Hello, this is my first post and have enjoyed reading all the posts which have helped greatly! I have read many articles on how to manage this but none seem to work. My 4month old puppy, Bruno, is driving me nuts with his barking, mainly when he is in his cage which was introduced to him as soon as we got him, at 8 weeks (how time flies)! I was just wondering if anyone could suggest anything to do to control this, at night it is impossible to sleep, he barks all the time, i have tried him outside to see if he needs to relieve himself which he doesn't, it is just attention barking!? Any suggestions would be hugely appreciated.
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! If you have tried taking him to the toilet and he doesn't need to go this sounds like it is indeed attention barking. Does he do it straight away when you put him in, or does he settle for a while and then start up? What are you doing when he does start barking? Does he bark every time you put him in the crate, or is it just at night? The key thing is to be consistent in whatever method you choose when dealing with this. If you have chopped and changed trying several different methods it is quite likely that he will be very confused right now.
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! Hello there, a very warm welcome to the forum! When you say he barks all the time at night - so he barks when you leave him, and then for how long does he continue? Or does he stop and start through the night?
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! Hello both and thank you for the quick responses, I have tried several different methods so yes you could be right and he could be confused, I mainly use the method of tapping the cage and in a stern voice saying "No Barking" - I have also tried spraying him with a water bottle with also the command "No Barking". He mainly barks when first put in and will not stop, when he does stop he will eventually fall asleep but will bark then at intervals throughout the night! Could he be lonely his currently in a room on his own so would it be best to put the cage in my bedroom? What method would you say to stick at to stop the barking? Am I approaching it wrongly? This is my first puppy so am not the most experienced!
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! The cage tapping and spraying with water could be creating a negative association with the crate, so he is barking because he is unhappy there so first off I would say to stop that straight away. You may need to start back at the beginning with making the crate a positive, happy place for him to be as at the moment he probably doesn't like it very much. The main site has soon good articles on where to get started with going back to basics http://www.thelabradorsite.com/crate-training-your-labrador-puppy/ and http://www.thelabradorsite.com/night-waking-how-to-restore-the-peace/ would be a good place to start. The main thing is not to go to him at all when barking. If you feel he needs to go out to the toilet it is imperative that you wait until he is silent. I had a similar problem with my dog and i used to wait for a silent moment and count to ten (with a young pup like yours you may just want to start with counting to five) - if she was still quiet I would go to her, if she started whining again I would wait for another gap and count again.
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! Views will differ - I'd stop the tapping of the crate. Not sure why your puppy will know this means stop barking - unless you are doing it hard enough to be unpleasant, to try to associate an unpleasant consequence with barking? That's not going to encourage him to see his crate as a safe, comfortable place to be. Also stop the water bottle - I personally don't think that is appropriate for a young puppy. You might think about contacting a puppy trainer for some advice and direct practical help - it can be invaluable to have someone actually see you and your dog together. My thoughts from what you have said are that he is a young puppy, and it sounds like this has been going on ever since he was alarmed at being left alone? So I'd go back to basics and get him used to being quiet, on his own, in his crate. So basically, re-do your crate training from scratch. In a gentle, positive way, with empathy that your puppy might be unhappy and uncomfortable in his crate alone. You might need to do this over a couple of weeks, taking your time and you might only be able to shut the crate door for a few seconds at first. In the meantime, finding a way to stop him barking in his crate is the thing, and if this is because he is uncomfortable at being in it alone, having him sleep with you might be a solution. Although risks becoming a permanent one! I found this article helpful (I took 2 weeks, not a weekend, over the training - I don't recommend you try to compress the time http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/weekend-crate-training
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! [quote author=JulieT link=topic=7562.msg105582#msg105582 date=1409305471] Views will differ - I'd stop the tapping of the crate. Not sure why your puppy will know this means stop barking - unless you are doing it hard enough to be unpleasant, to try to associate an unpleasant consequence with barking? That's not going to encourage him to see his crate as a safe, comfortable place to be. Also stop the water bottle - I personally don't think that is appropriate for a young puppy. You might think about contacting a puppy trainer for some advice and direct practical help - it can be invaluable to have someone actually see you and your dog together. My thoughts from what you have said are that he is a young puppy, and it sounds like this has been going on ever since he was alarmed at being left alone? So I'd go back to basics and get him used to being quiet, on his own, in his crate. So basically, re-do your crate training from scratch. In a gentle, positive way, with empathy that your puppy might be unhappy and uncomfortable in his crate alone. You might need to do this over a couple of weeks, taking your time and you might only be able to shut the crate door for a few seconds at first. In the meantime, finding a way to stop him barking in his crate is the thing, and if this is because he is uncomfortable at being in it alone, having him sleep with you might be a solution. Although risks becoming a permanent one! I found this article helpful (I took 2 weeks, not a weekend, over the training - I don't recommend you try to compress the time http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/weekend-crate-training [/quote] Right. Back to basics I will go! Thank you for your help. I also think a trainer is the way forward and have been looking into it since I got him, as lead walking also tends to be a problem! Thank you for your help!
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! A trainer is an excellent idea - 3 home visits came with my first package of puppy school visits. It was really, really worthwhile. Just to get some hands on, practical demos of what to do. I found it really helpful. If you are going, or thinking about going, to puppy school that can be a great place to get help with things at home too.
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! I had this with Gypsy. I tried everything to get her to love her crate as I am very much in favour of crates for lots of reasons. It turned out she hated the crate. I ended up having a puppy pen instead of a crate - she has been clean, dry and happy in it since The downside is that the pens are very expensive - but Gypsy is a Guide Dog pup so there will be another along in twelve months!
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! [quote author=Boogie link=topic=7562.msg105585#msg105585 date=1409306206] I had this with Gypsy. I tried everything to get her to love her crate as I am very much in favour of crates for lots of reasons. It turned out she hated the crate. I ended up having a puppy pen instead of a crate - she has been clean, dry and happy in it since The downside is that the pens are very expensive - but Gypsy is a Guide Dog pup so there will be another along in twelve months! [/quote] The pen seems like a great idea! i would be worried that Bruno would soil or wee at the end of the pen and sleep the other, does Gypsy signal when she needs the toilet? Can i also ask where you got your pen from and for how much as that seems a really good way forward! I also note that you have a bed in there does Gypsy not chew it? If so how did you get her to stop? As this seems to be the only thing Bruno chews!
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! Pens are great, I think, very flexible. They can't be used in the same way as crates for toilet training though. You need to either have a near complete toilet trained puppy, or change you approach to toilet training. I toilet trained Charlie using a pen instead of a crate (I didn't crate train Charlie until he was 10 months old) and it worked - you just can't rely on the puppy "holding it" so you have to double your trips out and massively increase your supervision. I ended up making the pen large enough so I could be in it with the puppy! And have access to the back door. It was like toilet training using a single room, really.
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! [quote author=JulieT link=topic=7562.msg105587#msg105587 date=1409308346] Pens are great, I think, very flexible. They can't be used in the same way as crates for toilet training though. You need to either have a near complete toilet trained puppy, or change you approach to toilet training. I toilet trained Charlie using a pen instead of a crate (I didn't crate train Charlie until he was 10 months old) and it worked - you just can't rely on the puppy "holding it" so you have to double your trips out and massively increase your supervision. I ended up making the pen large enough so I could be in it with the puppy! And have access to the back door. It was like toilet training using a single room, really. [/quote] I think/ pretty sure Bruno is House Trained. He has a large crate to himself (so has the possibility of soiling one end) but has never *touches wood* had a mistake in his crate, when i first got him i did paper train him ( i was weary of letting him out before he had all of his injections) but now hasn't had one mistake for over a month, and when he is in his crate cries when he needs the toilet and i let him out, so i think a pen would work, or do you think I'm being a bit naive? i just want him to be more comfortable?!
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! I think you probably need to diagnose the problem properly - by trying to understand what is going on with your dog (try and see it from your puppy's point of view) you are more likely to be able to work out what the solution is. It might be that he hates his crate, in which case a pen might help. Or it might not. He might hate a pen just as much. In which case, he is a dog that needs to get used to being confined in a small space gradually. Or it might be that he is unhappy whenever you leave him, in which case it's nothing to do with the crate or the pen. Possibly, by now, he has just learned to like the sound of his own voice... So I'd start with gently trying to see what works. Have a look at the crate training article. Can you get him to be happy and quiet in the crate for a few seconds? With you there? If you leave? Does he do something different if you leave him in the kitchen, not the crate? And so on. Take it slow.
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! [quote author=JulieT link=topic=7562.msg105589#msg105589 date=1409309212] I think you probably need to diagnose the problem properly - by trying to understand what is going on with your dog (try and see it from your puppy's point of view) you are more likely to be able to work out what the solution is. It might be that he hates his crate, in which case a pen might help. Or it might not. He might hate a pen just as much. In which case, he is a dog that needs to get used to being confined in a small space gradually. Or it might be that he is unhappy whenever you leave him, in which case it's nothing to do with the crate or the pen. Possibly, by now, he has just learned to like the sound of his own voice... So I'd start with gently trying to see what works. Have a look at the crate training article. Can you get him to be happy and quiet in the crate for a few seconds? With you there? If you leave? Does he do something different if you leave him in the kitchen, not the crate? And so on. Take it slow. [/quote] Its all attention, he could be sitting in the crate no barking, someone walks in the room and don't even acknowledge him he barks, when its time for sleep and his tired (can barely keep his eyes open) i put him in his crate and he barks for agesssss! when told to stop barking he does i walk out of the room and he will bark again it is a cycle every night, it is hard to let him bark because everyone in the house has to wake up for work, and his bark is deafening!
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! Ok, well, if that's right, he'll probably do the same in a pen. Although you could try, it would be expensive (unless you have other uses for the pen). So, if you go to the crate training article, you'll see it's all about quiet in the crate = good things, not quiet in the crate = good things go away. You need to be really consistent with this.
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! [quote author=JulieT link=topic=7562.msg105592#msg105592 date=1409309899] Ok, well, if that's right, he'll probably do the same in a pen. Although you could try, it would be expensive (unless you have other uses for the pen). So, if you go to the crate training article, you'll see it's all about quiet in the crate = good things, not quiet in the crate = good things go away. You need to be really consistent with this. [/quote] I am going to stick with the crate for a while and go back to basics, i was thinking of moving it to my bedroom as the room he is in is the kitchen, we have laminate flooring and it is close to the door, could this be the reason? As it could get quite cold at night, and obviously a kitchen isn't exactly cosy is it!
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! Well, if the reason he is barking is for attention, being in your bedroom might solve things. Are you going to get him used to his crate there though? Do you want him to be ok in his crate in your bedroom, with you there, or be ok in his crate in the kitchen, without you? I don't know how cold your kitchen is, I wouldn't have thought it was cold enough in August to be causing discomfort. Does he have a bed in his crate or is it just on the floor? I ask because you said he eats beds.
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! [quote author=Markieee link=topic=7562.msg105586#msg105586 date=1409307887] The pen seems like a great idea! i would be worried that Bruno would soil or wee at the end of the pen and sleep the other, does Gypsy signal when she needs the toilet? Can i also ask where you got your pen from and for how much as that seems a really good way forward! I also note that you have a bed in there does Gypsy not chew it? If so how did you get her to stop? As this seems to be the only thing Bruno chews! [/quote] It is an Ellie-Bo pen and they are nearly £65 http://tinyurl.com/kklo5e2 I agree with what everyone said, above 'tho. If he hates the crate then the pen would work. If he's barking for attention it would make no difference. Gypsy barkes when she needs the loo (she's 14 weeks) she did last night as she had a runny tummy and I took her out, but on normal nights she is quiet, clean and dry. She's never been a chewer, so we are lucky there. Even chews are soon ignored. But then again, I don't think she's started teething yet!
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! [quote author=JulieT link=topic=7562.msg105604#msg105604 date=1409312598] Well, if the reason he is barking is for attention, being in your bedroom might solve things. Are you going to get him used to his crate there though? Do you want him to be ok in his crate in your bedroom, with you there, or be ok in his crate in the kitchen, without you? I don't know how cold your kitchen is, I wouldn't have thought it was cold enough in August to be causing discomfort. Does he have a bed in his crate or is it just on the floor? I ask because you said he eats beds. [/quote] I'd rather him sleep in the kitchen as it would mean him going upstairs every time its bedtime, which isn't really suitable. It isn't freezing in my kitchen, but being by the back door (maybe a draft coming through) and being a puppy he might be able to hear noises outside? I don't really know I'm trying to see it from his point of view. And he just sleeps on the plastic bit of the crate as he has chewed countless amount of beds and blankets! Realistically i think its for attention. So do you think i should just try and ignore the barking - if i know he doesn't need to do his business? - and hope he will realise that he gets no attention from barking and stop?
Re: Labrador Puppy Barking!!!! Thinking about whether he is physically comfortable is a good thing to do. Ignoring him when he is barking is key, but do it in a structured way, as part of a plan that also involves associating quiet in crate = good things. Do have a read of this: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/weekend-crate-training I wouldn't just leave him to bark in his crate for hours, ignoring him. I suppose you are doing that now for quite long periods (if he barks all the time) and it's not solving the problem (I assume, based on what you have said).
