Crates and leaving dogs alone

[Dobbyhasnomaster]

So I’ve had my golden puppy since he was 9 weeks old, he’s nearly 14 weeks now. He HATES his crate, especially when left alone, cries and howls like a crazy wolf and very rarely settles down. I’ve tried so hard with the positive association training but it’s not gone well at all, but he is doing well with everything else. I needed to nip out for ten minutes earlier and he was asleep in the living room so I left him shut in there and he was absolutely fine, not a peep as I hid outside to listen. I’ve repeated the experiment this afternoon and left him downstairs whilst I worked upstairs - he would usually bark for half an hour minimum in his crate but he’s settled down after a minute when left alone but not locked in the crate. Is it ok to give up the crate? Or at least stop locking him in? I feel like I’ve failed at the training but if he’s calm outside of it, does it matter? It has me very confused and I’m not sure what to do for the best.

If he’s upset in the crate then you mustn’t shut him in it. Ever.
Can you create a safe space for him? A room with little to destroy?

We have a crate but have never actually shut the door to it…

We used a crate with our last dpuppy (ddog 4)..for wjr own safety tbh. Until she outgrew it. She is absolutely fine without it. Baby gate is a better alternative for restricting access!!

I get what you’re saying but sometimes I have to go out and it was for his own safety really, and it was recommended by both trainer and vet. I can make the area pretty secure so I might try this and see how we get on instead. There’s so much conflicting advice out there!

Limit the space (gate) and limit the things it can chew!! Ours is 2 and no longer eats wallpaper or linoleum!!
. Shoes have always been left alone. Can't say the same for my kitchen utensils.
Apparently nowt as tasty as a serving spoon.

Of course it's OK!
Select the safest room if you feel he needs restricting.

Crates aren't mandatory. If your puppy hates his crate, I'd just get rid of it. I definitely wouldn't use it if he's crying and howling. I would just puppy-proof a room (or part of a room) for him instead.

Look at dog training advice and support on FB. I get you need him to be safe. But if you shut an upset puppy in a crate it will only make being in a crate more upsetting.
My first didn’t like the crate. So we only used it overnight and I slept right next to it. Then she was fine.

Have you tried YouTube? Ddoggy calming music for dpuppies and anxious ddogs etc!! Ds7 pops it on for them when we do the school run bless him!!

We've never ever crated our dog and he's four now - it's not essential, honestly. If your dog doesn't like it, there's really no need to force it.

I always left mine in the living room if I needed to go out - he never destroyed a thing.

Neuter of our mutts have a crate. One has a spot of separation anxiety where she'll occasionally howl for a few minutes after we go out. The other one couldn't give a toss.

Crates are just a fashion - no one told dogs they were supposed to like them.

And a crate is just another name for a cage. Dogs don't belong in a cage IMO.

Why on earth do you feel the need to crate train him? It’s an American import that is unnecessary for most dogs. Of course don’t do it if the poor thing is unhappy. Surprised you have to ask.

Crates are awful. Your dog is obviously distressed in one please stop using it. Why not just leave your dogs/puppy's locked in 1 room were they atleast have the space to walk around. Crates have become popular for some reason and there is no need for most puppys/dogs to be in them. I understand some dogs may be destructive when alone hence crate but if not then leave them out off it.

I gave up on the crate, was adamant I wouldn't but so glad I did.

Thank you for the constructive comments. 😊

I view crating as a useful life skill, which every dog should learn. Sooner or later, he's going to need to be in a crate - for travel, at the vets - and far better for him that he settles happily in it.

But that's for the future. Your dog is making it clear that this isn't something he can do right now. So I'd abandon the crate, because he's hating it, which isn't helpful for him or you.

Instead, I'd set up a puppy pen to pop him in when you need him to be contained and safe. Or when you just need a break!

I'd also set up a crate somewhere where the family spend time, with a comfortable bed in it. I'd ignore it but, if he chooses to go in it, I'd give him a chew or a treat to have whilst he's there. I wouldn't encourage him in. I'd simply leave it there, door open, comfy bed, and see what happens. The aim would be to build up positive associations with the crate, rather than the negative ones he has now.

What I wouldn't do is shut the door, and I certainly wouldn't leave him shut in it alone, for a long long time yet. Because he's making it very very clear that he isn't happy with that.

Puppies are like kids - they haven't read the manual, and sometimes it's a bit of trial and error to figure out what works for your puppy in your household. Honestly, as long as you and he are happy and safe then it doesn't matter. And you can do that without a crate.

If it works for you to leave him downstairs and it's safe enough - do it !

So much conflicting advice

I would set up the crate in a puppy pen and slowly over months reduce puppy pen size. I would remove pen once happy in closed crate. I think crates are important in case of travel, vet, sick, visitors etc.

We got a crate for our rescue pup because everyone said you should have one but we have only got to the stage of him going in it with the door open. He will voluntarily go in it quite happily but will get upset and howl and cry if shut in so we never actually shut it and hence it doesn't serve much purpose
I feel like if we try to shut him in then it gets a bad association and encourages him to whine to get out. I think we probably missed the boat on training him to stay in it from very young as we only got him at 6 months. I too am at a loss how to progress it from here or whether to just give up. Hes a big dog and he likes to move spots and positions when he's sleeping and stretch out so it seems really mean to shut him in for any length of time.
He's happy to stay on his own in the kitchen and sleeps on the floor there all night by choice so we just make sure there is nothing he can chew in there.
My dog growing up certainly never had a crate and I never knew any that did. I think I am coming back round to my original idea that it isn't needed and plan to just leave him in a puppy proofed room.

We just used a puppy pen and then fenced off parts of rooms for ours until he was ok to free roam . Even though we’ve never caged him at home he’s perfectly happy to go in one at the vets , groomers etc .

Never used a crate and our dogs never destroyed anything and just settled where they wanted

We use ours just overnight 12-7 and for one or two hour long naps during the day after walks. We put calming puppy music on Alexa - in fact we only have to say 'Alexa' and he goes in there voluntarily (obvs don't use Alexa enough!)

I never had a crate for pups until we got our most recent do on the advice of a friend, a retired vet. She told me it should be their safe place or den that they want to go in to. I never closed her in it unless in the car. I still have one in the car but stopped using it in the house after a few weeks. I would just leave the dog in the kitchenwith bed and toys but nothing that can be damaged. I think locking in a crate/cage is quite cruel

When we had dogs as kids (in the 80s) we never had crates. This is a recent thing. I don't like the idea of them. Our dogs had their doggy beds and were happy.

I have a puppy and he quite happily toddles off to bed in it. There is too much for him to destroy in the open plan kitchen/living room to leave him there and also he'd piss and shit everywhere (doesn't in the crate)