# Our crate training nightmare. (Seeking moral support and advice)



## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

Hey everyone,

We brought home our precious baby Hunter yesterday! He is an awesome little pup, exactly what I was hoping for - except for one little issue.

He is an absolute monster in the crate. We've been working on crate training since he got home because he absolutely wails when he is in there.

Last night he screamed and cried ALL. NIGHT. LONG. Literally, approximately 40 minutes every hour, with only 10-15 minutes in between where he was half quiet, half whimpered. We got zero sleep, and neither did he. He crashed this morning, and his voice is hoarse from the all-night screaming spree.

We are really quite stressed over it, wondering if this is never going to end. That is after one night, so you can imagine how intense it was. I also live in an apartment, so the noise is impossible to escape - despite our closed bedroom door and earplugs.

He ate in his crate fine yesterday, then once he realized he was in it he freaked out. We have his water dish in the crate so he has to get in there to drink, and we're going to feed him in the crate. We are also going to try and spend time coaxing him in it today, and go out grocery shopping and leave him in there. 

We're hoping for moral support, advice, guidance, and perhaps a "I have so been there, trust me when I say it will pass."

Thanks guys. I am sleep deprived and stressed out. I love him to death, though. No doubt about that!


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

not unusual at all ...feeding him in his crate is great...Are you keeping the crate next to your bed at nite? Sometimes that helps..When you leave, put something yummy in it for him to gnaw on, and leave a radio on , this often times helps..

Work on throwing treats in it, toys in it..don't let him out when he is having a hissy, the momen he stops, let him out treat..


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

JakodaCD OA said:


> not unusual at all ...feeding him in his crate is great...Are you keeping the crate next to your bed at nite? Sometimes that helps..When you leave, put something yummy in it for him to gnaw on, and leave a radio on , this often times helps..
> 
> Work on throwing treats in it, toys in it..don't let him out when he is having a hissy, the momen he stops, let him out treat..


I am afraid to keep him in the bedroom with us, he continues to scream even if he can see us. He is SO loud, and it would likely stress us out more. It is something I will try if nothing is working soon. 

We leave a kong with some peanut butter in there every time. I will try leaving the TV on when we go out later. Not sure if that will help - his intensity is so high at this point. We're willing to try anything, though. Thanks!


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## WVGSD (Nov 28, 2006)

With all of my personal dogs and rescues, I crate train them by placing the crate next to my bed at night. I can talk to them and reassure them. Your baby has just left his mother and his littermates and now he is put in a crate by himself with no one around him. It REALLY should help reassure him if he is allowed to be in the crate at night in your bed room. He will cry and protest, but should settle down much more quickly if you are near him and he knows that he is not alone.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i was lucky my pup only cried for 3
nights. the 1st night 2 or 3 hours,
the 2nd night an hour or more and
the 3rd night 15 minutes maybe a 1/2
hour. i asked our breeder to crate
our pup. i use to crate our pup many 
times during the day. i would crate him
5 to 10 minutes at a time. sometimes
i stayed in the room with him and sometimes
i would leave the room or the house. everytime
i crated him i would say "go to your crate". as i was walking
towards the pup i would say "go to crate". i would pick the pup up
and take him to his crate. on the way to the crate i would say it again.
once we reached the crate i would sit the pup on the
floor directly in front of the crate. as i was usherring him
into the crate i would say it again. i did this everytime i crated
him. if i saw my go to his crate on his own i would it then.
after sometime i was going to crate him. when i said
"go to your crate" he went. after that i started telling him
to go his crate from all over the house.

don't worry you're going to get some sleep in a few days.
how often are you taking your pup out over night?? it
gets easier by the day.


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## Zeusismydog (Aug 23, 2001)

"This too shall pass" even though it feels like it will never end. The others have good advice. Also you can put put something of yours in the crate so he can smell it (or even put a used blanket over it. Sometimes pups feel better if the crate is covered and they can hear a ticking of a clock (sounds like a heartbeat). Also before bed play with him hard. Don't let up and exercise, exercise and exercise him. Make him so exhausted he can't help fall asleep. I would limit his water a few hours before bedtime. 

Good luck.


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

Thanks, everyone!

He was EXHAUSTED on the way home right before we crated him. He literally fell asleep outside at the park and was difficult to get him to walk home. I lifted him up and he fell asleep in my arms on the way to the crate. Once in, it was like he had never had any exercise in his entire life. Haha.

I am nervous about putting anything in the crate because I am afraid he's going to eat whatever it is.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I also had the crate next to the bed for the first few weeks. He'll feel more comfortable being near you and shouldn't cry as much. The first few nights when mine whimpered, I put my fingers in the crate so he could see that I was still there and I could tell when he needed to go out or was just lonesome. You might try putting a tshirt you've worn in the crate and a stuffed toy for him to lean against. Your pup has been through a lot- taken from his litter and kept separate from you so naturally he's upset and sounding desperate! Good luck, it will get better


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## cta (May 24, 2011)

you are right in being cautious about what you put in the crate when you cannot monitor him. during the day maybe try a kong stuffed with PB or whatever your dog might like. it should keep him busy! at night, my dog couldn't have anything in his crate because he was a chewer, but maybe your dog would be ok. also, i would definitely consider moving the crate next to your bed...i think it would help a lot. i mean, he already kept you up all night once, it can't get much worse from there...but it can get better! my dog's crate was always next to our bed except for one night when it got moved by his "daddy" to the front entryway of the house. well i slept on the couch that night so he could see me lol and the crate went back into the bedroom the next night! also, try putting him in there during the day when you are home...let him see you around the house...he will learn it's ok to be in there. remember it was just his first night home too! as others said, he just left his mother and littermates, so it can take a little while for him to settle in. be patience, get some sleep and good luck


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

My first GSD pup did the same thing. It lasted 3 nights. That was the one thing that I wasn't looking forward to when I got Wolfie. I read in Cesar Milan's book that if you sit next to the crate and not look at the pup or talk to him, he will calm down. I did this the first night. Wolfie was going nuts. I sat on the floor next to the crate, and watched tv, totally ignoring the puppy. He screamed, bit the crate, clawed at it trying to get out, for 5 minutes. Then he curled up and went to sleep. After he was asleep, I went to bed. He didn't make a peep all night until 6 am. I did the same thing for a few days, and he slept peacefully through the night. After a few days, I didn't need to sit next to the crate anymore, and I never lost a night's sleep. Good luck with your pup. It does get better.


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## SummerwoodSoaps (Feb 3, 2011)

I don't know if this advice is going to be popular or not but this is what we did with Stella when we brought her home.

First Night:
In the crate next to me. I would often put my fingers to the door an talk to her. It was still horrible, no sleep at all. Like yours, she would cry for like 40 minutes every hour. I don't think she ever went longer than 2 hours the entire night and she was exhausted but wouldn't stop.

Second night:
Same thing but halfway through the night we moved her to the bathroom because we just needed some kind of sleep. She still cried all night but it was easier for us to sleep.

Third night:
Ok I am not a person who does well with no sleep. I do not function well and I get very short tempered. We started the night in the crate. At 12 I took her out to potty. Instead of putting her back in the crate. I tied her leash to the night stand. Lo and behold she went right to sleep!! She would get up and whimper (not cry) during the night and I would take her out to potty and then it was right back to bed for both of us.

From then on I just tied her leash to my side (I am a naturally light sleeper) and we never had any problems with her getting tangled up (my main concern) but there was really nothing she could get tangled in there. 

She slept, I slept, my Husband slept. It was a win win for us. Now at 4.5 months and house trained she sleeps off leash in the bed room. We never had any accidents during the night either. I think because I was able to tell she was whimpering vs when she was the in crate all she did was cry.

This has worked out very very well for us. But it might not be doable for you if you can't make it so they don't get tangled. That was my main concern. But really she just slept.


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## ponyfarm (Apr 11, 2010)

I slept next to the crate with my fingers in the crate and that worked for us. 

although, I did have a gsd rescue puppy that freaked out at the site of a crate and I did not have the strength to work her through it.

So, I gated her in the kitchen or just tied her to the kitchen table. I think she was claustrophic after her time in the dog pound.


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## Sunstreaked (Oct 26, 2010)

I work from home, so we were able to do things differently.

We put a plastic sheet on our bed (to protect mattress in case of an accident) and Eva slept with us from her first night home when she was 6 weeks. We made a "nest" for her in-between us so she wouldn't fall off the bed (DH is a very light sleeper!). 

Although we had a crate, we didn't really start training until she was about 10 weeks old and then it was feeding in the crate, treats, etc., not closing the door. Then closing, but not locking door, then locking while in the same room, then in another room, then we'd go outside for one minute, then increased. Probably took about 2 weeks as we did it slowly. She's almost 11 months old now and there are zero crate problems. 

I know not everybody can do that slow approach, but we felt she was removed from her mom, her litter mates, and her family - it's no wonder they fuss!


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

This too shall pass. But boy, it sure does suck.  I feel your pain.

The rage some puppies express at being in a crate would be almost comical if it wasn't so insanely stressful. 

You could, as the others suggested, try putting his crate near your bed so you can touch and talk to him during the night. This is what we did for the first week or so with our pup, and it did seem to console her.

Try giving him a nice meaty knuckle bone to gnaw on.

Leave the TV or the radio on for him. This really can do wonders. I run a grooming shop and leave the radio on, either talk radio or classical music, and it's so quiet in there you'd never believe it was a grooming shop (and all the dogs are crated, whether crate trained or not).

In the meantime... take deep breaths, get better earplugs, and remember.... this too shall pass.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

Singe's first night at home, the neighbors could hear him screaming!! and the howling!! I only WISH it had only been 40mins out of every hour!
The second night, the howling only lasted about 2 hours. Then it was just on and off again whimpering.
The 3rd night was less. The 4th night zero howling. 
Now, don't confuse that with him being calm and happy in his crate. He still cried and whimpered and fussed, but at least the neighbors got a peaceful nights sleep.

Now, he jumps right in his crate.
Seriously, moving him into your bedroom will make a huge difference.


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## kennajo (May 20, 2011)

ears plugs......along with all the training tips everyone else suggested. My boy cried too but now he goes to his crate on his own. It is just a learning thing.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

I totally am with putting the crate next to the bed, fingers stuck in the crate for moral support. 

You know what I did with Stark and Zefra, I would try that with Hunter.

I know I keep saying this to you - but it won't last forever. Hunter is just giving you guys a very warm (and loud) welcome to dog ownership!


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

Thanks everyone!!

We had to do some grocery shopping, so we lured Hunter into the crate with peanut butter in a kong and a bully stick. He started to scream like he usually does, so I put a movie on and we left. When we got back we waited at the door - to SILENCE! After a couple minutes of no noise, I quietly opened the door, went inside, dropped my stuff, raced over to the crate (he was laying down) and opened it up - followed by lots of praise and treats! I got him out before he could start crying again, so I am hoping this is a great improvement.

:3 I almost cried.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

YAY Hunter!!!!

Give him a big hug and kiss from his Auntie! I am so proud of him!


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

Puppies cry in their crates because they are scared and lonely. Most do drastically better if you crate them right next to your bed, especially if you can set the crate on something so they can look up and see you next to them. I haven't had a puppy have issues at night since I started doing this - they all sleep through the night, unless they really have to go out. It also helps to make sure they are getting tons of out and about time and exercise during the day so they are actually tired at night


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

For anyone that visits this thread in the future:

Last night we kept Hunter's crate directly next to our bed with my husband's fingers through the gate. He did not scream ONCE and only whined for a few seconds. He peed when I took him out mid-night, and went right back in with only a little whimpering.

For the puppy I thought would be my absolute nightmare to crate train at night, he's doing incredibly well. 

Thank you everyone for the great advice!!


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## ponyfarm (Apr 11, 2010)

yay!


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

YEY!!! Good job!!


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

congrats!!! glad all the ideas worked. I remember when i brought Shasta home. Even having her crate next to the bed she screamed and just threw a BIG fit. She was 12 weeks old. Couldnt have her keeping us up all night because hubby works in a clinic so being awake at work is critical for him and i have kids to wrangle all day... We ended up moving the crate downstairs, bringing the kids in our room and basically having a camp out in our room with the door closed while she screamed and carried on 3 nights in a row until she figured out all that noise she was making was doing her NO good. lol. That first week for us was a nightmare but i was so happy to have my room back to just me and hubby and the kids were actually excited about sleeping in their rooms again. It was tough but she adores her crate now. goes in there and crashes into dreamland. 

keep up the good work!!


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

Wild Wolf said:


> Last night we kept Hunter's crate directly next to our bed with my husband's fingers through the gate. He did not scream ONCE and only whined for a few seconds. He peed when I took him out mid-night, and went right back in with only a little whimpering.


Awesome! You learned quicker than I did. It took me 2 nights of sleeping on the floor to quiet the barker to realize that I should just move the crate instead of me! A month later and the crate has been moved away from the bed and she goes to sleep now with no carrying on until it's time to wake up.


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## KrytikalMedic (Jul 3, 2011)

Great! Here's a story from a puppy that DIDN'T get better by putting them next to our bed. We brought our GSD (Kane) home at 9 weeks. Now, we have two other dogs...a beagle (Bailey) and a miniature Schnauzer (Ceevonya). So, we tried putting the crate next to our bed and Kane cried INCESSANTLY for the majority of an hour for several hours. We talked with our trainer who advised trying to put him with his "pack." So, we took the crate and set it next to the other digs crate. The first night he cried, but not as much. Eventually, he seemed more comfortable with the rest of the pack and actually let us get full nights of sleep.


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