New puppy crate and night time problem

[Ephedra]

Yesterday we picked up our new 10 week old mini poodle puppy. She is lovely but she's stressed, DH is stressed and I am stressed, tired and grumpy (and its my birthday!).

She cried a lot last night (loudly!) and didn't sleep much. We were told that she slept in a crate no problem but I don't think she was ever crated on her own and has therefore massively freaked out when crated.

I have crate trained a pup before and have tried everything I know but nothing has worked even for a minute. I have never had a dog react like she does.

I know I can crate train her but it will take time. What I need to know is what to do with her tonight? Any ideas?

Radio on. Large meal. Buy adaptil diffuser or collar tomorrow.

Thanks Kittyvet. Radio on even though she is right next to the bed? I would love to feed her a large meal but she is only eating a tiny amount at the rate of one bit per minute! Although she is just eating a fish stick so that may help.

We will but the adaptil tomorrow. Which is best diffuser or collar?

Hi congrats on your new puppy! Have you tried a ticking clock wrapped in a blanket? I didnt at first, i thought it was an old wives tale but it did the trick for our puppy. Also try a blanket over your crate to make it cosy?

Thanks Plum she is lovely, I would post a photo but all we have managed to get so far are pictures of a black blur!

We don't have any ticking clocks that I can wrap in a blanket but I will move a clock into our bedroom to see if that helps.

The crate is a plastic one so a blanket won't change how cosy it is.

Sadly, her reaction isn't just whining, it's full on panic . I think I will spend tomorrow reading up on seperation anxiety so that I can help her before it gets too bad.

Is her crate small enough? Our pup was like that , jumpting around clawing to get out - then pooing and spreading it about !!!! Weve made ir smaller so only her bed fits. Our pup cries for the forst fewnight, we knew she had to get used to it so we just moves it where we cant hear her - it worked! But maybe you ahould rake the crate in your room? Depends how you feel about it , i didnt want to start somethjng i wpuldnt continue but some people do , its very early days, good luck

Don't want to hijack this thread, but why do people shut dogs in crates? Can't you leave them free to roam the house or one room?

I am frightened of don't particularly like dogs, but would never be cruel to one, and hate seeing any animal in a cage.

Yes the crate is small enough. We have borrowed my mums cat carrier as none of our other crates are small enough.

The crate was within touching distance of our bed last night, it can't get any closer unless we put it on the bed!

She howls, and digs, and throws herself around when in the crate, to the point that I am seriously concerned she will hurt herself. She hasn't soiled the crate though.

I have crated a lot of dogs and even the ones who hated it don't react the way she does.

MrsLeighHalfpenny crates are used to protect the dog. A ten week old puppy will chew everything. It won't know that chewing a cable might kill it. They are not cruel, most dogs (when properly trained) love crates, its their den.

Every day is a learning day! Thanks Ephedra. Though I still don't like the thought of it, and feel its a relatively new thing. I never knew anyone with a dog crate years ago.

Is the dog used to such an enclosed crate or a wire open one ? I'm not a crate user ,we had a pen when mine was first home then just used stair gates to pen him in a smallish room . Perhaps the cat carrier is making the pup feel claustrophobic , added to which perhaps it can't see you properly whereas in a wire cage she would be able to .

Well, that'll be because a dog is a pack animal, so removing it from its original pack, and then shutting it away from its new pack will cause a bit of stress. It's cruel to crate fucking puppies overnight alone, and the fact yours is telling you so should tell you how to solve it.
Crates aren't some new safety system for the majority of dog owners that seem to use them. They just allow the traditional caged pets to be upgraded to having a dog.

I agree with Flora, perhaps a bigger crate with lots of blankets and teddies to cuddle. I have always used a crate but within a pen so the pup could go in and out of the crate to toilet (pads in pen) or drink. It's worked for us. Although current (now 20 week) pup would rather lie on a cold floor than a warm bed so got rid of crate and just used bed in a pen. Hope tonight is better. Oh - we covered crate so it was dark inside which helped them sleep.

I've never crated any of the dogs I've had/have, I don't agree with it personally. Our dogs sleep on their own mattress at the foot of our bed, they're happy, we're happy, everyone gets plenty of sleep .

Lurked - my puppy retires to his crate whenever he's tired or stressed and has never cried when he's been left in it. He views it as no different to a bed as far as I can tell. He's happier travelling in it than not in the car so I assume it's because he actually likes being in there.

I think many dogs are very happy in crates and it's anthropomorphising them to think they can't possibly be happy in there although obviously some dogs don't like them.

As far as the OP is concerned, I'd sleep on the floor next to her in her crate if you want to continue using one.