Does Your Puppy Whine in Its Crate?
Some puppies and dogs tend to whine whenever they are placed in the crate, while others whine at night.
Either way, it can be quite bothersome. Even though its very hard, don't ever give in and let your puppy out
while they are whining. You will have just sent them a strong message that they can control you to let them
out just by whining.
At the very least, wait until they've stopped whining, count to ten, and then let them out. Ideally, even the ten count pause
should be skipped - just keep your puppy in their crate until their scheduled play, walk or eating time. Of course, that
pre-planned schedule should be humane to your puppy. Remember, puppies under 16 weeks of age have limited bladder control,
so if the whining is being accompanied by accidents in the crate, you need to reduce the time in the crate, and possibly
move your puppy to a playpen setup, and do it fast - too many messes in the crate and your young puppy will start to
think messing in the crate is OK. If that happens, you might need a professional dog trainer to successfully crate
train your puppy.
It may take some time for your puppy to accept that whining doesn't work on you anymore. Actually, for every time
you give in and let your pup out when they were whining, you're probably going to have to endure ten or more extended whining sessions
that your dog will put you through before they accept that the whining command no longer works.
You must steel yourself to ignore his whining, as difficult as it may be. If he is only testing you
to determine if you will let him out for whining, then he will generally stop soon and you can then let him out.
Do NOT yell at your puppy or bang on the crate, it will only make matters worse. Yelling and banging on the crate
are abuse, and they will create way, way, more problems for you and your dog than they will ever solve, even in the short term.
If your dog does not stop whining and it continues even after you have ignored him, then you should
use whatever phrase you have chosen for him to associate with the need to go outside and eliminate, such as 'potty.'
If he becomes excited, then this is a clue that he needs to go outside and you can take him.
Remember that the purpose for going out is for him to eliminate and not to play.
If you allow him to play, he will develop the idea that whining will grant him play time.
If you feel that your dog really does not need to eliminate, then the best tactic is to simply
ignore him until he eventually stops whining. While this can be difficult, it is important not
to give in and allow him to take control of the situation. As you progress through the training
this will usually become less of a problem.
If the problem does not abate, you may need to restart the training process of helping your
dog become acclimated to the crate. As always, be very, very sure the dog isn't whining because
he has been in the crate too long, or because he needs to go out. Many dogs also whine simply
because they aren't getting enough exercise, and they just need to work off excess energy.
If your dog is getting less than an hour a day of active walking time each day, try giving him another hour to half an
hour of walking or play time and see if the whining doesn't get better.
Remember - crate training never means leaving your puppy in their crate for extended times. Puppies are
especially sensitive to this - they simply do not have the bladder control to stay in their crates for very long.
Puppies less than 16 weeks old should never be kept in their crates more than an hour or two. If you have to
go to work, then put the crate, with its door open, inside a puppy playpen. Put newspaper down on the floor
of the playpen.
Crate training only works as a piece of a larger puzzle that includes a healthy, well-adjusted dog that
gets plenty of exercise and companionship. By "healthy" I mean that your dog should be eating
high-quality food and have seen a vet so you know nothing is physically wrong with your dog. By "well-adjusted"
I mean that your puppy doesn't get yelled at, or hit, and has no pre-existing behaviorial problems or disadvantages (see the article
on Crate Training for Puppy Mill Puppies for more information.
Train Your Dog to Love Their Crate.
Get Our Crate Training Made Easy ReportARTICLES:
Crate Training a Puppy
Crate Training a Dog
How Crate Training Uses Your Puppy's Den Instinct
Potty Training for Puppies Under 16 Weeks Old
Your Puppy's First Night Home
Puppy Growling & How To Handle It
How to Stop Puppy Biting
Does Your Puppy Whine in Its Crate?
Crate Training for Very Young Puppies
How to Pick the Right Crate for Your Dog
Crate Training for Puppy Mill Puppies
The Importance of Eye Contact in Dog Training
How to Potty Train your Dog
How to Stop a Dog from Pulling When Walking on a Leash