[Buster Brown]

I consulted an trainer who was an animal behaviorist for some issues I was having with Buster. He had some suggestions for when he whined in his crate. He said to put a blanket over the crate and every time Buster whined to hit the crate lightly but enough to rattle it and to do this everytime he whined until he learned not to. Since the cage is draped he does not know what is causing the noise but that he is corrected everytime he whines. I must state that this trainer usually deals with severe aggression problem dogs and does not believe in using harsh methods. I tried this and it did work but I really had trouble with being the tough mommy. I prefer Buster sleeps in bed with me. He does go into his crate for periods of time now (without the cover) and does not complain after the initial, what the hey let me out. I still occassionally use the cover it helps when he is overloaded with excitement because it is like a sensory deprivation chamber. Sort of like when you put a cover over a bird cage. I only do this as a timeout and I remove the cover when he is quiet. I would not always leave the cover on because that seems excessive but once they get sleepy they usually calm down. Remember you are not punishing the dog but trying to retrain their current behavior. Good luck and I hope you get some sleep. They can tell when you are upset with them and if you are yelling at them they see it as you barking at them so they start barking back as they key into the energy.