Unhappy in his create

[Luca's Dad]

Hi all i have a had my newfie Luca for 10 days now. He is 11.5 weeks old.He was flown all the way fr calif to fla.He just doesnt seem happy in his create...he doesnt pee or poo in it but god he crys and howls and barks.....and who knows what other noises..off and on all nite long.we wallk him and play with him my wife has even taken of work since hes been here to tend to his love needs..but when nite time comes and its 11 pm i put him is his create u think i was murdering him.....tried giving him treats in his create and he has his fav toy and i lieave soft music on all nite for him but he wont stop...any ideas.......thanks

 

[Greg L]

Welcome,

Yep, I've got advice but you probably don't want to hear it.

It is the same as I've given to friends who's (human) babies have screamed in their cribs when put to bed. Ignore him. Yes it is hard but it is the best thing to do in the long run. This is something that you and your wife have to be on the same page about though, it won't work if only one does it. After it is time for bed, put him in the cage/crib (boy the similarities are astounding

) and leave him alone. After he cries for a little while go in and let him know that you know about it but DON'T do anything about it (make you visit more along the lines of "Hi, yes I know that you are in there. Yes I know that you are unhappy. No, we didn't run away, we are in the next room. No, you are not getting out, now go to sleep). He is feeling seperation anxiety and worried that if you are out of sight that you've left his life entirely. Obviously that isn't the case but to a puppy/baby's mind it is real.

By going in and acknowledging him you are letting him know that you are still around. By ignoring him you are letting him know that it is time to be by himself. If you get him out of the crate every time that he cries he will come to think that crying is the way to get you to pay attention to him. It will probably take a few days of going in every five min. and saying "I'm still here, now go to sleep" before it sinks in. It's a pain, and it will break your heart at the time, but it is worth it in the end.

You and your wife have to do the same thing though otherwise it will just imprint in his mind that if he cries one of you will show up (and that the other one is a mean %#^$@#&*^$ (where did such a little boy learn such language

)).

Good luck, it won't be fun but it is for the best.

Greg

 

[Greg L]

Oh, and if you give in and play with him after doing it for a day or two, it will at least double the time it will take to retrain him.

It really sucks, but it does work (luckily we figured this out on our first kid (out of 3) so the others (and assorted puppies) didn't take more than a few days each).
Greg

 

[Miyax]

I personally think Greg is right on the money. We did essentially the same thing with my Newf Ese.

The only other suggestions I would make: (1) Perhaps put a towel or old shirt with your scent on it in his crate with him. (Just hold the towel/shirt or carry it around for about 15 min before you're going to crate him.) and (2) If your pup seems to be food motivated, during the day randomly drop treats in his crate and leave the door open so that he can discover the treats. I really think this worked wonders with Ese as it helped him to associate "good things" and happy experiences with his crate. But then, this could very well just be something that worked for Ese. He loves treats. (3)Another method I used the first week was to put him in the crate a few times during the day while I was in the room. The first few times I did this I sat right by the crate and smiled and talked to him in a happy voice. I'd let him out after about 3 minutes. (But only if he stopped fussing, even if it was just for a split second.) Gradually, I'd get up and wander around the room cleaning and leave him in longer. As soon as he got quiet, I'd let him out. Even if it was only two minutes after I'd put him in. Then eventually I'd leave the room and come back in and out, take care of a few chores often talking to him in a happy voice when in the room. I'd leave him in longer at this point. Approximately 15 minutes, if he was quiet at the end of that time I'd let him out. If he wasn't, I'd wait til he was, even danced or sang or did something silly to distract him into hushing (without looking at him) so I could let him out.

It worked well for me. But I'm certainly no expert. Ese is my first Newf too and my first crate-trained dog.

Otherwise, I did the exact same thing Greg did - and at night when I'd go in the room to let him know I was still around and hadn't abandoned him. I would just smile at him and say "You're fine honey. Really. You'll see." in a very calm, matter-of-fact voice. My other half slept - with earplugs.

1-2 days cried all night. 3-4 days only parts of the night. 5 day not a peep, and none since. He actually loves his crate now. Really loves it. It's HIS "room". He goes in there on occassion on his own just to relax or take a nap.

Sorry this is so long. I hope something I mentioned might be of some help.

Best wishes!

Miyax


------------------
A tribute to his Newfoundland:
"... beauty without vanity
strength without insolence
courage without ferocity
and all the virtues of man without his vices"
- Lord Byron, 1808

 

[Sound Bay Newfs]

I do have to agree with Greg and Miyax. I've found that by the 3rd night things are pretty quite. Good luck.
Lynn

 

[mollysmom]

I'm a crater too

I'm in total agreement with greg and newfyork. I do have a couple of other things to add though,

First, if you haven't done this already, since you've probably bought a crate large enough for a full grown newf, I'd use a divider and make his "den" small so he feels safe.

Then I'd put a blanket over the crate so it's enclosed just like a real den in the wild. What he can't see can't hurt him. He may have too much view to feel secure.

Good luck, and welcome! Hope Luca (love that name) responds soon so you can get some much needed sleep! Linda

 

[Jeannie]

I totally agree with all the above posts. The only other thing I have to wish you is Lots of Patience and a strong will.
Good Luck

------------------
Jeannie and the rescues
Sara, Samantha and Panda
www.newfland.com

 

[Luca's Dad]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Greg L:
Oh, and if you give in and play with him after doing it for a day or two, it will at least double the time it will take to retrain him.

It really sucks, but it does work (luckily we figured this out on our first kid (out of 3) so the others (and assorted puppies) didn't take more than a few days each).
Greg<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> THANKS SO MUCH ILL HANG IN THERE AND SEE IF HE GETS THE HINT....
Rudy

 

[madcap]

I had the same problem with Xena. Her first night in her crate was rough. I had her in another room, and she howled all night. I then moved the crate into my bedroom, right beside my bed. There were no problems at all. She's 3 now, and she still goes into her crate each night when it's time for bed. I don't even close the door anymore. That's where she prefers to sleep.

Of course, the bedroom decor is a little odd, with this giant crate sitting next to my bed ...

 

[Lynne]

I'll second that last suggestion, putting the crate in your bedroom. That's what we do, and the pups do fine. They seem to be happier when they know we're right there with them, and I can hear them if they have to go out during the night. We have a gigundo Dane crate in our bedroom, too. There's often a Newf sleeping in it, even with the door open. That is, when they're not in bed with us!
Lynne
Lynne

 

[mollysmom]

We keep a crate in our bedroom too. But, Lynne, just as you said, the dogs prefer the bed

. Just last night, hubby gave up sometime around 1:00am and went into the guest room, half of the dogs following him, lol. I don't care how big the bed is, 2 newfs and 2 goldens still don't fit with 2 humans!

I was wondering, has anyone found a people size crate? I'm thinking of getting one so I can turn the bed over to the kids. Linda

 

[Luca's Dad]

thanks guys for all the great posts last night he finaly slept all night with out barking.....and hes holding his urges to go......all week he hasnt gone in the create or in the kitchen when not in the crete...so its working (keeping my figers crossed)...thanks for all the imput.....