my sweet, cute, adorable and much loved Finn has a dark side. . .well a very noisy side. He is crate trained and I don't hear a peep out of him at night, he goes to 'bed' without issue and takes his stuffed bunny with him. However he has started barking incessantly at other times while in there. Tonight is perfect example, we left our house at 5:00 to walk down to my parents and he went in crate quietly without issue but as soon as we got a few feet from the house I could here him start to bark. I figured he would stop after a few minutes as he has in the past. We came home just after 8 and I could still hear him barking I don't think he does this all day when we are at work/school (I hope) and we have been home all day so he hasn't been cooped up at all. We did our usual long walk today so he has been exercised. With him just being 3 1/2 months old I do not trust him in the house for any length of time yet. Any ideas? Suggestions?
my first thought is get another puppy for a friend?? lol, then I thought about it...maybe a chewie in the crate? music loud in the house while you are gone? a blanket over the crate?
We and a friend went through barking with dogs.... we didn't crate train, but they did. The first thing you shouldn't do is take them out. They will learn that you will feel sorry for them (or others) and get what they want. Keep strong, even though it might be hard, lol! Maybe try to teach him a "quiet" command. ? We had a barker, but when we said a certain word, our dog fell silent, unless it was someone at the door. (not sure why it never took then - I think because he felt his home was threatened when knocking occurred, lol!) Different Tactic. I learned this from my kids.... lol. When they did something I didn't want them to do, I had them do something else. Sort of like distraction. Once the behavior is learned, and then he is in his crate, make him to the different action, and maybe he will stop or do that when he wants to bark? Treat Based.... put him in when you are home, and when he quiets give him a treat. Then when you do it again, leave the room, and return, if he is quiet, give him a treat. Lengthen the time every time, and stay out of that room? I'm not sure otherwise. Maybe like birds, a blanket on the crate. (I don't know about that one at all, lol!) Good Luck! We are thinking of puppies in our house. We'd like to add to our chaos! LOL!
What type of a crate is it? We started Roxy out sleeping in one of those igloo-type crates - solid plastic, with the wire front door and small wire "windows." She HATED it, and we ended up caving and let her sleep loose in our bedroom. Fast forward about a year, and we ended up needing to crate her during the day. We bought an all wire crate, where she could see out of it, and she absolutely loved it. Never had a problem with her wanting to go in. We also would put peanut butter inside a kong toy, and left it in the freezer overnight. In the morning, we'd put that in her crate and she'd spend the day licking the peanut butter. that worked until she developed a peanut allergy
Julie, I have an all wire one as well. My issues aren't at night he goes to 'bed' without issue and is quiet all night. My problem is when he goes in his crate during the day or the few times when we've had to go out in the evening. He goes in without a problem but then barks nonstop while we are gone. Neighbour said the one night it was bad--a couple hours nonstop. Not sure if it is all the time, I know he barks a bit when I leave for work and he did used to quiet down but I think the barking is getting longer. As he gets older it's getting worse but only when we are not home. Being that he is only 31/2 months old and a lab (known chewers) I can't leave him free when we're not home yet. When home he is free and only crated at night. May try the peanut butter and kong frozen thing. Have tried covering him during day (we do at night) and not covering him during day.
Jenn, he is good in his crate when we're here. He knows the command 'no whining' from when he was really little but is fine during the night now.
I saw this last night (or early this morning) and honestly can't add anything as when we had dogs, it was in a sea side small village and we had huge gardens, they were guard dogs and always loose in our place, they would come sleep at our feet, and I just couldn't not let them.... they would stay indoors when it was raining and only bark when there was someone at the gates....hope you find the way...he is so cute!!!!
Crating a puppy for any length of time ( not night ) is very much like putting a child in a play pen for hours on end, and then ignoring it, expecting it to amuse itself.... It doesn't happen. Puppies have a lot of energy they need to use, and they get very lonely, If you are not careful about how often he is in the crate soon you will have problems at night also. Try to find a "safe room " somewhere it doesn't matter if he chews a bit, Bathroom, laundry, kitchen ? make sure there are no chemicals where he can get to them - toilet cleaner , sink drainer ..... leave treats and not so well hidden toys, take his create in there, but leave the door open, so he can come and go. Leave some music on. Try it someday when you will only be gone for a short while. I hope it works for you.
Vivi thank you for your suggestions, he is a lab, a breed well known for chewing in puppyhood (only breed I've ever had) and that is with all the different items he has for chewing. I have made sure right from the beginning that he has a variety of textures and levels of soft-hard including a couple of bones. He is exercised, walked and played with daily. I can't leave him loose in the house at this time for the day, I was going to start with 30 minute increments this week to see how he does. Once he is past his chewing stage then he will have free run of the house, my last lab was no longer crated by the time he reached 4 months but we kept it in case he wanted to lay in it for whatever reason. I have never used the crate as a form of punishment as I don't want him to associate it with negative. He is 14 weeks old and I have had him since he was 6 weeks, this behaviour just started after our spring break. . . .used to being out all day and with us. This morning appeared to go well, when I let him out this morning I didn't make a big deal or fuss about 'good morning' kept it low key by just opening the door and then taking him outside. Once in I fed him and then we had our cuddles (love my morning cuddles) and he followed me upstairs while I got ready for work, of course all the while me chattering away to him and giving him his strokes. Back outside again and then more attention. Instead of getting ready and then putting him in his crate as we were walking out the door I put him in his crate then proceeded to get my bag packed for work and shoes etc. He was quiet, not even a whine (he does know the command 'no whining') and just watching us. I put his bone in with him this morning along with his bunny (he always takes bunny to bed with him), we kept the blinds partially closed so it wasn't bright and then I covered his crate just before we left like I do at night. Exited the house and we didn't hear a noise, got to car and still didn't hear a noise so I am hoping he has been quiet. Gosh I love my little fellow and look forward to many wonderful years with him. I know we'll get through it, he's a smart pup and has a great goofy loving personality. thank you all so much for all your suggestions and support. Been a while since I've gone down the puppy route. . . .13 years to be exact!
