[d81r]

We got a new puppy yesterday, and everything is going well. When she is awake and in her crate (which is in our kitchen), she is screaming nonstop.
I’m not complaining - but I am wondering how I should be handling this.
Ignore? Give a command to shh or stop? What is the right thing to do in this situation?

 

[lily cd re]

I would move the crate to a quieter room. A crate is like a den for pups and dogs. It is a way for the pup to be able to take a needed nap and to be kept out of harms way when you can't directly supervise. Do ignore screaming, just as you do with human infants so they can learn to self soothe, maybe not total ignore at first, but definitely later on.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I think it's very stressful for a puppy to be crated in a high-traffic area, which might be why your puppy is not settling. Try putting it in a corner that's removed from the action. I like to keep crates in the main living space, but tucked away behind furniture or in an area that doesn't get used. We also keep Peggy's crate covered with a light, breathable blanket, with just one side open (facing the wall).

Does your puppy willingly go into the crate? If not, take a few steps back. You want this to be a cozy, happy space. Practise tossing in some treats and letting puppy go in to eat them. Then work up to closing the door while puppy eats the treats, only opening it again if puppy stays relaxed. If puppy complains vocally or by pushing on the door, wait it out, but open the door as soon as puppy stops.

For Peggy this process took about an hour from beginning to end. For many puppies it takes a few days. But it's worth it. Be patient.

 

[d81r]

I can move her! I thought the crate was supposed to be in a family gathering area. My chihuahua’s x-pen is here so I put her crate beside it.

She does willingly go in. When the dogs are loose in the kitchen they both explore each other’s areas and play with the toys.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Maybe just try covering it then. It's possible she doesn't know she's supposed to settle in there, especially with another dog right outside her crate enjoying more freedom.

And do try what I said above, eventually adding a stuffed Kong or similarly yummy long-lasting chew to keep her occupied until she falls asleep.

 

[Raindrops]

Your puppy is lovely! I second the ignoring and giving a chew to help her occupy herself. It is easiest if you can get her a bit tired out before she has to go in the crate. That way it will make it easier for her to settle down.

 

[Asta's Mom]

I second the notion of putting the crate in a quiet place and use a light blanket to cover the crate leaving one side partially open. This is akin to a sleeping mask that I wear at night and when I am taking a nap.

 

[cowpony]

I handle it differently from other people. It kicks the problem down the road a bit and horrified trainers, but it works for me.

I'm a softy and don't like listening to the I'm-alone-in-a-strange-place-for-the-first-time-ever existential puppy wailing. We also have a second floor bedroom, so we cant easily get a leaky puppy aout into the yard from the bedroom. We start out with a day crate in our sunroom and a night crate in the bedroom.

When the puppy is brand new I sleep on the couch in the sunroom with the puppy sandwiched between me and the back of the couch. If puppy won't settle he goes into the day crate for a few minutes. Since he doesn't want to be alone, he soon realizes that settling is the way to keep couch privileges and a sleeping companion.

At some point in the middle of the night he will start wiggling because he needs to pee. We make a beeline to the yard and then return to the couch as soon as essential business is done. Again, couch privileges are revoked if puppy won't settle.

During the day for these first couple weeks we try to make the day crate a place where good things happen. We feed in the crate. We put new toys in the crate. We toss smelly old T-shirts in the crate. We put chews in the crate. We toss treats in the crate. Any time puppy goes in the crate something he will enjoy is there. Puppy goes in the crate or the attached x-pen any time we can't keep a gimlet eye on him. However, we stay nearby, so he gets used to the idea that we come right back when we disappear from view.

After the first couple weeks the puppy Is more confident about the way the household works. Leaving him alone in the crate produces a wail of outrage rather than a wail of fear and loneliness. At this point we start leaving him in the day crate for longer periods. If he yells we exit the sun room and shut the door. (I'm a lot harder hearted about puppies throwing tantrums than I am about lonely grieving puppies.) If he's quiet we stay nearby reading. His reward for being quiet is to keep us near.

We make the transition off the couch to the night crate in the bedroom around this time. ( I'm more confident about his bladder capacity.) On a Friday night we play hard and get him really tired. Then we plop him in the night crate with the cushion, toys, and smelly T-shirt from his day crate. With luck he will flop down and go to sleep with minimal fuss.

If he seems distressed, we talk to him a bit to reassure him we're nearby. A prolonged tantrum earns him a trip back down to the day crate, where he stays alone until he's quiet. Then we try again in the night crate. Settling can take a while, which is why we do ithe transition on the weekend, when we can sleep in or nap the next day.

 

[Mufar42]

I keep a crate in my kitchen (I don't use it any longer) Its at one end and I did cover it with a blanket, in the beginning stages. My dogs learned early on that was their place to settle and go to sleep even if someone came into the kitchen . I could come down in the mornings, do what I needed to do, then took them out and they sat in there quietly. Dogs learn and they like structure, what you do early on becomes habit to them. Mine knew they had to wait quietly or they didn't get any attention. That being said when a young pup first came the first thing I did was walk to the crate, lift them out and carry them outside to potty, before any whining started. LOL