Dog crying in crate all night -- help!
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Anonymous
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Hi, all,
First-time dog owner here. We recently adopted a wonderful one-year old Basset mix, and things are going really well. The only problem is that this past week, she has started crying in her crate all. night. long. We've been using the crate at night since we got her three weeks ago, and it's only this past week that she's had a problem at night. She just cries and cries. My heart is breaking for her, but I don't know what to do -- all the resources I've read say not to reward her by letting her out. Here are a couple options I've considered: 1) Letting her sleep on her bed in our room with us. This would be fine with me, and she's not destructive, so she'd probably sleep through the night peacefully, BUT she's not 100% potty trained, and I'm afraid she'd have an accident in our room overnight. 2) Bringing her crate into our room. Maybe she'd be okay if she knew she was close to us? On the other hand, if she cried, we'd REALLY not get any sleep and we'd be forced to reward her by letting her out. Of course, I guess we could try gutting it out and letting her cry another night, but a) it feels cruel; and b) I haven't gotten more than a few hours of sleep over the past few days, and I feel like a total zombie. I need to be able to function better than this at work and at home. Any suggestions? I'm kind of at my wits end. Thanks in advance! |
Anonymous
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We had our dog sleep in her crate at night and once she became more part of the family we let her sleep in our room, on her bed ( not in the crate) It went fine and sometimes when she needs to go she comes over and wakes us ( only happened a few times) If she was in a crat downstairs she would have had an accident.
So, let you dog in your room with the crate at first. If that works, try without the crate. |
Anonymous
| It can be extremely hard to crate train an older dog who wasn't exposed to it as a puppy. I personally gave up trying this with mine and let him sleep in my room on a bed. If that's not an option for you, you could try some things, like putting up with rough sleep for a few nights while you transition the crate into your room (try putting it within arms reach where you can slip your fingers in for comforting without getting him out). But you have to commit to doing this without letting him out of the crate or it's a waste of time. You could try a larger doggie play pen (interlocking fences that provide more space) rather than a crate but no guarantees he's going to like that any more than a crate. |
Anonymous
| Why are you putting a one year old dog in a crate? She's not potty trained? Let her out. You put puppies in crates. |
Anonymous
The OP says she's not 100% potty trained. In the very first post. |
Anonymous
| I would just let her sleep in my room. If you hear her cry take her out. Hearing dogs cry makes my heart break too. |
Anonymous
| Keeping her in a crate seems cruel. |
Anonymous
To be clear I meant sleeping in your room but not in the crate. |
Anonymous
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Shocker, an animal doesn't like being caged up in a really small cage where they can barely turn around.
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Anonymous
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Move the crate into your room, see how it goes.
Once she's 100% potty trained, let her sleep in the bed. |
Anonymous
| Let her sleep in the room with you. If she starts moving around at night, get up and take her outside, she'll probably be fine. |
Anonymous
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She needs to be crate trained, which involves a lot more than simply putting her into a crate.
She should be fed in the crate, have her water in the crate. Get a treat every time she goes into the crate. Be put in multiple times a day, and then be let out quite quickly. https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/crate-training-101 Try white noise for your room so that you don't hear her crying. She will get used to it. Crates are not cruel at all, for the PP who obviously knows nothing about dogs. |
Anonymous
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This is tough. Our dog is crate trained, but since she was a puppy. The breeder says they like it because it is contained and they feel protected. But I’m sure it’s really hard for a dog that wasn’t crate trained to switch over. I wouldn’t allow the dog on my bed. Maybe the crate in the room, but I think your pup will still cry especially since her crying “worked” and got her closer to you. But maybe that’s all she wants and would be okay with the crate? Can you call the vet and see what they say?
Do you think she’s crying bc she needs to go potty in the middle of the night? Also, I agree with poster about treats for crate. Our dog is 4 and she still gets a treat every time she goes in her crate. Give her peanut butter or something special for crate only. Could you put the dog in the mud room or somewhere with tile floors and gated up? So she has a comfy bed and room and if she has an accident it’s on tile ands she’s not roaming the house? GL, she will eventually stop! If you are feeling guilty about the crate - don’t. Read about crating online. Remember, dogs don’t have human emotions - they have animal instincts and emotions. Ps we aren’t strict with our dog in any other way than the crate - she basically runs the house. She is allowed on furniture and we basically do her biding. |
Anonymous
| Potty train her. And don’t make her sleep in a crate. That’s cruel. I do not understand why people crate nondestructive dogs. Sounds like torture. |
Anonymous
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Experienced dog foster and owner here. I’ve worked with over 20 dogs. Crating is not cruel. Crating keeps the dog - and the house- safe. It’s appropriate when you can’t keep your eyes on the dog, and when not overused. Op try to stick it out a couple more weeks. Use earplugs, a white noise machine. The dog will be ok. See a trainer if you must. Feed her in the crate. Give treats in the crate. Do not let a questionably potty trained dog in your room at night.
Heaven forbid you ever need to re home your dog, crate trained is a must for most adopters. |