Puppy trouble

[melancholyway]

I just adopted a new puppy this past weekend. She is a 12 week old maltese mix. I have been trying to crate train her, but every night when I try to go to sleep she barks all night long. I have tried covering her crate and tossing a can full of change to startle her, but this has not been working. I have also tried walking away when she barks and only coming back when she is quiet, but this has not been working either. I have not gotten any sleep for three nights now and since I live in an apartment complex my neighbors have not either. If I cannot get this under control then I will have to rehome her before I get evicted. Does anyone have any suggestions for things I can try?

[Jennicat]

Honestly, she's a baby, and it's only been three days. I think you're expecting way too much out of a puppy. This is the first time in her life she's been away from her mom, and this is a very scary thing to be left alone for her.

Try putting her into her crate with treats, or chew toys to distract her, so she'll be distracted, but above all, be patient.

[Norman]

Where is the crate located? Can the crate not be moved to the bedroom so she is in the same room as you?

It took our pup a couple of weeks to go entirely through the night without whimpering or whining.

[Iridal]

Puppies cry. It took Oscar a week or so to really get his fear of the crate, and even a couple more to get over his distaste for it. You can help your puppy get over their fear of the crate, but they'll have to get over their dislike of it on their own.

To help her get comfortable with the idea, don't leave her completely alone right away. Put the crate in your bedroom, crate her, and then sit on the floor a couple feet away just reading a book or doing something that doesn't focus your attention on her. Don't take her out if she cries, just sooth her a little vocally and let her know you're there and she hasn't been abandoned. Puppies are normally very sleepy little creatures so she'll fall asleep soon enough. A couple nights of this with Oscar and he wasn't terrified anymore.

After they're not scared anymore, they have to deal with the fact that nobody is gonna let them out just 'cause they don't wanna be in there. This wasn't really an issue at night for Oscar, 'cause when he was tired he wanted to sleep and he knew the crate was a nice place. Leaving him there during the day tho, he didn't like that. But he got over it.

EDIT: Oh yeah, definately start with the crate in your bedroom. If she can smell you, she'll be more comfortable. After about 3 weeks when he stopped crying at night and his complaining during the day lessened, I moved his crate into another room. Added benefit is that if you toss and turn in the middle of the night, you won't wake the puppy, so puppy will sleep through the night!

[Ellz31]

When we got our puupy a few weeks ago she barked every night for over a week, it's hard i no but that's the only way she'll learn! gd luck!

[K9BOB]

You might try putting a fan next to the crate or turning on a radio,computer wave/mp file or cd that will create sound,which can be used as white noise to sooth/distract the dog.
I agree that it is important that the dog be near you in the crate...

good luck
k9Bob

[melancholyway]

Really? You should have them in your room? I thought that they should be kept in a seperate room so that they do not develop seperation anxiety. I have been keeping her in the bathroom in her crate with the door closed. Then everytime she barked I would throw a can of change to startle her in the middle of her bark. I read this suggestion online. Is this a bad idea? Should I move her into our bedroom?

[melancholyway]

Also, if I do keep her in my bedroom in the crate, I would like to eventually move her into a different room once she feels secure. If I allow her to be in the bedroom now won't she expect to stay in the bedroom when she is a little older?

[trish5713]

I would stop doing the can of change thing. It's probably only scaring her more. She's already nervous and that could make it worse.

[Mousarhinos]

If I were you I wouldn't worry so much about the seperation anxiety. You kind of have to cross that bridge when you come to it. Right now your goal is to make her comfortable in her crate and to learn that it is a nice place to be, safe, and comfortable. That change can is not going to help with this at all.
A puppy is like a baby child, you really can't expect much from them, they don't know what to do. Put the crate in your room, and try putting something with your scent on it in there with her. Put the crate close to your bed so she can hear your breathing. It will suck for a while b/c she'll be barking and whining right next to you, but this is a sacrifice puppy parents have to make.
Leave the crate open while she is out during the day with you. Another idea is to always feed her in the crate. That way she gets used to going in there without it being scary...food is a good thing!
The whole crate thing also establishes you as the leader of the pack. You decide when she can come out.

Good luck with your new baby! I'll be in your shoes in a few weeks with my new one.

[LUVMYSWISSY]

My pug use to do this and I brought her into my bed. The crate is all about keeping her safe when you can't watch her. At night and when you are not home. She sleeps with me everynight, under the covers. You can work on that when your home, putting her in the crate (in the room your in) for short periods of time. My Greater Swiss can't fit in my bed at 155 pounds, he has to stay in his crate but never minded it.

[LUVMYSWISSY]

Here is a good web site to help you with your puppy.

http://www.perfectpaws.com/frstwk.html

[FemaleCheetah]

When Katie, my german shepard mix was a puppy I kept her in a crate in the hallway which is right outside my bedroom and she only whined the first 2 nights and after that she stopped. I mainly had a problem with her using the bathroom in her crate at night and when I was gone. I live in a duplex so it is somewhat a similar situation, but my neighbors never complained about her barking/whining. I didnt leave a tv or radio on for her at all, the only sound she had was the air conditioner and the fish tank and she did just fine. Now Katie is 1 year and 12 days old and she still sleeps in a crate but now her crate is in the office and she goes in there at night and when I am gone. You just need to be patient and presistant... I was lucky with Katie because she only whines the 1st 2 nights but IMHO its not best to have a puppy sleep in the same room with you because then that puppy will think that its able to sleep in the room ALL the time especially when its bigger. Even when my pit bull Zoe was a puppy she slept in this tile area infront of the front door with a baby gate up and she did just fine, she didnt like the crate and kept soiling in it so I tried something new and it worked, she didnt whine at all... I also put her baby stuffed bear in with her and I think it made her feel safer she also had an old t-shirt of mine that smelt like me. Well good luck, and hopefully things work out for the best but dont get upset and frustrated its very normal for a puppy to whine/bark at night it wont be forever so stick with it and things will improve.

[Iridal]

IMHO its not best to have a puppy sleep in the same room with you because then that puppy will think that its able to sleep in the room ALL the time especially when its bigger.
If you mean in the bed, I agree. Puppies need crates. If you want them to sleep in your bed later, fine, but start with the crate.
If you mean keep the crate out of your room, I disagree. Your scent and the sound of you breathing will calm the puppy. Move the crate out of the room later.

[FemaleCheetah]

I might work for this situation but I havent had good experiences with having a puppy in its crate in the bedroom but for this situation it could work.

[melancholyway]

Thank you everyone. I am trying to stick it out, but our neighbors are really whiny and complain at the very slightest noise. I really hope that we can get this under control before there are any serious complaints. Also, for those of you who have had the puppies sleep in your room in a crate, as adults do you still allow them to sleep in your room or have you moved them out? If you moved them out how did that go?

[momto5happytals]

my puppy is 3 months old and she did the same thing when we moved into our new house i had her seperated from me and her momma and she would wine and whimper untill she got attetenion...its very annoying but you will learn to cope with it...i would just let her wine untill she cried her self to sleep and then she would sleep for about 3 hours and wake up and do the same thing....it took about a week for her to stop doing this...and now she doesnt sleep in a crate but i have her , her own bed beside mine and she knows she is not allowed on her bed...but also she has made friends with my cat so they sleep together...hope you dont have to give her away...i live in a duplex and my neighbors were the same way...good luck

[Iridal]

Well once the puppy isn't afraid of the crate anymore, then they will start barking 'cause they don't want to be in there. Normally, this is when you have to crate them during the day 'cause you have to leave the house. At night, the puppy is normally tired, they'll sit in the crate and sleep with little noise. Most state "disturbance" laws only go into effect at 11:00 PM, so your neighbors can, pardon me, shove it.

It really only took Oscar a week or two to stop crying at night, and I don't think that little whining was even audible to the neighbors. Before bed, tire the little pup out with some active games or something. He'll want to sleep! :)

Now as for leaving them alone during the day when they'd rather be playing, it took a month maybe for Oscar to stop barking. For a week, he'd bark for almost an hour straight, then it dropped to 45 minutes, half an hour, etc. At that point I moved his kennel. Once he was reliably housebroken, I left him out in his own little puppy proofed room for short periods, maybe an hour or two while I was at class. Just take baby steps and keep increasing that time. I slowly added extra objects in there so he could learn the difference between his things and mine. Now, I just leave him in my bedroom when I leave. I'd give him the apartment, but he's not the only dog, and I worry about the two of them getting too active without supervision.

[melancholyway]

Thank you for all of your suggestions! Lastnight I moved the crate into my room right next to my bed and she only whimpered twice! I am feeling much more rested and I am sure that the neighbors are now too! During the day when I have to leave I put her crate in the bathroom, and I close the door to buffer the sound. Hopefully soon she will stop barking when we leave. Now the only problem is getting my adult dog, Sarah to like the puppy!

[Iridal]

Great! :) Sarah will get used to her. From your other post, it doesn't sound like she dislikes the puppy. It's pretty normal for an older dog to let the baby know who's boss.

[melancholyway]

I am probably just freaking out, but it has been four days so far since she has been home and whenever she is out of her crate Sarah is constantly trying to pin her down, scruff her, and hump her. Sarah is not spayed yet. (she will be on Mon.) Any tips for trying to train them to "play nice?"

[melancholyway]

I am probably just freaking out, but it has been four days so far since she has been home and whenever she is out of her crate Sarah is constantly trying to pin her down, scruff her, and hump her. Sarah is not spayed yet. (she will be on Mon.) Any tips for trying to train them to "play nice?"