Crate training in an apartment

So I need some advice. Seabees doesn't bark at all when I'm home. Not at sounds, not at people walking by, nothing. Which is great. But when I leave and she's in her crate, I'm worried she's going to cry nonstop.

How can I make sure she's being quiet? I crated her while I was at work yesterday and when I came home she was calm, so I'm fairly sure she didn't make any noise. But I had to run Mime some dinner last.night, so I put her in the crate while I was gone, and when I got up to my door I heard her crying and when I walked in she was an anxious, whiney mess. I walked around my apartment for a bit without.looking at her until she stopped whining, then I let her out and she was still acting like an anxious mess. So I completely ignored her (I did some dishes lol) until she had calmed down, then I greeted her and took her out to potty.

I've been feeding her in the crate with the door open. She takes a mouthful of food then eats it outside the crate and she'll only go in the crate if I'm not standing by it. She also won't walk in willingly for treats. To get her in the crate in the first place I have to physically put her in.

She's been sleeping in my bed at night, but should I start making her sleep in the crate, just until she's used to it? Besides ignoring her before I leave and when I get home, is there something else I can do to curb her anxiety? Would giving a Xanax or something help short term while I train?

When she cries, she CRIES. She is loud and piercing and it takes her 20 minutes or so to shut up, then she'll start again later. I really don't want her to do that at 6:30 in the morning when I go to work. Would a bark collar help short term, while I work on training?

How many "go into the crate while I act like I leave" sessions should I be doing a day? I don't want to stress her out, but I don't want to not work on it enough, either. And would it be beneficial to crate her a few minutes before I leave instead of right before I walk out the door, or will that make things worse?

If you can't tell, I've never really had to deal with this before. Lol

Dogs have this weird "sense" of when I am walking down the hallway to get home.. according to my neighbors, our dogs don't make a PEEP until we have arrived in the elevator. How they know? No idea. But you could be dealing with a pup who just KNOWS you are around.

Now, as for IF. Do you talk to your neighbors? I would ask them.. but if not (and I especially wouldn't tell neighbors you aren't comfortable with that you are gone and the apartment is empty all day)
If not, I would set up your computer (I filmed romeo with my macbook all day once) or any small video camera/tape recorder to see what they do/what noise they make all day.

I did the "get in the crate while I do homework/act that I'm leaving" like 5 times a day. Much longer sessions with me just sitting around so they don't automatically thing "I'M HOME= WE GET OUT" kind of loud mentality.

I certainly wouldn't use a bark collar.. that would really make the crate a negative place.
I would send your neighbors a nice note. "We are training our new puppy.. we are sorry about the noise you might hear. We are working on it! THank you so much for your understanding, Your neighbor." You can put your phone number as well if you feel comfortable doing so.

Personally, I would make her get used to sleeping in the crate. Only because, once dogs "get that".. I think they take easier to realizing that they can just sleep all day while you are at work..since they are so used to sleeping in there already.

Bandaids for me are frozen kongs, leaving the radio on, Frozen raw meals, and running in the morning (that really tires them out)

I would focus on working to get her LOVING that crate and going in herself. Throw hotdog bits in there, PRAISE LAVISHLY when she is in it, and teach that crate=doing stuff, play crate games. My moms dog quickly learned that if he lays in his crate, someone will walk him or treat him..so he just sits in there when he wants something lol
Lure her in and teach the command for crating up.


Hope it helps

Have you tried just leaving something to record when you leave? I thought Yoshi barked when I left at my old place but I left a recorder and after one or two barks she was quiet the whole time.

The things that set Yoshi off are footsteps or hearing people if she is alone but I found leaving a TV or radio on loud enough next to her kind of drowns out those sounds so she stay's quiet.

I don't have anything to record her with, unfortunately.

I did try leaving her loose today when I was gone, because I know she won't bark then. The first time she did great. The second time I came home to trash all over the place (which was my fault as I forgot to shut the bathroom door) and a big pile of poop in my bedroom. So no more leaving loose until housetraining really sinks in, although I think she'll be fine when she's older.

I don't know if she really will cry when I'm gone, but she does when I kennel her at work. She's quiet after the first 20mins or so and stays fairly quiet if she can't hear anyone, but if she thinks someone is talking she'll start screaming again. That's what I'm worried she'll do here.

I'm going to crate her overnight, tonight...we'll see how it goes. Lol