# Puppy won't settle in crate?



## Florencemogted (Dec 26, 2011)

Help please.

Yesterday I collected our new pup, 8 week old dacshund x male. He had been in a crate within a pen with his siblings at the owners home, but will not settle at mine. He whines and screams almost immediately and does not stop, this makes no difference whether you are in the room or not.

I have two other dogs so do not wish him to have free reign, plus I feel the crate is the safest place for an inquisitive pup when I'm not present. 

What do I do? My other dogs have always been happy to be in a crate from the word go.


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## LisaZonda (Oct 14, 2011)

Well you did only get him yesterday!, Give the little guy chance to settle in a bit.

Try to put yourself in your pup's position, yesterday you were taken away from everything and eveybody you've ever known and brought to a different house with strangers in it.

I've had my pup for 3 weeks and I left her crate door open for her to come and go as she please for quite a few days to let her get used to her new den, fed her in it etc but didn't shut her in because she panics, I'm only now starting to be able to shut her in it....if I go out of the room she still does cry and howl because she thinks I've left her...all this takes time.

All dogs are different too, you can't expect them all to behave in the same way.

I think you need to let him get used to his new surroundings, leave the door open, put all his toys and favourite things in it and let him explore in his own time, build it all up gradually and don't push him....he is just a baby after all and has just had his world turned upside down.


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## swarthy (Apr 24, 2010)

He's just been whisked away from his litter mates to new surroundings and popped into a crate, of course he is going to be unsettled - it goes with the territory.

You need to make the crate a nice place to be - feeding in there, toys etc - I always ensure my adult dogs are in the same room where the crate is at night and find this tends to settle any newcomers.

At night, try covering the crate - makes it feel more like a den.

Then, all you can do is harden your heart and close your ears until he settles.

You say you don't want to give him free reign - but presumably, he is out of his crate when you are around and gets the chance to interact with the other dogs?


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## Florencemogted (Dec 26, 2011)

Yes, I understand why he is doing it, and it is a 'nice place' as far as toys, food, breeders blanket is concerned. He is 'out and about' when I'm here. Which is all the time since I can't shut him away at all, even in the day. I have tried to put him in there whilst here for short periods but he just won't have it. I wouldn't risk him being free with my resident dogs unsupervised, just in case, and also he has been trying to chew cables.

I am now very lacking in sleep and at a loss what to do, my resident dogs have not had a walk since he arrived on Saturday. And one of them physically shakes when he is whining in the crate. 

Helpful training tips would be very welcome please.


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## Manoy Moneelil (Sep 1, 2011)

Dog in a box :cryin:


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## LisaZonda (Oct 14, 2011)

Florencemogted said:


> Yes, I understand why he is doing it, and it is a 'nice place' as far as toys, food, breeders blanket is concerned. He is 'out and about' when I'm here. Which is all the time since I can't shut him away at all, even in the day. I have tried to put him in there whilst here for short periods but he just won't have it. I wouldn't risk him being free with my resident dogs unsupervised, just in case, and also he has been trying to chew cables.
> 
> I am now very lacking in sleep and at a loss what to do, my resident dogs have not had a walk since he arrived on Saturday. And one of them physically shakes when he is whining in the crate.
> 
> Helpful training tips would be very welcome please.


I completely understand how you feel, Nikita won't sleep in her crate during the night if she is left alone in the room...well she would eventually but only after howling and crying for god knows how long first!...I wouldn't let that happen but even if I did I can't have it going on because it wakes up my youngest daughter who is only 6 years old and has school the next day, my OH and I have spent the last 3 weeks taking it in turns sleeping on the sofa near her, she is ok when she can see one of us.
We're both knackered to be honest but until she gets used to everything and I gradually "wean" her away from our constant presence, thats the way it has to be.

I don't know which room your crate is in but could you possibly sleep on the sofa, or move the crate into your bedroom?
Put an old shirt or jumper you have worn in the crate too...your smell is reassurance.
You could also try a heated puppy pad, sometimes that can help.

Other than that I don't know what else to suggest  ...battle on through it, things will get easier with time and all these difficulties will become a distant memory, I promise 

Edit : Forgot to add...would someone be able to watch your pup for you for a while so you can walk your other dogs?, or maybe take them out for you?


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## PennyGC (Sep 24, 2011)

You can always take her with you when you walk the others - carrying of course - it'll give them a walk and a start of socialisation. Only put pup in crate when she's tired or to eat and not for long. It's a tough thing to leave your family and to start again. I would have her sleep in the crate in my room if she's quiet. Have her near the bed so you can stick your fingers in to reassure if needs be. You could try a play pen instead of a crate and make sure she's got a toy of choice to snuggle up to. Make sure she's not needing to go to the toilet, tired and full and hopefully she'll sleep, if only briefly. I wouldn't leave her in to be distressed but increase time slowly as she gets used to it.


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## Guest (Jan 9, 2012)

try putting a blanket or something over the top so that it covers the crate but so that she can still see your there, apparently they like being in 'cave like' areas. that what helped my dog settle


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## charlearose (Sep 18, 2011)

with our two ddbs puppies when they were little we had a crate in the living room and one in the bedroom it worked great as it meant we did actually get a semi decent night sleep rather than sleeping on the sofa /floor and taking it in turns 
we found that as long as the puppies could hear us if they woke up and cried they went straight back to sleep and it was easier for use to take them out to go to the toilet 


Do you have a push chair or one of those pushchair that have a baby car seats in them - I borrowed my sisters and put my two ddbs puppies in there when i first took them out in between the injection period as they were to bloody heavy to carry to far 
as its a small pup it would be fine that way you can take out your other dogs as well


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

we did make this mistake with our pup many moons ago, but you shouldnt just bring him home & put him in there, need to do it over weeks, we found this out a few days later and changed out tact, he then knew that 'crate' meant crate, and hed go in it, was a clever little sod


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## Tula&Iver~cavs (Sep 16, 2010)

Maybe get a puppy pen to put around his crate at night so his not just shut in his crate.
I found taking a pup for a walk (carrying) while I took the other dog out helped, the pup would take so much in while his out that he would crash when we got home.


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