What is your position on crate whining and how do you deal with it?

[hviola]

Just trying to get some ideas.

Edit: Just to be clear, whining at night or when he/she is in crate if you cannot watch him.

[Hansch99]

Ignore it; ignore it; ignore it!

Ignoring the whining is the best thing to do (especially if you don't live in a condo or apartment where you have to worry about neighbors being disturbed). I'm of the mind that even if your dog appears to be barking in her crate because he needs to go to the bathroom, it is better for him to have an accident in her crate than for her to think that you'll let him out when he starts barking (I let him out pretty frequently to go to the bathroom, so there are very few instances when he's barking because he needs to go).

I know that with our boy, every time we let him out when he's barking sets us back a few days or so in his training (that is, even if we were making progress with him, he'll go back to his barking ways if he's even once let out while he's barking).

My wife and I have a rule that when he's been barking in his crate and stops, we set a watch or timer for 10 minutes, after which time we'll let him out. If he doesn't stay quiet for 10 minutes, the clock resets.

It has shown improvement, but we still need to work on it.

[hviola]

What if you put them in for a nap, then when they wake up and start whining and are ready to come out? I put her in the crate when shes tired and she just lays down and sleeps. I put a towel over the front. When I either hear her moving around in it or whimpering a little I take her out and straight outside to potty.

[Hansch99]

Originally Posted by hviola

What if you put them in for a nap, then when they wake up and start whining and are ready to come out? I put her in the crate when shes tired and she just lays down and sleeps. I put a towel over the front. When I either hear her moving around in it or whimpering a little I take her out and straight outside to potty.

I'd say letting her out when she's moving around in her crate is fine (because moving around in a crate is not a type of behavior most people try to prevent). But if you want to discourage whining, I wouldn't let her out (or pay any attention to her at all, for that matter) when she whines.

Remember that the whole mantra of positive reinforcement is that good behavior leads to good things; bad behavior doesn't lead to good things.

If being let out is the thing that the dog wants, it must be preceded by good behavior--namely, being quiet.

[ScootieBootie]

Most dogs need to go potty after a nap. So be sure she is not whining because she needs to potty!

In this case, after she wakes up from a nap, and she's whining, ignore it. As soon as she's quiet, go to her to open the crate. If she starts whining when you get closer, ignore her. When she gets quiet, get closer. Repeat until she is quiet and you are able to open the crate and take her straight to her potty place.

If she is under 6 months of age and whining after a nap, take her straight outdoors to potty! Pups under 6 months of age do not have full bladder/bowel control.

If she is whining right after you put her in the crate, after she's been potty, then Ignore her completely! I can not stress this enough!!

Whining to go potty is just a different thing altogether. Your pup can't just say, "Hey...I gotta go!"

[JJinjersey]

Originally Posted by Hansch99

I'd say letting her out when she's moving around in her crate is fine (because moving around in a crate is not a type of behavior most people try to prevent). But if you want to discourage whining, I wouldn't let her out (or pay any attention to her at all, for that matter) when she whines.

Remember that the whole mantra of positive reinforcement is that good behavior leads to good things; bad behavior doesn't lead to good things.

If being let out is the thing that the dog wants, it must be preceded by good behavior--namely, being quiet.

My Bryan wakes me up every morning whinning......but it's because he has to go potty!!! He will pee in his play pen which is where he sleeps but will not do #2 unless I take him outside

[Hansch99]

I'd add one point to ScootieBootie's post:

If your dog is whining and you let her out because you're convinced she has to go to the bathroom, then I would 1) take her straight to her bathroom area, 2) give her no more than 2-3 minutes to go, and 3) if she doesn't go, put her right back in the crate for 30 minutes or so and repeat the steps. That way, there is less likelihood that she's giving you a false potty alarm just to get outside.

[autumn star]

How about adding a whinned up clock so your pup can hear the ticking. See if that helps! (It worked for me when I had a Great Dane)

[hviola]

The puppy I have is just about 9 weeks old. I don't know if that makes a dif in how I handle it. I have had her for a week.

Here is a typical schedule:
7am She wakes up and I can hear her whimper, I take her out to potty, then feed her breakfast. I have her in the kitchen with a baby gate up.
8am Potty, I may play with her a bit outside.
9am-10am She gets tired and I put her in the crate. Falls asleep fine.
12pm She wakes up and I can hear her whimper, Potty time, then lunch.
1pm potty, nap
(Basically the same the rest of the day. I get in a good hour or two during the day to play with her with toys.)
11pm I make sure she has gone potty, and is a little worn out and I put her in the crate in front of my bed and go to sleep myself. The only time she whines is if she can't see me at night. If she can see me she usually lays back down.

So basically so far, I put her in the crate only when she is tired and she is usually fine. Does this all sound ok?