# Crying in His Crate, Pawing at the crate.



## ZeusTheGSD (Jun 14, 2012)

Hello!

I am trying to understand my puppy whos has been home for about 1 1/2 days now and is crying in the crate late at night when we are just in the other room.

We want to know the difference between wanting attention and being around other people and needing to leave the crate for poop or pee. Is there any signals? 

he sleeps a lot during the day and is this bad? we can't really stop him hes just a puppy.

He's pawing and hitting himself against the cage, how hard? I'm not quite sure but he is definitely doing it. I am pretty much in range of seeing him from my living room seat and he still cries.

Not only does it make me sad, I'm worried he might be needing something and I'm stopping him. If he wants attention I can ignore him easily.

Thanks in advance<3!:help:


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Bring the crate into the bedroom for now. He has been taken away from everything and everyone he knows and should not be alone until he is older and able to handle being by himself.

I had Hans on my nightstand (hard to believe, now) for about three weeks. I would put my fingers through the bars of the crate so he can smell me, and also, I would drape a nightgown of mine over the front. At night if he had to go, he whined. But knowing i was right there, he was quiet.

Yes, puppies sleep about 16 hours a day around 8 weeks. 

During the day, he can be by himself in the crate, for an hour or two, if you are home. Do ignore him if he carries on and if you know he has eaten and gone to the bathroom. I found that it helped to drape n article of clothing at the front, so it can be dark and he can smell his humans.

Take him out of the crate only if and when he is quiet. And don't be too concerned if he makes a fuss during day crating, because he has to learn to be OK with being in there. A good chewy such as a Kong can help keep him busy in there.


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## ZeusTheGSD (Jun 14, 2012)

Sunflowers said:


> Bring the crate into the bedroom for now. He has been taken away from everything and everyone he knows and should not be alone until he is older and able to handle being by himself.
> 
> I had Hans on my nightstand (hard to believe, now) for about three weeks. I would put my fingers through the bars of the crate so he can smell me, and also, I would drape a nightgown of mine over the front. At night if he had to go, he whined. But knowing i was right there, he was quiet.
> 
> ...


Thanks to your tip on the scent & toy I put him in his crate after standing near it for 5 minutes with the leash on and he decided to walk in with the scented t-shirt and toy just in there. We also put a bed cloth over his crate so it mimics the night time (Please tell me if this is a hazard). 

I'm still hoping these night time issues wont arise any further, anyone with helpful tips please do comment I do appreciate it sincerely.

Thanks!


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I would only put hard things in there that he can't chew up and swallow. 
Drape the clothing over the front of the crate. Safer not to have it in there, because many of these little guys eat crazy things and that could be very dangerous.

No problems with draping something over the crate. This actually calms dogs.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

He needs to be in the room with you. If he keeps crying, try a DAP. You can get them at petstores or Amazon. It needs to be used in a small, closed room.


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## ZeusTheGSD (Jun 14, 2012)

The problem is right now that he has a Top Paw double door sliding crate and it's one of the biggest ones, there is no way we can fit his crate up stairs. So we sleep downstairs with him.


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

I used a kennel instead of the wire crate with my pups and they both adjusted to it very quickly. I think that because it's enclosed, it feels more like their only little cubby. I tried the wired crate, but they seemed to hate it. I think it makes them feel more like being caged and separated from all the activity they can see going on around them.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

We have spray DAP. We spray some on a towel then drape that across the front of the crate, but we use plastic crates.
Dogs can actually pull things into their crates, wire or plastic, be aware of that.
They make actual covers for crates but a blanket or towel should work.
The spray DAP works well with the towel over the top or front of crate.


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## warpwr (Jan 13, 2011)

ZeusTheGSD said:


> ...leave the crate for poop or pee. ?


When you take him out of the crate lead him straight to the place you want him to pee as quick as you can. Every time he comes out of the crate.
If he goes pee (or poop) praise him to the heavens... and give him some play and free time after.
If he doesn't p or p, put him back in the crate.

I agree that this young he needs a lot of reassurance and comfort, not left all alone. Imagine how he misses his mommy and siblings, he'll never see them again. You are his only pack now.
The crying is designed to get attention and it works very well. It is hard to ignore them but soon (usually after a few days) they will settle in and be much quieter at night.

Good luck and hang in there. Soon it will be something else and then something else because he is after all just a puppy.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

We carry puppies to the door and outside, btw...so they can't stop along the way to relieve themselves


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

If you can afford another crate, look for one that collapses or comes apart. I got a nice one at Pet Smart that is huge, comes in two pieces, and can easily be carried anywhere and then put together where you need it. If you have two crates, you can leave one in your room and one downstairs. It's not ideal, especially if you don't have a lot of room in your bedroom, but from the dog's perspective, it could be the difference between crying all night and everyone getting a good night's sleep.

I've only used DAP on fosters that I couldn't put in my bedroom, my own dogs never needed it.


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## Bear L (Feb 9, 2012)

Not sure if you've tried this. Aside from the good suggestions others have made, you can try playing some music, try various kinds to see which may work better. In my puppy's land shark phase, she responds to music and will calm down when she hears it. Accidentally found out about this when my mom started playing piano in the afternoons and she'd lay down and sleep. Then discovered when she rides in the car, she'll calm down soon after music is played. Maybe try some calming music when she's in her crate to see if that soothes her.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Yeah the DAP is for fosters who've never been crated yet must adjust to one.


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## jakes mom (Feb 29, 2012)

ZeusTheGSD said:


> Hello!
> 
> I am trying to understand my puppy whos has been home for about 1 1/2 days now and is crying in the crate late at night when we are just in the other room.
> 
> ...


Can you change the position of the crate so that you are in view? 

Just go out of his sight for a few seconds to start with, and gradually extend the period. If you do this your puppy will start to understand that when you leave him you haven't gone forever - you will come back. 

This is a massive change in his liife - you need to gradually desensitize him to being left alone. 
__________
Sue


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## dylano (Jul 6, 2012)

ZeusTheGSD said:


> Hello!
> 
> I am trying to understand my puppy whos has been home for about 1 1/2 days now and is crying in the crate late at night when we are just in the other room.
> 
> ...


Hello, not sure if you are still having the problem now but i'll tell you what i did 

we got our pup 1 week ago. at night he is in a indoor run which has a crate which is always open. The crate is coverted on the top and back, not the sides. 

on our first night he cried for about 2 hours, then went to bed and woke up at 6.

over the week its reduced to crying for 30 mins before going to sleep. what we have found useful is taking his water away 30 mins before he goes sleep and also making use of his energy ie playing with him training him ect so by his bed time he is tired. 

Recently i have noticed that if his blanket is in the crate he will go in the crate and sleep in there when he likes to telling us he feels safe in his crate  

in a week or so i will start closing the crate door during the day, (not the night as he needs to go potty during the night)

the only problem ive got is he cries when hes left alone during the day, if youve also experianced this i would love a message from you telling me about it to reasure me its not just my pup


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## Milkshakes00 (Jun 28, 2012)

dylano said:


> Hello, not sure if you are still having the problem now but i'll tell you what i did
> 
> we got our pup 1 week ago. at night he is in a indoor run which has a crate which is always open. The crate is coverted on the top and back, not the sides.
> 
> ...


My 4 month old puppy whines for 5-30 minutes when I put him in the crate at night. He also has a blanket over the crate, I leave the corner open so that he gets a breeze from the AC and to keep him cool. He tries to back away from the crate like it's the devil himself. He does sleep from 10:00pm to 7-8AM.


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## bjbryant73 (Dec 2, 2006)

I have one question though what is DAP?

And you've got a lot of good suggestions, putting something that smells like you in the crate with your puppy is a good idea. Take him outside a ton before you put him in the crate for the night and play with him lots. 

If you know that he's just crying just to be crying because of course you've taken him outside and he didn't do his business then you can cover up his crate with a sheet. Or give him some of his food but soak it with some nice warm water, it will make him full and sleepy 

I am sorry but I don't remember if you said how old your little guy is but if he's really young you might try putting a stuff animal in there with him to make it feel like he's cuddling with a litter mate.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

bjbryant73 said:


> I have one question though what is DAP?


Same question! What is it?


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## dylano (Jul 6, 2012)

chelle said:


> Same question! What is it?


DAP calms puppy down. it releases the same sent(pheromone) as the mother would release. Its not guaranteed tho


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