Puppies & crate training/separation anxiety...

[twogoto]

Hi everyone!

We got our pup almost four weeks ago (Cockapoo).

Initially we started with her crate inside a pen (with the crate door open). However she is a bit of an escape artist and managed to work out how to climb out of the pen by night two.

We've now cracked the whole being in a crate overnight and she doesn't make a sound from 11pm - 6:30am which is great.

However when we leave her during the day (only for 40 minutes each morning right now while I take my partner to work) she cries so much. I don't think it's the crate as such as she is comfortable going in there throughout the day and on a night, so probably more to do with separation anxiety.

The first week she was home she did up to 1.5hours in the crate while we went out without crying at all (we have a camera set up) so it's like she's going backwards!

Any tips are very much appreciated.

Photo added for cuteness

[Gev]

Oh my gosh how beautiful 💕. Maybe have a chat with your vet. You can get plug ins that realease calming pheromone type stuff that might help. Good luck, she's gorgeous x

[Angcap]

Join ‘Dog training advice and support’ on Facebook (free). They have LOADS of advice to help with this, I have found this site enormously helpful for my golden retrievers.

[Guest]

I never put my puppies in a crate whilst I went out. As far as I am concerned they should only be crated whilst we are around, you could get a puncture or otherwise be delayed whilst you are out, the dog would be trapped and it would defeat the point of crating.

My dogs were fine in the crate at night, especially My younger dog who settled in very easily. But neither of them really took to being in the crate during the day. Can you confine her to one room whilst you go out? We tend to confine the dogs to the smaller sitting room and kitchen when we go out, they sleep happily. I think if they were crated they would shout the house down.

[mitch84]

Originally Posted by Claudette

I never put my puppies in a crate whilst I went out. As far as I am concerned they should only be crated whilst we are around, you could get a puncture or otherwise be delayed whilst you are out, the dog would be trapped and it would defeat the point of crating.

My dogs were fine in the crate at night, especially My younger dog who settled in very easily. But neither of them really took to being in the crate during the day. Can you confine her to one room whilst you go out? We tend to confine the dogs to the smaller sitting room and kitchen when we go out, they sleep happily. I think if they were crated they would shout the house down.

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Got to be honest, I was the same with my lab. He was absolutely fine at night but never took to it during the day and just cried. So we just puppy proofed our utility room and yard (and taught him to use the doggy door). When he was about 6 months old we scrapped the crate and he slept in the utility room, and from about 9 months he slept on the sofa

[Guest]

I agree with Claudette. We never crated our pup when we went out, Only at night time in his first few months.
instead when we went out gave him the run of the kitchen at first while toilet training, with his crate in there and open with a blanket over for rest but all his toys etc around to play with and newspaper down by the back door. Once he was toilet trained he had the run of the downstairs rooms. Now he lords over the entire house, because I love him😂
It would break my heart to hear them crying with separation anxiety, definitely ask you vet or a dog trainer for advice. lots of stimulation toys can help, treat puzzles. Also a Kong filled with something tasty given just before you leave also helps to take their mind off you leaving.
Good luck. The puppy months are HARD WORK,but once you crack it all be fine! I adore my dog but I would never get another puppy! 😉

Edited- absolutely gorgeous pup btw ❤️

[DonnaD]

Our 2 year old lab is always in her crate when we go out but sleeps at night with my disabled daughter. She doesn't mind the crate at all as she prefers sleeping in tight corners anyway. She is even happy on the floor of the backseat of my Prius despite barely fitting at 90 lbs.

The one time she had escaped from the crate we found her surrounded by stuff she has chewed to pieces including a pair of hair straighteners! She definitely showed more signs of being anxious outside of her crate. She doesn't even whine to be let out when she hears us come home.

Strangely she will even bark at strange noises when sleeping with my daughter but not when she is safe in her crate. She must think she is off duty!

[LostPrincess]

Stick with it, it will get better.

My cockapoo settles in his crate, only for short periods in the day though, seperation anxiety is something we are still working through. If we give him more space overnight or when we leave the house you'd think he was being murdered. It's all down to the individual dog I think.

[Bootrip2]

Our dog goes in his crate when we go out, otherwise he would chew everything, which i feel is a danger for him., he loves his crate though and often chooses to go in there as its his safe spot!
Have you tried leaving tv or radio on when you go out?

[Gingerlife]

Have you tried a kong filled with tasty treats? That's what we use with ours, usually filled with peanut butter and chopped up sausage. They know as soon as the filled Kong comes out they are getting a treat and they run straight in to their crate. The peanut butter keeps them entertained for ages.
Edited to add:This is only for when we are going out during the day for an hour or so, not over night.