What To Do When Your Puppy Whines In His Crate

Puppies do a lot of adorable things that we find entertaining. They don’t mean to, but they take the best pictures when sleeping in strange places and jumping around with their big, ungainly paws.

However, puppies require rigorous training to grow into well-mannered adult dogs. Crate training puppies is frequently necessary to keep these young dogs safe and out of trouble.

However, as everyone who has tried it can confirm, crate training a puppy is challenging. One of the most frustrating—and heartbreaking—parts of crate training a puppy is when he whines in his crate.

The appropriate activities must be performed to lessen worry and frustration for you and your puppy. Training your puppy to feel at ease and at home in his crate is required.

Why Do Puppies Whine When They Are in Their Crating?

The Humane Society of Missouri’s manager of shelter animal behaviour, Linda Campbell, RVT, VTS, says that puppies whining in their crates is expected behaviour.

“Dogs unaccustomed to being crated may whimper or weep since they are not accustomed to the constraint,” she says. Puppies who have just lost touch with their littermates may cry or make strange noises to show how lonely they are.

Dr Jennifer Coates, a veterinarian in Fort Collins, Colorado, agrees that puppies who cry in their crates are often lonely and feel alone.

The author says that puppies, in particular, are gregarious creatures who only long to be among their “pack.” It’s not unusual for them to try to get your attention when they feel alone.

A puppy’s crate whining: how to stop it

Even while pet parents might not be able to stop it altogether, puppies have ways to decrease whining behaviour. Proper crate training must be used to avoid indoctrinating your puppy with negative traits too early.

Here are some steps to stop your dog from whining in his crate.

Ignore the whining behaviour.

New pet owners’ worst mistake is giving puppies attention or taking them out of the crate as the whining begins. Dr Coates suggests that you make an effort to disregard the criticism. Any alert will just encourage the behaviour, the author writes.

Pet owners are advised Campbell to wait until a puppy is quiet before ministering to him or taking him out of his crate. According to the trainer, the goal is to demonstrate to the puppy that quiet, calm behaviour says a release. After the puppy wakes up from his nap or has been silent for a few minutes, he can go outside.

Pick the right-sized crate.

Crates should be roomy enough to keep puppies comfortable. According to Campbell, the pet must be able to stand up, turn around, and play with toys inside the crate.

A divider in certain dog crates, like the EliteField 3-door foldable dog crate with divider, allows you to adjust the crate’s size as your puppy grows.

Make sure your puppy is at ease in the crate.

Getting your puppy accustomed to his crate is one way to reduce worry and whining.

“Life on the Leash” author and certified dog trainer Victoria Schade says, “The first rule is to take your time acclimating your puppy to the crate.” Your puppy will be more likely to protest being confined if there isn’t enough of a “getting to know you” phase. Your puppy needs the opportunity to discover that the crate is a comfortable and enjoyable place.

Never use your puppy’s crate as a punishment, advises Campbell. She says she puts treats, chew toys, and blankets in the crate to make the experience better.

Praise your puppy with dog biscuits when he is quiet and at ease in his crate.

According to Campbell, leaving the crate door open when not in use will help most dogs enter the crate without difficulty after they get used to it.

She says it transforms into a haven where they can unwind, chew on toys, and watch their relatives.

Make sure to plan frequent bathroom breaks.

Pet parents must make sure that young puppies have lots of opportunities to go outside—even in the middle of the night—because puppies can’t “hold it” as long as adult dogs can.

Campbell says that kennel soiling is typically caused by keeping the puppy outside longer than he can handle. She explains that to calculate the number of hours a puppy needs between bathroom breaks, multiply his age by one.

Two-month-old puppies can often hold it for three hours, while three-month-old puppies can usually hold it for four hours.

Schade says it is always better to be safe than sorry and that using your puppy’s age as a guide for how long he can go between bathroom breaks is a brilliant idea. She says there can never be too many trips outside when potty training a pup.

Don’t forget to mark the placement of the crate.

Your puppy’s whining may depend on where his crate is placed.

Schade says that the crate’s location affects the dog’s communication with it. If the puppy’s crate is kept in a far-off room, or worse yet, the garage or basement, the puppy can become lonely and react by wailing.

Campbell suggests keeping the crate in a location where the family assembles frequently. Furthermore, she says that some pet parents use two boxes, one in the living room or family room and the other in the space where the puppy would sleep.

Not only can keeping the crate close by help your puppy feel less anxious, but it will also allow you to hear when your puppy needs to go outside.

According to Schade, pet parents must hear when their puppies wake up and cry to go outside because most young puppies can’t hold it all night. If not, the puppy might be made to urinate inside the crate.

Regularly exercise your puppy.

Don’t forget how vital playtime is when you’re trying to teach your puppy not to whine in the crate.

Make sure your puppy receives enough exercise and attention outside the crate, says Dr Coates. If this is the case, there’s a good chance your pup will be ready for a nap while crated.

To help reduce boredom, Schade suggests placing interactive or treat-filled toys in your puppy’s crate. Giving your dog a safe, challenging, busy toy made of rubber that is loaded with some peanut butter or biscuits should be done each time you crate your dog, according to the expert. If you do this often, your puppy may look forward to going into the crate because it is fun.

Although Schade advises testing toys beforehand with your puppy to ensure he can’t rip sections off, pet owners are welcome to try a Kong puppy dog toy.

When Should You Be Concerned About a Puppy Crying in His Crate?

Whether a puppy is in a crate or not, pet parents should be looking for unusual behaviour or excessive whining.

Dr Coates says to speak with your veterinarian if a dog’s whining is new behaviour for one that has previously handled being crated well or if you notice any other worrying symptoms.

Schade agrees that pet parents should keep an eye out and call for help if a puppy’s crying doesn’t stop. “A little puppy whining in the crate is to be expected,” she says. Suppose a puppy is reactive the whole time he is in a crate, no matter how long. In that case, you must talk to a trainer or a veterinary behaviourist.