new gsd owner -- need advice please

[zzena]

Hi everyone, I am a new gsd owner. I got her last sunday at 9 weeks old.Her name is zena. I will attach a pic. Anyway, when i first got her, she was very very whiney of course. I put her in the crate the first night, she screamed. I was pretty much up all night which is what i had expected. She is still a pretty whiney dog. I work from home, so i spend alot of time with her -- I also own a 1.5 year old basset hound and they play alot. Due to her constantly freaking out in the crate, I usually leave it open at night and I can hear her get up, so I go let her out. The problem is when I leave the house to run errands or whatever, she completely goes nuts when i lock her in there -- screaming, borderline howling, lol. When i get back, and let her out, she is so whiney and jumping all over me(I have never left her more than a couple hours so far). A couple times I just needed to run across the street to the store and I knew i would be gone only 5 minutes, so i just leave her out because i dont want to deal with the stress of putting her in there. When I do that and come back, she is fine. So I know it is not separation anxiety since if i leave for a few minutes and i dont lock her in the crate, she is ok. I crate trained my basset hound and never had this problem -- I dont anymore as she was able to be trusted with run of the house at 7 months. Any thoughts on this, do some dogs just always hate the crate? Like I said, she is ok going in there if the door is open but just hates being locked in there. I am just trying to figure a way so I am not so stressed out leaving her. I feel so bad and starting to hate leaving my house, lol

[lostangl]

First off, she knows if she screams, you will let her out. Try feeding her in the crate and giving her treats in there so that she associates good things with it. Take it slow and she will be fine.

[Gharrissc]

Ignore her and do other things for the first few minutes after you return home and don't let her out of the crate until she is calm. It may take a while for her to calm down at first,but she will quickly associate being calm with being able to get out of the crate.

[msvette2u]

Originally Posted by lostangl

First off, she knows if she screams, you will let her out. Try feeding her in the crate and giving her treats in there so that she associates good things with it. Take it slow and she will be fine.

[huntergreen]

could give her a "safe" toy to play with while in the crate, otherwise just let her throw her tantrum and wait till she calms down before letting her out.

[zzena]

thanks everyone. Yea i do put toys in her crate. I put a bullystick in there earlier and the minute I locked the crate and walked out the room, the screaming started, lol

[huntergreen]

been there done that, going to be hard, but ignore the "tantrum".

[1sttimeforgsd]

Is there a room in your house that you could pet proof and confine her in it when you have to go away? Like a kitchen or a utility room and could be partitioned off with a baby gate, sometimes they are more comfortable in a larger space as long as it is safe for her.