Tips on offsetting/overcoming confinement anxiety

[DowntonNabby]

I've put this in the new puppy survival thread, but thought I'd post it here to for wider feedback.

We brought our Golden Retriever puppy home on Saturday. We had a crate all ready in the lounge, thinking it was safer/cosier, but she hated it the second we put her in. So last night we switched to a pen, because that's what she and her siblings had been in. We set it up with a cosy bed, blanket scented by her mum, a jumper of mine, toys and water. She got upset straight away again but after five minutes of crying and whining and trying to leap up and me making soothing noises, she finally went to sleep with me on the floor beside her.

This evening we put her in the pen again while we very quickly had dinner next door in the kitchen, thinking that was safer for her, but she went nuts and managed to get out! Thankfully she's not injured herself but obviously we are extremely worried she won't settle a crate or pen now. Anyone got tips for how I can get her settled in the pen this evening?! I will be sleeping in the room again with her.

I feel awful we seem to have messed it up at the first hurdle. Any tips on how to rectify this are gratefully received!

Does she need to be contained? Might she just settle in a bed? How is she if you're in the same room as the pen?

Once I got her settled she was absolutely fine in the pen and slept for a six-hour stretch. We think she should be contained because we've set her up in the lounge and potentially could chew stuff or hurt herself trying to get on the sofa. The kitchen is a no-go area right now because we have an outdoor cat and them going in and out of the cat flap would disturb puppy.

But, to add, she definitely seems happier not being contained!

If you've only had her a week, it's not surprising she is not used to being alone.

I think I slept downstairs with my pup for a week or so. We did use a playpen for him sometimes but as our house was open plan, he knew we were nearby when we put him in as we had dinner for example.

I ended up using the playpen more as giant baby gates- blocking off certain parts of the room for example! Maybe a stair gate would be better for keeping pup out of cats way? And persevere with playpen!
I gave mine a kong to chew while we had dinner.

Thanks for replying! She wasn't alone at night – I'm sleeping in the lounge with her (and will do so for next week or longer) and she did settle in pen after five mins and sleep through. The mistake we made was popping her in the pen while we ate dinner tonight – in future we'll have her with us when we eat and just distract her with lick mat or kong like you do. I'm just fretting that because it was a hideous experience this evening, she's going to panic going into the pen tonight.

We also do have a baby-gate across doorway to keep cat separate. Cat has to be shut in kitchen at night because otherwise she walks through the house miaowing at top of voice for hours. Honestly, she's louder than Mariah Carey belting out a top note!

I crate train my dogs but it takes months and years to get them truly happy. You have to slowly build value and time in the crate and apply it to different situations.

When a pup they are handy for overnight but I cuddled mine to sleep then popped her in making sure I woke up as she was to immediately take her to the loo. At no point did she feel stressed or confined. After she was going through the night and we were having to wake her when we wanted to get up we left the door open so she still sleeps in it but by choice. She’s got other options. They are handy when tiny to just keep them safe IF they wake and you don’t. We had ours in our bedroom.

Hard fact. puppies will struggle with confinement and isolation. They may give up but they won’t be happy. Crates are great but they need to be used extremely carefully and id argue for the average pet owner not necessary. I train as I’m a sport competitor so my dog needs to be comfortable spending time in a crate in the car.

It’s a rare puppy who doesn’t cry through the night or at least to start with. New home new family who (they think) has suddenly abandoned them at night. Going from sleeping with their littermates and mum to being alone etc.

Lots of people start with the crate in their bedroom and slowly move it further away. That being said, I left my Golden to cry it out the first night in the crate in my kitchen (five minutes and then he stopped and when I checked he’d fallen asleep) and he didn’t cry after that. Lots of people think it’s cruel, but honestly if it’s just a bit of crying I think it’s fine - obviously if the puppy was in a complete state I’d go to them and have them in my room. I often think people sleeping with them or going to them when they cry can make it much worse…it reinforces that crying = attention.

Best thing I can suggest is moving the crate upstairs for a few nights.

She doesn’t need a lick mat or a kong when you eat though - you risk her associating you eating with her eating (if she’s smart).

Our GR didn’t like the crate and jumped the pen. We let him sleep on a dog bed in the corner of our room at night and left him in the house unrestrained (at first in the kitchen where he cannot injure himself or chew much - it’s a big space though) He didn’t chew. Could you test to see if she will be okay this way?