How to Stop Crate Frustration

Stop Dog Barking & Whining In the Crate

I can't take credit for these all ideas... many are tried and true trainer secrets :-)

For Puppies and Dog New To The Crate

• Cover the Crate with a Blanket, blocking access to visual stimuli. This also makes the crate feel more den-like. Be sure the dog, especially puppies is not pulling the fabric into the crate as a possible ingestion risk.

• Don't communicate with your dog verbally. Don’t walk in there to look at him (use a webcam) They are seeking attention, and if you give it to them, their antics are working. Consider this the test and protest phase.

  • If your dog is truly in a panic — you will know the difference between barking out of frustration and true distress. Then you bring the dog out — work him for 10-15 minutes (all the training skills you have been working on to date) and then put him back in. The goal is to create a mentally fatigued dog (not a burned-out dog), but one that goes in and rests.

  • Otherwise don't let him out of the crate (so be sure he has gone potty before you put him in)

  • Only let your dog out of the crate when he is calm. You’ll want to begin having him sit & wait for permission to exit.

• Use the Crate more often than you think is necessary — while you’re home. This is temporary and during the training phases only.

  • Feed your dog in the crate.

  • Sit Next To Your Dog while he’s in the crate and read — every 2-3 days increase the distance you sit from the crate.

  • Don’t Use the crate only at bedtime or when you’re leaving.

• See Our Crate Training Guide (it’s free!)

If after a few days of trying the above efforts, he is still persistent

• Interrupt with loud noise by surprise

  • Set a cell phone to "vibrate" on top of the crate in a metal bowl. You can then call the cell from another room. This means the house is responding to the dog

  • String together some clean soup cans. Lay them across the top of the crate -- extend string across the room (or down the hall) when the dog barks, and rattle the tin cans.

  • If you have an ecollar and don't want to use it on young puppies for barking. Set it in the metal bowl and vibrate the collar every time he barks. You can do this from down the hall or without getting out of bed overnight

• For dogs with anxiety, fill the crate with straw and make it more nest-like. Not Hay, straw. Filled in a hard-sided crate about 1/2 full. Replace weekly until dog learns to settle on his own. (Also a possible option for Separation Anxiety)

Much of this is about interruption and even a little bit of a startle effect.  It's even better if the dog has no idea you are doing it!

If you are going to consider the route of a bark collar -- use caution.

• If you are using the ones that spray -- get unscented spray. As the olfactory senses of your dog are extremely sensitive & having citronella on their face for the next several hours isn't ideal.

• If you are using an electronic bark collar, start on the lowest setting. Let him adjust to the "idea" of the stim and why it's happening for few training intervals. And then later increase the level by 1 until it changes behavior. Do Not put it on auto-leveling until your dog is fully acclimated to the collar and only go as high as needed to create stop the behavior. DO NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE until you see how the dog responds.

• I prefer to be the remote control myself vs the automatic collar and issue the lowest level stim needed. I do this at least for introduction and then convert to automatic for persistent barkers, those at risk in townhouses, etc.

When you do go to let the dog out -- be sure he's quiet when you open the door.  Even if it's only a split second to start.   Then build your way to a nice quiet "wait" to come out.   You want to teach the dog that the door only opens when he's calm -- not loud.

Wishing you all a good night's sleep!

Consistency Matters!