I have a 6 month old mini aussie that has a great personality, loves to please. He willingly goes into his crate at home and in the car but when I leave the room or the car...he starts a constant barking and whining. I've tried just leaving him in the car until he stops. When the barking has stopped for a few minutes...I will go to let him out...but as soon as he sees me...he starts barking again. I'm thinking of using an electronic collar that I purchased from Leerburg. I have no problem using the collar..especially if it corrects the problem.
I just want to be sure this is a good option. Any opinions?

I would guess you have not yet exhausted other options.

First, I'm not sure of the "in the car" thing, because first you say he barks/whines when you leave the car, " I've tried just leaving him in the car until he stops. When the barking has stopped for a few minutes...I will go to let him out...but as soon as he sees me...he starts barking again." Is your goal to leave him in the car or take him with you?

The crate at home: What do you do when you leave the room and he barks/whines? Exactly, what do you do? (I want to pinpoint how he has been rewarded for it ... you have returned, even once, or you speak/yell, or what?)

I guess simply put...whenever I leave him...he goes crazy whining and barking.
I'm sure I took the wrong approach when I first got him...I would return too soon or yell at him to pipe down.
Now that I've made a noisey mess out of him..what can I do to be a better owner and correct this problem? I like the fact that he is so bonded to me but I don't want him going balistic when he can't go with me.

 Quote: wendy wagoner

I guess simply put...whenever I leave him...he goes crazy whining and barking.
I'm sure I took the wrong approach when I first got him...I would return too soon or yell at him to pipe down.
Now that I've made a noisey mess out of him..what can I do to be a better owner and correct this problem? I like the fact that he is so bonded to me but I don't want him going balistic when he can't go with me.

It's worse now, because now he perceives that "if I REALLY whine and bark, I will eventually get attention." So it will get worse before it gets better. But remember that you trained him to bark and whine for attention and you can un-train it!

ZERO attention. However, the other side is equally important (IMO), which is to praise, mark, reward, whatever, the behavior that you DO want.

For example (not exactly your own situation because I am still unclear on the car situation):

A new dog who wants to go for a walk .... bouncing, barking, whining. I have stood like a statue, not even looking at the dog, waiting for a silence when he finally stops to assess or get a breath, then quickly marking, rewarding, snapping on the leash and going. You can extrapolate from that M.O.

Another: When a new dog came to the side of my bed in the morning and moaned and warbled and yodeled for me to get up, I lay there like a dead person. Not until he had given up and returned to his bed did I get up. This took several days, but no giving in even once to set it back to Square One.

I do sometimes wake up to find him sitting by my bed (with that great doggy wristwatch they have), but sitting silently.

But remember that yelling or returning or paying any attention to a whining/barking dog even ONCE is a sign to the dog that "this noise can work!"

In addition to Connie's excellent suggestions, you might also look at your routines of coming and going from the home (leaving and returning to the dog.)

These should be LOW emotional energy times in your dog's day. Leaving should not inlcude any "goodbye, be a good dog" stuff--just put the dog in the crate and leave.

Even more important, when you come home, you should never greet an excited dog that is boiling over with energy to see you. In fact, don't even look at or speak to the dog when you return home until he has calmed himself. Then you can give all the lovin' you want--have a party. But NOT because the dog is insisting on it the moment you walk in the door.

Your coming and going have to become so routine and unimportant that the dog doesn't pay attention or care...because nothing special happens at those times. Coming and going are times that he is ignored. So are times that he is excited. Only when he is calm does he get the attention that he is fishing for.

This new routine will take some time to establish--and he will act out MORE before he "gets" the new rules. But eventually it will work.

I would first move way back and start making a good association with the crate through marker training - if you haven't already. Get him to move in and around the crate and mark him for touching the crate, coming in and out of the crate, put him in, close the door and throw treats into the crate. You can let him out, throw treats in, and create anticipation to get into the crate.

Feed him in the crate. Every meal. Make it consistent and try to have a schedule with feeding.

When all is said and done, you may have to start crating him in the car and house at random times and for random times - you don't pay attention to him when he is noisy and you leave him alone when he is quiet. You only let him out when he is quiet, but this really is a "not an option" thing. So if you can't reward him for being quiet because evertime he sees you he starts up again - then just let his reward be peace.

How long have you had the dog? How long have you been crating?

OHHHHHHH .... I took this to mean "when I go into another room" ....

"I guess simply put...whenever I leave him...he goes crazy whining and barking.
I'm sure I took the wrong approach when I first got him...I would return too soon or yell at him to pipe down."

Sorry. You got much better advice from the folks who understood that you were crating and leaving the house.