Crate training not working (understatement)

[onmylastnerve90]

Hi, I really need some advice on how you approached and were successful with crate training please.

We brought our 8 week old puppy home 3 days ago and I am worried we’ve fostered a negative association with her crate and want some advice.

We’ve watched so many videos and read so many articles that advise after food and exercise to put the puppy in the crate and ignore whines and it will settle and sleep. Well, she’s not settling. 😫She starts with quiet whimpers and then she’s almost screaming the place down! The longest we could leave her like it was 15 minutes, it was heartbreaking! 😥 We also thought the police or neighbours would be knocking in the door as it sounds like someone is being murdered.

We are so close to just packing it in. (Crate training I mean) It’s the same throughout the night. I think we got about 3 hours sleep every night so far.

We end up taking her out to go potty, sometimes she goes sometimes not, she’s fed, watered etc so think she’s just wanting company and not used to it. Does it get better?

I’m worried she sees it as punishment so tempted to just put her in there when she falls asleep to try and recreate a sense of safety and a positive place. Only issue is, are we then making a rod for our own back? as when we need to get tasks done around the house or work (we both WFH) or when just one of us is here, she won’t be used to being put in her crate.

Any help would be appreciated. Happy to be told we are doing it all wrong or that we just have to suck it up and continue.

Thank you, a very tired and worried puppy Mum.

My older dog was the same, he was so unhappy. I always swore no dogs upstairs but we caved in after a few weeks, got rid of the crate, and he's slept on our bed problem free ever since.

My younger dog, same breed, was in a crate from day one and loved it, she'd take herself off to it and put herself in for bed. We got rid of it after about six months and she's on the bed too now. My point is, different dogs respond differently to crates.

A little bit of fussing is different to screaming in distresss. If they can still see you then they know they’ve not been abandoned. My pup protested at first (like, a minute) but every day a little less then straight to sleep when put in. I increased my distance from crate a little every time but always visible and offering reassurance (not attention). Depends entirely on the pup. Mine needs the down regulation state as was mentioned where distraction and stimuli are removed otherwise she wouldn’t sleep for anywhere near as long as required. Sleeping out in the open she seemed to sleep with one eye open and restless, think she felt too exposed. In the crate she feels safe.

We've never crated, just left our dogs with free run of the kitchen-diner overnight. But they're happy to be left in the back of the car behind a grille (boot open, in the shade, with ventilation, or if it's cold, boot mostly shut, coat on, always secure etc etc) and can be kennelled if necessary.

The downside has been a bit of destruction (one particularly, um, adventurous puppy got onto a windowsill and the plants were no more) but nothing important because nothing important was left accessible.

This a long-winded way of saying that for most people, crating isn't essential. We had dogs when I was a kid and nobody crated then except for people with show dogs.