minutes nonstop. He stops when I re-enter the room. He doesn't care much for Kongs when he is in the crate.

Even when we are in the room, he barks for about 10 minutes, whines for another 10 minutes, and then falls asleep.

I live in a condo so I need to get the barking under control soon. Do you think there is long term damage to a young puppy wearing the bark collar?

In my opinion he is a baby. He doesn't understand that he is supposed to be quiet in the crate yet. I would not put a bark collar on a dog until it is 5 or 6 months old and understands what appropriate behavior in a crate is.

If he doesn't like a Kong, find something he does like. Get him a nice frozen knuckle bone to gnaw on while he's in there. See if he likes bully sticks. There are plenty of toys and treats out there to occupy a puppy in a crate.

Puppies make noise in a crate until they understand what you want of them. Putting a bark collar on him when he won't understand the reason behind the shock could, in my opinion, damage him permanently... not to mention it would damage any relationship you may have built with him.

It is your job as his owner to teach him what is right. This is done motivationally with pups. PRAISE him for what he does RIGHT and redirect him when he is wrong.

I would talk to my surrounding neighbors and explain that I have a new pup and he is being trained to be quiet. Most people will have some level of understanding. This should have been done before the pup actually came to live with you so the neighbors woudld be prepared.

If you can't crate train a pup without the use of a bark collar, I think you need to re-think dog ownership. I am sorry if I am being harsh, but it's true. If this puppy is going to be shocked for doing what puppies do without being taught what is right, it is more than unfair to the dog.

I like to say it's like when a person yells a foreign language at you and you don't know what the words mean. Should you get shocked for not obeying when you have no idea what you were supposed to do?????? Is that fair????? Would it do anything to actually teach you what the words mean or would it just scare you?

My humble 2 cents.

Giving him something to occupy him is a good suggestion. Training for being quiet, is good too. But I wonder, how long do you leave the pup? I hope you are not leaving the pup crated while you go to work or are otherwise gone for hours on a regular basis. A 3 month old needs regular toilet breaks. They need to be fed 4 times a day. And most of all, they need the feeling of safety by the adult members of their pack being nearby.

If you must leave regularly, you should consider finding a sitter. Or find him a new home with someone who has the time for a young pup.

Thanks for everyone's help. I will utilize all suggestions. This is my second dog, but it's been so long that I need a refresher.

Someone recommended stuffing the Kong with peanut butter or cream cheese. How exactly is that done? Is there a Youtube video of that? I mean if one stuffs even a small kong with cream cheese the the puppy might get diarrhea?

So far I have been crating him for about an hour at a time. He only has a sterilized bone in his crate. He whines and barks the minute I leave the room, and quiets when I come back. I will try the marker training with a clicker.

Thanks everyone.

To stuff the kong use a butter knife & put some PB or CC on it & put into the kong & scrape off inside the kong. Freeze..so it takes longer for them to get it out & keeps them busy. I would fist start with a little amount to see if the dog has any reaction to it & also not freeze it so the pup learns that there is something good in there to eat. Then increase the amount & freeze. BTW,...if you put me in a crate with a tastelsss sterile bone...I'd whine, too.



Why does the pup have to be in another room. I always keep pups in crates in the room that I am in...so that they can be 'part of the pack' even if they are crated. When you do this from the beginning they lean that you sometimes leave the room for a few seconds to minutes, but that you ALWAYS return. They learn to take these brief separations in stride & don't stress about it. My dogs always sleep in the bedroom with me. Pups especially need to be with their pack members to grow up mentally healthy & learn from their pack members. They should not be isolated. I also would make sure that your other dog is not teasing the pup while he is crated. JMO

 Quote: Anne Jones

BTW,...if you put me in a crate with a tastelsss sterile bone...I'd whine, too.


Why does the pup have to be in another room. I always keep pups in crates in the room that I am in...so that they can be 'part of the pack' even if they are crated. When you do this from the beginning they lean that you sometimes leave the room for a few seconds to minutes, but that you ALWAYS return. They learn to take these brief separations in stride & don't stress about it. My dogs always sleep in the bedroom with me. Pups especially need to be with their pack members to grow up mentally healthy & learn from their pack members. They should not be isolated. I also would make sure that your other dog is not teasing the pup while he is crated. JMO

I agree whole heartedly. Dogs are pack animals. They are very social. A three month old would never be left alone by a wild pack. It's just not natural for them.

And as for the bone. Not only is sterile not tasty, but they are too hard and can harm a dogs teeth. Fresh raw bones have some give to them. If they have meat on them, even better, as the pup can spend a lot of time getting the meat off. And chewing is helpful in getting the ears to stand up, in breeds like the GSD. And helps in teething, which your pup will start in a few weeks.

Big fat dittos to everyone! I like the bully sticks that Leerburg sells:

http://leerburg.com/1182.htm


I almost always have adult dogs, and I never even put a newly arrived adult alone. It would be ten times as unlikely for me to put a puppy alone.

You're his new pack!