Hey everyone! I have done everything to get my 15 week old black lab to relax in his crate when I leave, but he just wont. A little backstory: I picked Grouper up when he was 12 weeks old from a reputable breeder in South Carolina. He is very smart, fun and loving... but he can't stand the crate when I'm or anyone is not there. He sleeps through the night with no issues (10pm - 6am) in his crate (the crate is in my bedroom), he will sleep in his crate during the day when I am in eyesight, but once I leave or walk away all hell breaks loose.. I have tried everything from training sessions, crate cover, dog toy with heart beat, kong filled with treats, a t-shirt that smells like me, music, tv, and nothing works.. I WFH because of COVID so I try to leave 1-2 times a day to get him use to me leaving, but when I check the cameras he is barking and whining the whole time. The trainer gave me exercises we can do a couple times a day to get him more comfortable in his crate but I have seen no improvements.. When I leave I give him toys, treats and whatever he usually loves, but once I'm gone he does not care about any of that and will bark and cry until I return.. I do not reward this behavior and let him out when he's like this.. I wait until he stops for 20 seconds, sits, stays, then I let him out.. I was told by the trainer to bite the bullet and move the crate from the bedroom to the living room, by ear plugs and let him whine and cry it out at night to get him use to be alone and not in my room.. That is my next course of action, but I love to hear what you all have to say. Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations??
Please do not let him 'cry it out' - you will only cause him intense distress and damage neurologically in his puppy brain: Unfortunately allowing puppies to cry it out doesn’t allow them to become independent and used to being left alone, it often does the opposite. (Just to clarify at this point, attention seeking barking and panic when isolated barking is not the same thing!) Puppies that are allowed to cry it out will often become distressed in this setting (even if they’ve stopped being vocal about it), impacting their attachment styles for long term and also negatively impacting the brain, emotions, digestive system, and the immune system. Stress, just like that in people, is not good for you when its toxic or excessive. When a puppy becomes stressed, the brain releases hormones in order to try to bring the body back into balance. These hormones allow for immediate energy for critical systems and shut down systems that aren't needed (immune, growth, digestion < the reason your puppy wont eat when they're stressed!) in order to support a flight or fight response. When this stress response happens regularly, it will start to impact on your puppy's physical and mental health. The stress system will become dysregulated, the brain becomes less flexible and your puppy will have a decreased ability to to cope and function. Many people believe that because their puppy stops crying after 10-20 minutes, theyre ok. Unfortunately even If your puppy does stop, its likely that they have exhausted themselves and the body gone into shutdown. In order to have a healthy and happy puppy, that can cope with everyday life, I would heavily advise you not to let your puppies cry it out in crates or pens. Not only does this build a negative association with being left, it will also have long term negative effects on their health and behaviour. Instead, please ditch any trainer who has advised you to do this with a puppy because it's clear evidence that they are not experienced enough to help you. It is very likely that you have not spent enough time simply sitting by the crate whilst the puppy is in it. In order for the puppy to like the crate, they need to associate it with your presence - not your absence. You need to spend a lot of time sitting right by the crate, working on a laptop or reading or similar - whilst you puppy is awake and chilling in there, and as your puppy falls asleep. When your pup falls asleep you can move around in the same room or pop briefly to other rooms to begin with. It's also important NOT to leave the puppy at home until you have worked through a crate training protocol to the point where that is the next logical step. That means the puppy is fine in the crate with you next to it, for repeated sessions, the puppy is fine in the crate with you in the same room but visible and can relax and go to sleep AND then the puppy is fine in the crate hearing you in other rooms around the house. Only then would you actually go out and leave the pup alone briefly. You are trying to run before you can walk. Follow a crate training protocol: https://thehappypuppysite.com/crate-training-a-puppy/ And if even that isn't enough, then seek help from a qualified separation anxiety trainer who specialises in this area: https://malenademartini.com
