At my wit's end...

Laurelin

I'm All Ears
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
Messages
30,963
Likes
3
Points
0
Age
37
Location
Oklahoma
#1
Mia was sick last night and messed on the bed so after I stripped the sheets, I put her in her kennel and went back to bed. This is really the biggest problem I have with her ever and it rarely happens, but when it does.... I want to scream...

About an hour after putting her in the kennel she will bark nonstop. I scold her then she's quiet then she barks. She will not be quiet in the kennel at night time. Doesn't matter if Summer is there too or with me. It drives me NUTS. She is FINE in the kennel during the day while I am home. I'm not going to bring her onto the bed if she's being a pukey-face.

What should I do? I get incredibly frustrated because I don't sleep for more than 1 hour or so because she's shrieking. I know part of it is because as a puppy I never kenneled her over night because I was afraid her screaming would cause my apartment neighbors to complain. My house is small enough now that no matter where I kennel her, I can hear her barking from my bedroom and there is no way to sleep. Nothing like being woken up 6 or more times during a night.
 

Shai

& the Muttly Crew
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
6,215
Likes
0
Points
36
#2
Webster was like that for a long time. When we got him he had only had really bad crate experiences (as far as we can tell the first time he was in a crate was when he was dumped and locked in one for three days) so he pretty much panicked. We lived in an apartment at the time so couldn't have him screaming all night so he just got used to sleeping out with us. By the time he was crateable he was pretty pleased about this whole sleeping out thing and he is a dog who gets VERY set in his ways, good or bad, and would pitch an unholy temper tantrum any time we tried to crate him at night (though he was fine during the day, at trials, etc.) so we just didn't.

Finally we knuckled down and did it. Our motivation was having an intact female -- wanted to crate both of them when she's in heat. We put his favorite bed on a mat in an airline crate which we figured he would prefer over a wire one since he likes little dens. He got the picture and has been sleeping quietly in the crate since. Worth it for the flexibility, but it made for a couple long nights.

So...my only advice is treat her like a puppy and get it over with. Not exactly earth-shattering, I know haha.
 

Laurelin

I'm All Ears
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
Messages
30,963
Likes
3
Points
0
Age
37
Location
Oklahoma
#3
Yes she is very very set in her ways. She is very 'this isn't right, I am SUPPOSED to be on the bed'. I don't think she slept at all last night.

Funny thing though is she crates great at agility now, and during the day we've been giving them both crate time both while I'm out (she's fine) and while I'm at home (she's fine with that too). But night? I AM SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE BED!

Ugh.

I have never had a dog pitch as many fits as she does. Initially when she was a pup she was going to be crated at night and she just screamed for over two weeks straight. Seriously, I did not see ANY improvement whatsoever. Our other puppies would scream a little while and then settle but she would screech and scream all night long. For weeks.

I like her sleeping on the bed but I just want her okay with crating if that's what needs to happen for days she's sick and stuff like that.

Sounds like I'm going to be sleepless for a while while I try to break her of this. It would be nice if the house was big enough/had an upstairs so I could get far enough away from the shrieking to go to sleep and wait her out.
 

Shai

& the Muttly Crew
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
6,215
Likes
0
Points
36
#4
Yeah, she sounds just like Webster lol. So determined that THIS is how it should be and YOU are breaking the rules and I'm not letting you get away with this crap! ;)

Webby actually did better if we just crated him right next to the bed and let him settle down before we actually went to bed. He's such a heat-seeking missile that once his little donut bed in the crate was warm, it didn't seem quite so important to leave it, I think ;).
 

Fran101

Resident fainting goat
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
12,546
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Boston
#5
Merlin got A LOT better when I got a crate cover. The issue with him is that he's great in a crate, but like Mia, has times when it's like "Oh this is wrong, I'm supposed to be over there" or "HEY I SEE YOU/WHERE ARE YOU?"

We established a routine for long crate times. Crate totally covered, kong.. and in that way, honestly, I think it got better because he can't see around him and has no idea where the crate is or what time it is or where I am..so he stays calm because he's used to it.
Maybe start with her in the covered crate during the day and when you are out and then try her sleeping in it?

Other than that I recommend wax ear plugs lol
 

JacksonsMom

Active Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
8,694
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Maryland
#6
Oh, god, I don't think I could ever put Jackson in a crate overnight lol. He would bark all. night. long. No doubt about it. I've just never tried... lol, have no desire to. But he like never pukes, either, hopefully that's not a common thing? Good luck! I have no advice for you.
 

JacksonsMom

Active Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
8,694
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Maryland
#7
I have never had a dog pitch as many fits as she does. Initially when she was a pup she was going to be crated at night and she just screamed for over two weeks straight. Seriously, I did not see ANY improvement whatsoever. Our other puppies would scream a little while and then settle but she would screech and scream all night long. For weeks.
This was Jackson as a pup. Why he ended up not being crate trained :rofl1:
 

Dogdragoness

Happy Halloween!!
Joined
May 31, 2012
Messages
4,169
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Gillett/Flower Mound TX
#8
I have only had one dog who did this, my JRT Bear. I didn't have a very big house at the time (still don't ... at least not big enough to drown out screaming) so I just put him in the furthest corner of the house, turned a couple of fans on (for the white noise) and let him have at it. the fans drowned out most of his yelling. maybe you could try something like that?
 

adojrts

New Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2006
Messages
4,089
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Ontario, Canada
#9
Train it at night, put her in even for seconds, if she is quiet and calm, let her out and increase the time. Takes some work but can be done. Buy ear plugs.
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
6,405
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Minnesota
#12
Webby actually did better if we just crated him right next to the bed and let him settle down before we actually went to bed.
I think this is a great idea. Changes the expected sequence of events, too. I sort of accidentally used this method to teach Squash to sleep in the crate because when he was very wee and I was weary of puppy shenanigans I would "put him to bed" upstairs in his crate in the bedroom (usually with Maisy in the bedroom as well) and have an hour or two puppy-free before going to bed myself. There's no reason you couldn't do the same thing with an adult dog to shift their habits.
 

Laurelin

I'm All Ears
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
Messages
30,963
Likes
3
Points
0
Age
37
Location
Oklahoma
#14
I have contemplated drugging her, lol. Is that bad?

I'm not sure she'd settle in the crate next to the bed before I went to bed. I think that would end up with her screaming in the bedroom with me, wanting out and put on the bed. It would be worth a shot though.

Pet Tutor looks interesting.... I've thought of trying to rig something up (waht is that other treat dispenser called?) It doesn't seem to work if I am the one that is giving her treats.

We have tried crate covers in the past but they have not made a dent. :/
 

Fran101

Resident fainting goat
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
12,546
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Boston
#15
No judgements lol


It's not harmful and may calm her down enough for her to realize that she isn't DYING
 

stardogs

Behavior Nerd
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Messages
4,925
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
NC
#16
What about putting her crate ON the bed initially, so everything is the same but the being in the crate part - the view, the proximity to you, etc.

Pet Tutor or Manners Minder/Treat and Train both are remote reward ideas that could def work I think.
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top