Ten weeks, screaming in crate.

[Cetan]

Well, my little puppy is doing okay when he is in his crate.... so long as I'm within a few feet of it. If I crate him while I go to the bathroom or have to go outside and can't supervise, he screams and screams. I've also tried separating and crating him while at home, but he still keeps it up, until the off-chance he tires himself out and falls asleep. I put toys inside, kong with kibble/peanut butter, but nothing seems to capture his attention. I understand he is still a puppy, wants to be with me and all, but my general impression is that he would only be fussing here and there after a few days... and not screaming for an hour or more. Any advice?

[Emoore]

My puppy screamed for nearly 3 days straight with only brief 20- or 30-minute breaks to sleep.

It's what they do. Ignore the screaming and let him out on a schedule. When it got too bad, I put my crated puppy in my house's climate-controlled tornado shelter for a little while so I could get some sleep.

[Freestep]

Earplugs.

Or a tornado shelter, what a great idea!!

It will pass, usually it takes 3 days to a week for the screaming to stop. In the meantime, ignore it. Don't give in, or it will never stop!

Leaving the TV or radio on sometimes helps.

[BR870]

Yup... Took Abbie about a week. We got Ezra Thursday, and he is just now starting to settle okay. He still whines alittle, but its definitely decreasing in both duration and intensity.

You gotta ignore it though. Caving in just encourages it and prolongs it. If you cave in after 2 hours, puppy learns "hey I just gotta keep it up for 2 hours" and the next night you can be sure he will keep it up longer since it worked last night.

Perseverance...

[NarysDad]

Some take to a crate more than others, just remember when they scream they are looking for you to let them out. Once they figure out that screaming will not get them free of their crates they usually relax. Remember some are harder than others but they do get use to being in them

[zyppi]

put a sheet or lightweight breathable cover over the crate and see if that helps.

[Niya]

I never crate trained my puppy till last week (she's 5 months btw) and she's doing just fine, no crying at all, she will only cry if she has to go potty but she usually can hold it. They said you should start crate training your puppy around 8 weeks once you got them. Never put a crate bed because mine got destroyed after 3 days lol she chewed the shiz out of it. Put a blanket or something because mine loves it. Also, if you're gonna leave her try putting something like your shirt so she can sniff it and will know you're just there. Another thing is put a music on, I think it helps. She'll get used to it don't worry about it just ignore her crying


PS: sorry for always using her I just got used to my dog lol

[Cetan]

I have done a lot of the suggestions... old shirt and blanket around the crate. My choice was a wind up ticking clock (they still make them surprisingly) and usually a dull roar sound (the furnace on the other side of my wall, or a portable heater) as that helps ME sleep. :P He does great the moment I come into the bedroom anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes after I get him set up for bed. All in all, when he's crated alone, my arrival to him is sporadic and random depending on when I get whatever task done... have I been making things worse? I've been timing his release for when he's quiet or asleep at the least.

[Freestep]

Originally Posted by Cetan

All in all, when he's crated alone, my arrival to him is sporadic and random depending on when I get whatever task done... have I been making things worse? I've been timing his release for when he's quiet or asleep at the least.

No, you're doing it just right. Don't alter your regular schedule to tiptoe around a crated puppy. The only thing I am mindful of when crate training a pup is not to appear while the pup is screaming, as I don't want him to learn that screaming makes Mommy appear! I usually wait for a 2 second break in the screaming before I walk into the room, so that if anything, the pup learns that being *quiet* makes mom appear.

Of course, if he's just screaming nonstop, you don't have to put everything on hold waiting for him to stop--just go about your business, while ignoring him.