Hello everyone first time poster. I have a approx. 11 week old pure bred GS. The people we got her from had a good sized back yard and she had run of the yard when she wanted. After we picked her up we started using a crate right away for her while we are are work. When I put her in the crate and walk away she howls horribly when I leave (about 8am) and when I get home for lunch (11:30 or so) she is still howling. I greet her and take out for potty/play time. I keep it pretty consistant especially trying to establish a routine for her, after potty/play time I feed her again very consistant. She gets so distraught and howling she won't eat unless I stand in the room keep pointing to the food bowl and telling her to eat. Is this normal? Will she get over this with time? I know GSD's can be tempermental I have raised a Shepherd mix dog prior, I just haven't experienced this with other dogs. The only time she is in the crate is when we (my wife & I) leave the house.
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
Posts: 31571
Loc: North-Central coast of California
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Hi, Bob,
Any chance you can acclimate her to the crate over the holiday and the weekend while you are home?
If she is used to the crate and isn't associating it just with your departure, that might help a lot.
Have you used "search" here and looked up separation anxiety and crate training? There are many threads in the past year about exactly this.
I know there will be loads of suggestions (this CAN be fixed!); I just wanted to pop in now and suggest that you use the upcoming days at home (if you have the holiday off) to teach her that the crate is her good place, with treats and with your presence.
Maybe you can also do some short (gradually longer) and calm departures and returns too, demonstrating that your leaving is not a tragedy and that you always return, and that howling isn't rewarded with attention. :>
Thank you Connie. In the mornings I take her into the bathroom and close the door so she is in the room with me when I shower and she howled when I closed the curtain but she has gotten used to that, and we have worked on that some when my wife is home but she will still fuss when she can't see us, it has gotten a little better. I wasn't sure about putting food in the crate but I will work on this over the holiday thanks for your input! I can tell you that she is not afraid of the crate it's just being seperated from us that really drives her nuts.
All my advise is just your run of the mill crate training advise that you have already read or tried, but I'll give it anyway just in case. Do you have time to walk down the road with her in the morning? I know not too far since she is just a pup, but something to make her a little more tired. Maybe some fun marker training. Feeding my dog ONLY in his crate helped me a bunch too. Also make sure that you aren't even thinking "Oh no, its time to put her in her crate. I bet she's gonna cry." She might pick up on that. I just had to re-crate train my 2 year old dog because we moved. It was almost as bad as the first time and all this stuff helped me.
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
Posts: 31571
Loc: North-Central coast of California
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Quote: michael_wise
All my advise is just your run of the mill crate training advise that you have already read or tried, but I'll give it anyway just in case. Do you have time to walk down the road with her in the morning? I know not too far since she is just a pup, but something to make her a little more tired. Maybe some fun marker training. Feeding my dog ONLY in his crate helped me a bunch too. Also make sure that you aren't even thinking "Oh no, its time to put her in her crate. I bet she's gonna cry." She might pick up on that. I just had to re-crate train my 2 year old dog because we moved. It was almost as bad as the first time and all this stuff helped me.
I am embarrassed not to have said what Michael points out:
Always leave a tired (well-exercised) dog in the crate.
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Crate Training
#118628 - 11/22/2006 10:59 PM 
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