Bark collar to stop barking in the crate

[Jess & Stewart]

Would a bark collar work to stop barking in the crate? As in, once Stew got a correction a few times, he'd cease to bark in the crate? Or does it only work when they have it on??

Last night was more of the same, put him in the crate at 11:15, he was fine settled right down, I set my alarm for a random time of night (2:15). I was going to just take him out, so he'd know that he gets out when he's quiet. Then gradually increase the time until he went all night (11ish to 5:45 am). He beat me to the punch and started whimpering/barking at 1:45. I took him out and he peed. Brought him back in and he settled right down and was fine until 4:50, started barking again. I didn't want to let him cry it out as the early morning barking has started to disturb the neighbor below me. I get nervous that he won't stay as forgiving and he'll say something to our landlord. I live in a converted row home, the walls are very thin. So, I take him out and he pooped, then we transferred to the couch and we both slept until 6 am.

I really do try to wait until he's quiet. He's typically only quiet after I've been standing/sitting by the crate, giving the quiet command, he'll sit down, stare at me and whimper. I say "quiet" and if he doesn't make any noise for a few seconds, take him out.

I'm sick, I have a bad case of the flu, so I'm tired and getting crabby! I figured I'd get myself and him REALLY tired, then I'd take Nyquil and be dead to the world during the night, so even if he barked, I would be asleep, then in the morning, he'd have made it through the night. Nyquil didn't work and I'm typically a light sleeper anyway. Anything you can think of that could zonk me out for tonight? I really think he just needs to cry it out a few more times until he gets it, since he settles right down at night and after potty breaks, OR will he grow out of needing night time potty runs?

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree, he clearly needs to go out.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Do you know how a bark collar works?  It shocks them.  JMO, but I think Stew is much to young to be subjected to bark collar.

[BG and Gavin]

I don't mind that he barks or whimpers at night to be let out..as long as he eliminates when goes out.  He is communicating with you that he needs to "go."  He will grow out of this and start sleeping through the night (just like a baby does).  Are you tiring him out good at night before bed with a good walk and some play time/training?  Barking when he is put away in the crate during the day for no reason is a different thing.  

[F, Calla & Luca]

Being out so you sleep through barking is a really bad idea. What if there were an emergency and a neighbor was knocking or something? I am sorry you are sick, lousy time to feel lousy. Did you have a flu shot?

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I am thinking he is really young. If you had him in the bed with you he wouldn't bark at all and would only wake if he needed to go out.. Right now he is so wide awake from the barking that this may sometimes be triggering a need to go potty.  Boris wasn't crate trained when he came at 8 weeks, we couldn't bear the whining and my partner took him to our bed on the third night. He never had an accident once. Now he is the size of a small horse  and sleeps between us LOL He is in a huge crate with Riley during the day at the moment because he has to be there and he's fine with that. Dogs are pack animals and need to be near their people.   Maybe this isn't a solution at all for you but it worked for us. 

[Linda, Webber and Seda]

Both of my dogs slept on my bed from the day I got them. They are also crate trained, so it is surely possible to do both. he sounds young, maybe he just wants to be next to you. it's hard when you are sick.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

my first thought about your idea of letting him "cry it out" is a battle of wills and in this you will probably loose. Especially if it is disturbing the neighbors. For sanity sake, why not try putting him in bed with you? Its quite possible you will both sleep much better. Just a thought

[Jess & Stewart]

Thanks for all the replies! I typically have a hard time sleeping & wanted to have one space that was off limits, so I'd rather not have him in bed with me.

I saw my one neighbor who complained, he said he's only been woken up twice from his middle of the night barking. He said it's totally fine, as he knows he's a puppy & as long as it's not incessant in the middle of the night. I responded that it had me nervous that he barked a lot & it was getting to be annoying. He said not at all, aside from the two times. He offered to come over & tire him out anytime I want help, lol! Now it makes me feel much better, I think I just got really nervous that he said that.

I think I'll just stop overthinking it & take him out when he barks, i'll just keep up the "quiet" command. Hopefully, he'll grow out of it & he won't continue to bark once he can hold it all night.

F- Yes, I did get a flu shot. I was premature when I was born & have scarring in my lungs so colds, flu etc, really hit me hard, settle in my chest & my congestion gets horrible. I don't typically get suck, but when I do, I'm usually out of commission for a few days.

[Robin and Libby Louise]

Feel better!  Everything will improve with time!

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Hoping you are feeling better soon!

[Shari Becker]

We had a lot of trouble with our puppy barking, and we live in a two-family, so our neighbors were furious. They don't like pets, and really discouraged us from getting one in the first place.

If your dog has to go out, she has to go out. There's not much you can do about it. In a few weeks, the puppy will make it until about 5:30.

Lexi hates her crate at night, but doesn't mind it if we aren't home by day. We trained her to 'tolerate' her crate by playing a game with her where we'd sit on the floor and throw little treats inside. For a week, she only got tiny treats (in the house) in her crate. We used kibble from her food. We also began feeding her in her crate, at a trainer's suggestion. This way, her crate smells all yummy to her, and it's a place of satisfaction. We ultimately decided to move her crate to the kitchen at night and just let her bark it out once we knew she could make it through the night in her crate. It made our neighbors -who live right above us - much happier, and honestly my allergies were acting up when she was in our room at night.

She was great for a few months and then began barking again - at night. 

Now, she sleeps in the gated kitchen with her crate door open. Sometimes she sleeps inside, sometimes she pulls her bed out and sleeps beside it. Now that she's mostly house trained, we even offered her the chance to sleep with our daughters, but she didn't like it! She wanted to go back to her open crate ... in the kitchen. Go figure. I do think some dogs aren't crate dogs, no matter what everyone says. Lexi definitely would rather be anywhere but in her crate. I only crate her when we're out during the day because she enjoys trying to pull things off the counters way too much ....

[Jess & Stewart]

I've done the same thing since Stew came home. I feed him every meal in a KONG, sometimes in a bowl in his crate. I stopped it for about a week, but now started back again. I also leave pieces of his kibble or small training treats in there so he'll find them in the evening or during the day while I'm at work.

I also do sessions throughout the week where I make him go in after a treat, then go in without a treat, walk around with door open, walk around with door closed. I haven't gotten too far with me leaving the room or being behind my apt door. I'm thinking the puppy classes may give me tips or I might get the trainer to do a home consult, just to be reassured I'm doing things correctly.

He's never in his crate when I'm home, unless I can't directly supervise him. I'm hoping to work up to him tolerating it more-that's all I ask! I'll probably eventually stop crating him at night, as I don't want him crated during part of the day & at night.