Crate or pen?? Help! He barks/yelps in both!

[Elizabeth & Cooper]

Hello!

I'm brand new to the site and am brand new to 'motherhood'. I just brought home Cooper (8 week old F2 Goldendoodle) on Saturday and am trying to get him in a groove but I'm struggling with which approach to take during the day. Here is my experience so far:

- he was a champ in the car ride (took us 8 hours)... slept and was very calm when we stopped for breaks

- he made it through his first two nights really well. I put him in a small crate on top of his big crate so that he was level with me on my bed and he whined a bit but then slept until 4, I took him out, then he slept until 8

- he's fairly calm in the day and I have been letting him be in the main living room as there isn't much for him to destroy and I can keep my eyes on him.. for the most part he sleeps and plays with his toys

- the first full day he had no accidents and went very quickly in his designated 'go pee' spot

- today, he hasn't peed since I took him out at 8 a.m. (it's now 11:30) so I'm not sure if he just doesn't have to or if he was too hot out there (it's a scorcher). I'll keep trying and perhaps he is just able to hold it longer now... no accidents so far....

 

NOW my REAL challenge. My original plan was to crate train him even though I work from home about 75% of the time. I also have one of the puppy pens as it was suggested to keep him in a totally 'puppy-friendly' area where he could just enjoy his toys etc...'. the problem that I'm finding is that he whines, then yels/barks any time I put him in either. I know this is probably normal but it's how I correct it that I'm stuck on. I don't want to just let him bark it out as I fear that he'll continue that behaviour but I also don't want him to think that if he barks he'll get a response from me. I'm feeling very lost and like my original plan is not working at all.

I'm looking for help here as my goals really are two-fold:

- use the pen (if I need to) for keeping him safe and out of trouble when I'm home or going on quick trips out

- use the crate for overnight and when I'm gone for longer periods of time

 

I've done a lot of reading and have tried to do the whole 'give him treats in the crate, make it a positive experience' but he really wants nothing to do with it.

Maybe I just need to be told 'you've had him for 2 days and he's 8 weeks old... be patient'.. either way - looking for advice.

 

Thanks!

 

Elizabeth (and Cooper)

[Mimi Linna, Lilly and Lolly]

Hi.. I am one week ahead of you in new puppy motherhood. You can read my blogs on the first few days. I will say...you have had him for two days..be patient:)  now we can see what the experts have to say.  Lilly was a scared little girl and I spent lots of time holding her during that first week..even while she was sleeping. Now she will not cry in her crate unless she has to go potty during the night. Her crate is by the bed. This week when she lays down during the day and goes to sleep, I scoop her up and put her in the crate..she cried at first, but now she just goes back to sleep and I listen for her to wake up. I have a daybed for her during the day in the livingroom that she is just now starting to take her toys into for play..mostly I ahve been her playmate..hugs..

[Elizabeth & Cooper]

Thanks for the reply and for sharing your blog! Sounds like we're taking a similar approach with our dogs who did not read the book on crates ;). I have to say - he's pretty confident and hasn't been scared at all both in the home and going on quick little walks but he just wants to be by my side which causes all the commotion when he goes in any kind of confined space... though as I'm typing this I'm looking at him sleep in his pen. I put him in after a walk with a treat and he didn't make a sound... could this be too good to be true?

[Becka]

Be patient :)

 

Give him a few days to get used to these completely new circumstances. He will get used to the crate--it's important not to give in and thereby teach him to bark for your attention when he's in there. It might take a few days for him "bark it out," but you can teach him to consider his crate a safe and comforting place. It sounds like you have a good plan--the hard part is sticking to it when you're up against a puppy!

[Elizabeth & Cooper]

Thanks for the advice. He's definitely testing me at times but he's also such a sweetheart.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I was going to suggest this method also. You may also want to try positioning a chair near the crate/pen with your back turned to the puppy, and just wait it out until he stops barking/whining. Then turn and praise and treat. If he jumps up on the pen, turn and shake the side of the pen to get him to have 4 on the floor. Don't make eye contact, just reach your arm around. You want him to see that its a cause and effect type thing and not something caused by you. Once you have success at that distance start gradually pulling the chair away a bit at a time, waiting for success at that distance before moving on. I've never done this method before but have seen it described in books. Fortunately, our Lucy LOVED her crate from day 1. Here's a link to her 2nd day home with us playing in her crate:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/video/lucys-new-friend

 

I should mention too, that I leave Lucy's crate door open all day long when she's not sleeping in it, or when we go out. I also started off putting her food and water dishes in there too, with the door open. Every time she goes in now for closed-door crate time (at 21mos.) she gets a small treat. Never had any problems.

[Angel Schilling-Putnam]

Welcome Elizabeth and Cooper!
Unfortunately, it seems pretty normal. I believe that consistency will really help in the long run. Our guy "Winston" would do the same behavior. He stayed in our kitchen, blocked off by baby gates and would whine, yelp, even scream sometimes. It was awful. As painful as it was to hear, I would just go about doing normal stuff and would completely ignore him, appearing happy all the while. I played soft background music a lot. When I would notice him settling down or playing and being calm, then I would praise him and give him treats. Have faith, it will get easier:-) you have a good first few days then it goes to hades. This is a stressful time. He's young, testing limits, you're nervous and want to do everything the right way. It will all be good. Visit often. Kongs, and project oriented toys work well too. Hang in there!

[Kathy, Harley & Roxie]

Don't know if this is the "right" way, but it worked for us and Harley doesn't whine or bark when crated.  When he was a puppy, I attached a x-pen to his open crate so that he could come and go in crate and in play area while we were at work.  We placed it on tile and never had an issue with him going potty in his area (very frequent potty breaks).  Any time he would begin to whine I would very loudly give a disagreement sound (Ceasar's tsst wasn't harsh enough) and ignore, no talking.  He caught on very quickly that this was not accepted.  We also were very strict on his crate/pen schedule, at first sounded like a really harsh confinement schedule, but he has been completely trustworthy on going outside to potty since 4 months.   We began and continue to water and feed Harley in his crate, it's the only place he gets this.  At bedtime he gets a high value treat (dehydrated chicken breast) when he enters, and he about knocked the water pan out of my hand last night to get in fast enough to get his treat.  Harley is extremely food driven, so treats and food in crate was all it took for him to accept his crate.  Hope this helps. btw...Cooper is a doll :-)

[Becka]

By the way, I also work from home most of the time (at least in the summer) and for the few weeks or so that I had Sadie (after which she was pretty reliably potty trained) I crated her for a couple of hours in the morning and again in the afternoon when I was home. So I think it's a really good idea to crate train no matter what your work circumstances are. It's best to stick to a schedule (for eating, toileting, and crating) as best you can--you'll both be happier!

[Hazel & Chester Wayte]

Well Chester broke our hearts in the Crate.. cried, barked, whimpered (I hadn't heard him bark before that..).

That was the first week we had him..so we waited for him to calm a bit before we took him out and praised him. So we decided not to use it at Bedtime- also He loved a denim bean bag chair..or a hard surface to sleep on.. so we just gated him is a few areas at night. Sometimes his nose is in our bedroom and the rest of him on our laminate floor.

So we left the crate- open with a blanket over it in a room Chester frequents.. we toss some treats in occasionally and toys.. he will go in and grab toys or treats..now that he is a bit more comfortable here in our house and with us and is learning some routines.

We were talking to our obedience class trainer and she highly encourage us getting back into crate training or start training..As if he had to go to the vet overnight being crated would overstress him....good point! Back on that. She suggested that we add peanut butter to the back of the crate. So I tried this the last couple days - and put in a shirt we had worn.. and. peanut butter. Chester goes in - doesn't whine.. he hasn't quite relaxed in there.. but we are increasing lengths of time and starting to leave him in there a little longer.

So the morale of my story is be Patient I am sure once Cooper is a little more familiar with you and a little older. He will be fine.. We have only had Chester 3 weeks.. everyday is a learning experience. Enjoy your doodle.