On saturday i brought my 7 week old black lab home from the breeders, he does't moan for anything (except the toilet )...........until i close the door on his crate, he is fine with it open, he even takes all his favourate toys in there to play. He is especially noisy at night as soon as the door closes, he starts to yell out. last night i left the tv on quiet, and put a ticking clock under his pillow, After 4 hours of him crying out my girlfriend went to him and let him out to sleep on the floor with her. he had been to the toilet before he went in, and didnt need to pee when he came out.

tonight i am going to put a tee shirt i have worn for a few hours in with him and cover the top and sides with a sheet (for the den effect).

if he starts moaning should i just leave him until i take him outside to toilet, or sleep at the side of the crate for a couple of nights? (the neighbours have not been impressed the last couple of nights)

even when i am there he still yells when the crate door is closed, and i would prefer not to take his crate into my bedroom if i can help it.

he is my first dog and i suppose i am just making sure i am taking the right course of action and if there is anything else i can do to help make it easier?

To be honest unless he is in danger of hurting himself I would not shut the crate door if he is unhappy with this. Why not get a puppy pen to join onto his crate at night so he has more room?  I assume the room he is in at night has an easy clean floor?

It might be an idea to shut the crate door at times when she is asleep in there in th day, just for a few minutes, so eh gets used to it, for when your travel away from home, or in the car.

To be honest I never started using crates until I as a lone handler was showing two dogs at shows, so needed somewhere to leave one while in the ring with another.

Now that I have generations of dogs I occasionally will shut one in the only crate we ahve in the kitchen with food, either the latest pup or the oldest if she is taking her time over her dinner etc.

Otherwise I only shut crates when travelling, staying away, or at shows where there is no benching to tie a dog.

yes, the downstairs of my home is open plan kitchen/livingroom, all hard wood flooring so is easy to clean, his crate sits in the in there.

im just cautious if i leave him downstairs unattended he may find him self something to hurt himself with/on, (thinking mainly the tv cables)

> im just cautious if i leave him downstairs unattended he may find him self something to hurt himself with/on

Generations of dogs were reared safely before cages became the latest craze

Many breeders and owners will advocate keeping a puppy in close contact with you for a week or two - or until they settle.

Having previously thought it might be a terrible idea, I had our youngest in his crate by the side of our bed for app 1.5 weeks.  If he woke in the night it was easy to drop a hand in for comfort but if it was a definite toilet need then he could be scooped up and taken outside before he really woke up.  Contrary to popular belief this isn't making a rod for you own back and doesn't mean the pup will never learn to sleep on it's own!

As soon as he got too heavy to safely get downstairs whilst we were both half asleep he moved into a crate in the utility room.  I used to make sure he was tired before I put him in and I'd often hang around til he was asleep - load the washing machine or dishwasher etc.  It wasn't completely straightforward, he did used to whinge a bit but by that stage I knew the difference between mild protest and full on distress so it was easier to manage. 

You can't expect them to last all night either so set your alarm for a mid night toilet break - if you can get him out and back in again before proper waking he'll settle much better afterward.

Little and often is the key to getting them settled in a crate.  If you are going to persevere then you'll have some episodes of shouting.  I liked a crate to give separation between the pup and an older dog and it's a nice safe place for them to take treasured objects without fear of them being snaffled by another dog.  Mine used to pop back in for particular events so he learn't what was expected quite quickly - load the dishwasher meant crate play with Kong, other dog out for a walk meant crate play and a snooze etc.  He may have whinged a bit at the beginning but soon got very used to it.  He was never confined purely for my convenience and I never felt guilty about using the crate for his safety and security.

A few options; I'd suggest being with the pup - after all he is very young to handle being completely alone
I believe dogs given security when small grow u to be more independent when they get older.

I have pups in with me in the bedroom (crated or not) and take out for a wee last thing and again part way through the night, gradually making it nearer to normal morning waking up time. If you don't like this idea, I'd suggest perhaps sleeping downstairs with him for at least a couple of weeks until he is secure in his new home

best wishes
Lindsay
x

thanks guys last night we both got some sleep, i slept down stairs with him, a couple of hours with the crate closed he was fine which was a vast improvement,then i let him out to toilet, and he slept through till morning, on his pillow in the living room, i may try extending the time he is in the crate by 15 mins a night

thanks for the comments!!

hi Rich i've sent you an inbox message to see if you can advise me, were having the same thing with our 8 week old boxer pup thank you

First we have to remember that 7 weeks is very young.  Any pup is going to feel totally abandoned.  A pup is used to sleeping in a pile with litter mates, and used to the smell of the household that it has left.

A pup gets collected by total strangers, taken to unfamiliar smells, and abandoned at night, and not expected to be frightened, or to cry.  It is an awful amount to expect from the poor pup.  Why would you not want to console and reassure?

Agree with dogs a babe that a short time in the bedroom does really, really help them to settle, and reduces the fear.  And the 2-3am toileting is easier for you.  Quick wee outside, and back to bed before pup is fully awake.

Like Barbara, mine are used to open crates that are seen as a refuge, and not a prison.  Toys, and prized objects get taken there (like the cardboard out of the loo roll!)

And like Barbara I will close the door if I want a dog to eat without food getting stolen.  They are only closed in a crate when safety dictates.  First time dog owners expect too much from a frightened youngster sometimes.

My youngest ones went in a ctate when they came home.  i had the first one in the bedroom for a week and she had to have a little fuss before she settled.  My breeder sent her home with a blanket from her puppy home which helped with the smells.  We'd go for a quick wee in the early hours then a little cuddle to settle back.  After a week she went down stairs.  I kept her in the cage as my big girl could have trodden on her in the night.  I used to pop her in the odd time in the day for a sleep to help toilet train then put her to bed at night at least an hour before and cover her over, like you said to make a den and keep any drafts off.  She was fast asleep by the time i went to bed and just used to settle.  i could say to her bed time and she'd toddle off to bed, so sweet.

My second one loved her cage so much she would cry if the door was closed and she was outside it, she just loved it, we ended up leaving the cage downstairs as it would just disturb her.  but when she woke and realised I'd left the room, not hubby, she'd cry like mad.  the first time she did it I tried just letting her see me thinking i was doing the right thing, thought she'd settled and went upstairs.  10 mins later she cried like nothing.  I had to get her out and she cuddled straight into me, I popped her back in and she cried again.  It wasn't until a gave a really good cuddleon my chest and wrapped her in my arms that she settled, you felt her do it and she slept all night.  It nearly made my cry the lovely feeling coming off her and I felt mean for not doing that in the first place.  She wasn't keen on sleeping in her cage upstairs after that so she stayed down (all three were there).  She was allowed to sleep upstairs, uncaged, much younger than the others and boy did she keep me on my toes especially with the thought of her chewing wires, she always got under my dresser near the extender plug.  The youngest came home with her blanket also.

I so agree with the remark from Tigger2