My Puppy Hates the Crate! What do I do?

I’m writing this page for all our new puppy parents, at least for the ones who are willing to give crate training a chance…  maybe for the very first time ever..

The whole point of using a crate for potty training is that a dogs natural instinct is to keep themselves clean and not to go to the bathroom where they sleep.

 I’ve also heard more then a few times…

“My puppy HATES the crate? This is much harder then I expected”!

Most puppies will act like they hate the crate at first, so, you’re not alone… 

MOST puppies will whine and cry at first so, you will need ALOT of patience.

The GOOD NEWS is.. crate training doesn’t last long and its worth the effort. SO, HANG IN THERE.

Never compare your new puppy to your last puppy or a friends puppy. Every puppy just like every human child is going to react differently to crate training, new environments and new people. Every puppy is a unique individual. Period.

If you had a puppy in the past that was super easy to train.. Lucky you. This time might be harder. Accept that and move on.  

A puppy crying in their crate can definitely be one of the saddest sounding and most challenging parts of having a new puppy.

As pitiful as your pup may sound, I promise they’ll be fine.

A Frantic Puppy in the Crate

Some puppies have a harder time with crate training then others and it will take them a little longer to accept it.

This does NOT mean they’ll never enjoy their crate or its going to be impossible, it just means you need to introduce them to the crate slower then other puppies.

Never let a puppy get totally frantic in the crate. There’s a huge difference between a “frantic puppy” and “normal crying and complaining puppy”…

Frantic behavior is like screaming, trying to escape to the point of possibly hurting themselves… Scratching lightly at the crate door is normal but if their frantically doing it you will know the difference and try not to allow them get to that point, if you see them going there.. make a noise, say something to startle them and get their attention to snap them out of it.

Open the door and calm them down and take them out side for a break. Start slower when you come back in.

Pay attention to your own tone of voice and body language.. are you kinda acting frantic too? If so, they may be reacting even worse in the situation because you’re acting so weird yourself… they look to us to gauge the environment and if we’re acting freaked out or nervous more then normal then they’re going to think…”something scary MUST be going on to make you act so different and so anxious” so they’ll mirror your energy and freak out with you.

So, stop, take a break and breathe, it’s most likely not that serious – they’re going to be fine and after all… They’re not dying, they’re not hurt, they’re just being REALLY loud. 

The frantic over-dramatic puppy screaming usually happens for two reasons…

#1 – it’s the first time in a crate and you tried just sticking them in it and closing the door without easing them into it …. you basically moved too fast. Slow down and start over.

#2 – you brought them home and for the first week or whatever you gave them full access to your house, you let them sleep in your bed and NOW you’re trying to sticking them in a crate out of the blue?? NO WAY MAN!!!

This is what I call a “spoiled puppy”! Whose actually throwing a temper tantrum because they already know what it’s like to have full freedom in your home and with YOU and now you’re taking that freedom away!? OH WELL.. It’s never too late but yes, it will take longer now.

EITHER WAY… SAME ANSWER..YOUR GOING TO NEED TO START OFF BY SLOWLY INTRODUCING THEM TO THE CRATE.

You always have to start by taking time to introduce them to the crate… and if they’re TOTALLY freaking out when you close the door on them then you just didnt take long enough yet.

You need to start crate training by giving them a positive association to their crate before even attempting to close the door. This usually takes a day or so…

Start training during the DAYTIME!

Before you try to put a puppy in a crate for the whole night.. they should of already spent some time going in and out of the crate during the day.

Start by slowly introducing them to the crate before actually closing the door on them… 

Feed them their meals in their crate, give them some high value treats and chew sticks in the crate, put a stuffed animal in the crate to snuggle with…lay down next to the crate and nap with them for awhile blocking the door with your body at first and then try closing it and laying next to them. Take some time the first day home just making their new crate a nice “Puppy chill out spot”!

TRY A SNUGGLE PUPPY!

THEY ALSO HAVE A SNUGGLE PUPPY PACK THATS REALLY COOL…

YUMMY PUPPY CHEW STICKS WILL WORK WONDERS

Please read the rest of this post and the how to potty train your puppy in 7 days post linked below before you give up…

READ MORE: How to Potty Train Your Puppy in 7 Days! Crate Training Schedule Examples!

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

Puppy Crying in the crate is not unique or unusual and it will pass!

If you can get past the first couple days of crate training I promise, you’ll never regret it.

Don’t THINK “they’re not gonna like or trust me if I crate train them“! Not true.

If your puppy HATES the crate – DON’T PANIC! Or start to believe “OMG I picked the wrong puppy.. this PUPPY is going to be difficult the rest of their life, what have I gotten myself into.

Just stop AND breathe! That thinking is absolutely false.

If you liked your puppy before crate training started, then you didn’t pick the wrong puppy, this is not how “they’re always going to be”.

Give them a few chewy treats or sticks to occupy their time in the crate like the “Beef Gullet Sticks“ are great for this and puppies also love stuffed toys, these will both help to promote a positive association to their crate 

Use the tips below to get through the next night with your new puppy.

FIRST, UNDERSTANDING WHY PUPPIES CRY WHEN LEFT ALONE…

Very young puppies will cry when they’re left alone because they’re crying out for their pack.

Dogs are natural pack animals and for an 8 wk old puppy who knows nothing different then being with their litter mates 24/7 – sleeping alone is going to be a new and uncomfortable experience for the first week or so.

There will be an adjustment period before anything becomes their new normal. Be prepared for that.

GOOD NEWS!  Crate training doesn’t take that long...it only feels like forever at the time.. you can easily crate and potty train your puppy in 7-14 days if you’re consistent.

Crying and whining usually last about 10-15 mins at the most before they’ll give up and go to sleep. If they’re crying longer then this you might need to spend more time introducing them to the crate.

Wear them out during the day! Make sure they’re not hungry, have to go potty or too hot or too cold.

Try different setups.

GRADUALLY INTRODUCING PUPPY TO THE CRATE

If your puppy is comfortable with the door closed for even a few minutes, your on your way, now gradually increase the time your puppy is in the crate.  If your puppy doesn’t have a problem staying in the crate for several minutes while you’re sitting next to them,  now try closing the door and leaving the room for a few minutes.

Gradually building up the amount of time your puppy is alone in their crate and then alone in the room. 

Try giving them a stuffed animal, beef gullet stick, or a safe chew toy while in the crate.

When your puppy is crying in the crate it doesn’t always mean something is wrong. Just like a human toddler… crying and whining is how puppies get attention.

It’s not good to give in to your puppy‘s crying and barking, if you do he’ll quickly learn that barking & crying works to get your attention.

I know it’s hard to ignore your puppy’s crying because you want them to be happy but giving into the crying.. will only encourage more crying. 

Attention is a reward just like food. If you reward the behavior, your puppy will repeat it.

You can quickly train your puppy to repeat negative behaviors just as easily as you can teach them to repeat positive behaviors... by simply rewarding them with your attention at the wrong time.

Also, don’t yell “shut up” or “be quiet”. At this point your puppy doesn’t understand those commands and will only see the yelling as just another (much louder) form of attention.

🕦 How long can a puppy be in a crate? It’s roughly about 1 hour per month that a puppy can hold their pee, puppies bladders are small.

During the day 2-3 hours max for a 2 month old puppy, most can go much longer at night, up to 6 hours if you’ve pulled up food 3 hours before bed time. Remember every puppy is different.

Puppies STILL crying in the crate…

If you’ve met all your puppies needs.. and their still crying then their most likely crying because they want your attention. They’re not hurt or nessesarily sad. They just want out.

If your puppy is getting REALLY frantic in their crate  – then you may be moving to quickly for them and you’ll need to slow down your training and maybe even start over by re-introducing them to their crate at a slower pace using treats and a loving and reassuring voice. Increase the time in the crate a few more minutes at a time.

When they’re in the crate and being quiet make sure to give them lots of praise.

Stay calm yourself in your tone and body language.

Repetitions is the key. Putting them in the crate and taking them back out, going outside for a potty break, back into the crate…doing this several times a day until it becomes second nature for you both.

HEALTHY CHEW TREATS TO ENTERTAIN YOUR PUPPY IN THE CRATE

NO ONE EVER SAID RAISING A PUPPY WOULD BE EASY.. IF THEY DID, WELL, THEY LIED TO YOU..

RAISING PUPPIES WILL TAKE PATIENCE

You WILL need patience when raising a puppy, especially the first week home.. your puppy has been taken away from their littermates and all they’ve ever known for the first time and even the smallest amount of time alone my be pretty scary for them.

You’re also gonna need patience during the teething stage when they seem to have spooky ability to find your most prized possessions to chew up and also everything and anything they can reach with their destructive little teeth.

Puppy proofing where your puppy is going to be is crucial. Do not give them full access to your whole house until they can be trusted. Make sure to put up and away anything that’s small enough, they can reach and is chewable… like your eye glasses, remote controls, cords, chargers, shoes, headsets etc..

Give them their own chew toys and LOTS OF THEM! Don’t over do it but give them 2-5 chew toys to keep them busy.

READ MY POST ON THE BEST CHEW TOYS FOR PUPPIES!

The first week home and during crate training you’ll  need to stick it out for a few days of some over dramatic crying and whining.. but believe me it does pass quickly, even if it feels like it’s lasting forever at the time… just remember, this too shall pass and it’s all well worth it in the end.

EVENTUALLY IT ALL BECOMES A FLEETING MEMORY…YOU BARELY REMEMBER, IF AT ALL!

THE RIGHT SIZE CRATE – IS SUPER IMPORTANT!

Having the right size crate is KEY to success!

A crate that’s too big will make crate training near impossible!

Crate training works because a dogs natural instincts is not to eliminate where they sleep but if we give them too much room, they’ll just sleep on one end & go potty on the other,  and the whole point of crate training won’t work like it’s supposed to.

Using the Crate Divider

If the crate is too big… use the divider panels! They’re designed to solve this problem!

If you don’t have the divider panel use a box or just buy a smaller crate. You can get them on Amazon for $20-40 dollars and they’re worth every red penny. You  can either get a smaller crate and not worry about using the divider and then buy them a bigger crate once they grow out of it or start off with the bigger adult size one and then use the divider. It’s up to you.

I personally like the smaller size for crate training pups because I do believe the puppies prefer the coziness of a smaller crate but then I’ll get the oversized crates for my trained adults.

My Standard size Doodles cuddle up together in one of their 48 inch size Midwest crates. 

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24 Inch Crate Size Crates for Our Mini Aussiedoodle Puppies: 

Most our Mini Aussiedoodles are 16-22 lbs as adults so, I recommend the Midwest 24 inch size crate for them during crate training and sometimes they can use these all the way into adulthood, depending on their adult size and how much room you want to give them or they prefer.

Once potty training is completed, a extra large crate isn’t an issue.

MIDWEST I-CRATE DIMENSIONS:  24L x 18W x 19H inch crate on Amazon Prime – ideal for dogs 13 – 25 pounds. 

The smallest crate I’d recommend for our mini puppies is the 22L x 13W x 16H inches icrate on Amazon Prime, ideal for 7 – 12 pound adult dogs so, they’ll most likely grow out of it – but it’s good for crate training and you wont need the divider.

30 Inch Size Crates for Medium & Standard Size Puppies: 

Most our Medium to Standard size Aussiedoodles and Labradoodles are 30-55 lbs as a adults (depending on the parents).

For the medium and standard size puppies I recommend the 30 inch iCrate on Amazon Prime during crate training and for some into adulthood.

MIDWEST I-CRATE DIMENSIONS: 30L x 21W x 24H Inche crate,  ideal for puppies that will be 26 to 40 pounds as adults

36 inch Size Crate For Standard Size Aussiedoodles and Labradoodles 

MIDWEST’S MEDIUM / LARGE SINGLE OR DOUBLE DOOR FOLDING DOG CRATES

I recommend the 36 inch iCrate on Amazon Prime for our standard size adults.

The 36 inch size crate is ideal for dogs w/ adult weight of 41 to 70 pounds.

MIDWEST CRATE DIMENSIONS: 36L x 23W x 25H inches.

Buy your crates on Amazon! They’re usually a lot cheaper on Amazon compared to the big box pet stores!

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THE PUPPY PLAYPEN-XPEN SETUP

Another option for puppies who refuse to sleep in a crate or if you work and don’t have the time to take them out every 2-3 hours..you can use a Midwest puppy playpen (xpen) and crate setup with the crate in it or connected to it.. this will give them more time to adjust to the crate concept.

The Midwest Xpens can also easily be connected to the Midwest Crates.

Potty training will definitely take longer this way but it might be easier on your patience and your ears.

This is a great option if you work and you don’t have someone to let them out midday for a potty break.

You can also add a fake grass pad, potty pads or a litter box in the pen. This will delay the potty training process but sometimes it’s the only option.

Fake Grass Potty Pads for Xpen Setups

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BEST PUPPY X-PEN SETUPS

POST…

Read my post on the best puppy pen and crate setups and how to potty train a puppy with an xpen.

https://www.dreamydoodles.com/2011/07/08/dog-crate-sale-free-shipping/

READ MORE:

• HOW TO MEASURE YOUR PUPPY FOR A CRATE
• BEST CRATE & XPEN SETUPS

Do You Have the Right Tools for the Job…?

MAKING SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT SUPPLIES AND SETUP – IS THE #1 KEY TO PUPPY TRAINING SUCCESS!

Having the right tools for the job makes puppy training so much easier! It honestly makes your life so much easier if you have the right setup to raise and train a new puppy.

Nessesary Puppy Supplies

You’re going to need to confine your puppy to keep them safe.. just like babies need high chairs, car seats and cribs puppies also need things like baby gates, crates, doggy doors and xpens. 

BEST BABY GATES ON AMAZON

I personally have two baby gates in my house which allow me to confine our 5 dogs to one section of our home. I could not imagine the doggy chaos without them! You can basically get baby gates to fit any size hallway, doorway or staircase. You may need extenders to fit wider hallways.

I recommend the Carlson extra tall metal pet/baby gates with the lever-style handles and extra extender. I DO NOT recommend the wooden style baby gates you need to step over!! Those are a waste of money!

WALL PROTECTION FOR THE BABY GATES

I use these wall nanny protector blocks so I dont have to screw in the pressure cups that come with the gates. The gates are held in place with pressure and you can either screw in the pressure cups to hold the gate securely in place or if you’re like me and don’t want to screw anything into your walls these will help protect your paint while holding the gates in place.

To be honest –  the gates don’t stay in place as well without installing the pressure cups so, I do need to tighten and readjust the gates now and then… but my walls aren’t ruined! 👍

BEST DOGGY DOORS ON AMAZON

Doggy Door Sliding Glass Inserts – These are a GREAT option if you have a sliding glass door that goes out to your yard. This is what we use for our dogs (most the time) and I honestly, I am so grateful they exsist! They make potty training about as easy as it gets and it allows our dogs and puppies to let themselves out when they need to go potty or get some fresh air or to go play.

Best Training Collars and Leashes

You need a good training collar and the right length leashes for training. I recommend a 6ft leash for just basic obedience training and walking and then a 15 to 30 foot long leash for training the recall command “come” and also games like “catch” and just basic safety when you take them out in big open spaces and want to give them more freedom to run and play.

HIGHEST RATED PUPPY COLLARS ON AMAZON

6 FT LEASH FOR BASIC PUPPY TRAINING 

LONG LEASH FOR PUPPY TRAINING

WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER!

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Potty Bell Training

Potty Bell Training is great for Puppies who are not so great at letting you know..when they gotta go!

Training puppies how to notify us when they need to go can sometimes be one of the most challenging steps of potty training, especially, once crate training is basically over and you’re puppy is more trustworthy in the house… but they’re still not the best at communicating with us OR we’re not the best at paying attention to their ques.

Sometimes, the WAY our puppies TRY to notify us can be SO subtle… that WE miss their message completely!

That’s when “Potty Bell Training” can be a great option! 

HIGHEST RATED POTTY BELLS ON AMAZON

There’s two types of Potty Bells, they both work so which one you pick basically comes down to personal preference, if one style doesnt work for your puppy, try the other one.

These are the highest rated potty bells on Amazon Prime. When I pick products to recommend.. it’s either products I’ve used myself or the highest rated options with Amazon Prime.

BEST CHEWS – FOR TEETHING AND CRATE TRAINING PUPPIES

READ OUR MOST RECOMMENDED PUPPY SUPPLIES PAGE!

Trying Different Techniques until something works..

Different crate training techniques work for different puppies.

There’s no hard or fast rules that will works for EVERY PUPPY, not even siblings with similar temperaments, every puppy is unique.

CRATE TRAINING TECHNIQUES TO TRY:

• Try putting a cover over the crate to make it more like a den, if you’re already doing that… try taking the cover off! 
• Turn on the TV or Radio so it’s not so quiet
• Put the crate next to your bed so they can still hear and smell you and so you can easily tap on the top of the crate when they start whining. This can distract their minds from obsessing and before they take it to the next level of over the top full on hollywood drama queen! 😱
• That doesn’t work? *Try putting the crate in another room altogether where they can’t hear or see you. Some puppies actually do better like this.. they’ll eventually give up on crying,  lay down and pass out because they’re not getting any feedback or reactions and some do better when they can’t hear or see you.
  *I don’t recommend trying this technique on day one of training but when nothing else seems to work.. give it all a shot!
• If they’re peeing on their fancy fluffy bed,  take the bed out and replace it with a stuffed animal to sleep with instead, you can give them back their bed once they’re older and can control their bladders longer. 👍 Puppies love stuffed animals!
• Getting them on a set feeding and eliminating schedule is key, some puppies may last longer and some less. Get them on a set schedule so you can predict better when they gotta go. Routines also puppies feel more secure.
• Wait for a pause in your puppies crying before letting them out or reassuring them – so they don’t assume that barking and whining works to not only get out of the crate but to get what they want from you specifically. 

DONT WORRY –  Letting them cry…won’t break their spirit or traumatize them for life!

HOWEVER, allowing them to get overly frantic for any length of time and especially a long period of time, that WILL actually set back their training and make it take much longer – you will need to  reintroduce them to the crate slower and with a more positive association.

• Labradoodles and Aussiedoodle puppies are very SMART and adaptable puppies and can definitely handle crate training. Promise. 🐾

But CAN YOU? OF COURSE YOU CAN! 👍

PUPPY STILL GOING POTTY IN THE CRATE…

If your puppy is still continuously peeing in their crate, it’s most likely because they have too much room in the crate and its not uncomfortable enough for them not too go potty in there OR they have a bed that needs to be removed OR you’re not letting them out enough.

OR their not on a set feeding schedule yet and your putting them in their crate before they’ve gone potty.

⏰ Pull up food 3 hours before bed time and make sure they’re fully empty before putting them in the crate for the night.

When You Let Puppy Out To Go Potty – Be Boring!

⛔ When potty training and puppy is crying you always want to wait for a pause, or at least a brief break in the whinging before you take them out.

CALMLY take your puppy out of the crate, say something like “good settle in your crate Suzie, now let’s go potty outside” use their name and say the same cue words everytime in you’re normal and relaxed tone of voice.

Once they go potty outside.. then you can throw them a party of praise and get excited for them! 

But leave your high energy “praise voice” for outside or during obedience training like after they’ve learned a new command like “sit”, “down” or “go potty” but you don’t need to praise them just because they slept in their crate.

Remain as calm as possible in that situation. Even if you’re having a party in your head.

SO, Puppy has finally slept through the night OR stayed calm in her crate for a good amount of time,  most might assume the best thing to do would be to congratulate her for her amazing accomplishment,  swing open the crate door and shower her with your most over the top praise..because you want to let them know how proud you are!

Those intentions are good,  even logical sounding and would make perfect sense.. if your puppy was a human child… but for a puppy your over the top excitement will only encourage a more excited and anxious puppy in the crate, they won’t totally understand why you’re so excited, when they were just relaxed and asleep or about to go to sleep but they will gladly mirror your excitement and might actually start to get more anxious waiting for you and your exciting return!

IF you want your puppy to stay calm in the crate then you MUST stay calm around the crate.

Getting your puppy excited or anxious is exactly what you want to avoid. Some puppies can even have submissive peeing in super exciting situations. Puppies who submissive pee.. need even more socialization. As many new experiences, new people and new environments as possible so they start to become more confident in all situations to the point where new experience become less exciting and more second nature or even boring. Submissive peeing can be a hard behavior to break but most puppies do eventually grow out of it.

Being Boring. For example when you get home after work, of course puppy is gonna be super happy and excited to see you but don’t rush over to their crate first thing, make sure they see that you’re taking a minute, to take off your coat, put down your things.. whatever it is you do and THEN quietly and calmly walk over to their crate, ask them to sit, praise them and without any big hooray – open the crate and take them directly outside to go potty.

You can play and praise them with gusto after they’ve gone potty!

Crate time is calm time. 

THE BENIFITS OF CRATE TRAINING

There are a lot of benifits to crate training besides it just being a safe place to keep a baby puppy and the easiest and fastest way to potty train a puppy… it also teaches puppies to self soothe.👌 

Puppies who learn to stay relaxed while alone are also less likely to develop seperation anxiety as adults.

Seperation Anxiety is one of the #1 reason dogs are rehomed and one of the biggest behavior issues trainers deal with today!

I LOVE MY CRATE TRAINED DOGS!

When I have 5 barking dogs at my feet because someone just rang the door bell.. all I have to say is “Crate”! and they’ll all turn on their heels and run to their crates without any hoopla. So helpful!

They sleep in their crates off and on all day (with the door open) because they want to, my dogs love their crates, their cubby hole, their doggy dens!

BUT it didnt happen overnight… I still went through the puppy crying, the sleepless nights and the same frustrations as everyone else who’s ever crate trained a puppy….more with some then others… but they all got there and I am so grateful that I put in the time to do it! You will too!

Once your puppy is consistently potty trained and they’re sleeping through the night, and old enough to be in the house unsupervised… you can leave the crate door open and close it only when you need too confine them.

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The Adolescent Stage and the End of Puppyhood

Canine adolescence is a recognisably different stage of puppyhood.

The most challenging time of raising a puppy is the adolescent period. When dogs become “teenagers” they seemingly forget everything they’ve ever been taught overnight.

This stage is unique to each dog, but with our Doodles it usually starts around six to eight months old and only lasts 1-3 months tops…  and you’ll know when it’s starting when your previously well behaved puppy who never leaves your side… starts acting up more, not coming when called,  testing the boundaries, becoming more brave to leave the safety of your side to venture further and further away alone.. basically becoming more rebellious like a human teenager!

The Adolescent Stage is the most common age when dogs are rehomed or relinquished to the pounds which is a sad shame because I want to believe that if more dog owners were just more educated and prepared for this stage and how short it is … that more people would stick it out instead of giving up before the magic happens.

Do NOT PANIC and do not give up now! Just hang in there!

The adolescent stage passes as quickly as it starts and when it does…

Puppyhood is OVER. Phew!

The best way to avoid a really tough adolescent stage is by starting early training with your puppy. Training them the basic obedience commands like come, sit, leave it, stay, watch me, down, off, back, place, crate training etc..

READ MORE ABOUT THE DOGS ADOLESCENT STAGE AND HOW TO DEAL WITH IT

In the grand scheme of things.. spending a year training a puppy to be a well behaved adult dog is a pretty short amount of time … especially when the end results is that you end up with a best friend for life that EVERYONE LOVES to have around!

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