Help!! Tantrums While in the Crate
 

Hi to everyone,
I am new to the site and also new to owning a Yorkie and really needing some advice.

We got Duke about two months ago when he was 12 weeks old. At first his crate time was not real bad and we assumed he just needed to adjust to it. I would place him in the crate (located in the kitchen) throughout various times of the day. He would whimper and bark a little, but with in 10-15 minutes he would go to sleep and all would be good.

Now this little demon has appeared about 2-3 weeks ago. Whenever we put him in the crate he throws a full blown tantrum which can last for hours. He does this screaming bark and no matter how many times we tell him no he just barks and barks and barks. We have tried the ignoring thing figuring he was barking trying to get our attention, that didn't work. We have also told him no (over and over) but honestly my husband and I are about worn out. It use to be at night we did get some relief because he would go down for the night without much battle, now that is changing also, plus after his earlier morning 5AM bathroom break it starts all over again and we never get back to sleep.

He is fine out of the crate the cute loveable little boy that we wanted, but place him in the crate and he turns into something entirely different.

We also own German Shorthairs and a Choc Lab so we are familiar with training dogs, but this little 2 lb terror has us at the ends of our nerves.

Please help, any advice is welcome. We know we need to stop this but don't have any more ideas. He obviously is trying to be the leader but we really need some help.:confused:

Thanks!

Try giving him something to keep him occupied. Maybe like a kong filled with peanut butter. Hide some treats in his crate when he's not looking and when you get him to go in his crate, reward him. Also, make sure you aren't letting him out when he is throwing his tantrum otherwise you are just feeding into it.

Is it possible that he is scared of the crate? Hours and hours of barking sounds extreme, like he is either having intense separation anxiety, or he had a bad experience he associated with the crate.

How long are you leaving him in the crate? Is he getting enough attention when he's out?

While I don't have the answers for you, it sounds like his crate is a source of stress, and you don't want your pup stressed out for hours at a time. Once he imprints that the crate is a bad place, he reinforces himself with his own distress every time he is in there. Can he see you when he is in the crate? Can you try another location?

Crate
 

I am not a big fan of crating dogs - but I understand that sometimes it is necessary. I have learned that the dog must feel comfortable going to the crate and must feel like it is not a punishment.

I would start by leaving the door to the crate open and put her special treats or toys which will entice her to go in when she is not forced to. This will change her thoughts of having to go in there.

Second, are you home while she is in there? If so, cover the crate with a blanket so she is not jealous that she cannot be a part of the action. Yorkies have a loyalty where they want to be with you at all times. The blanket will help her relax and hopefully sleep.

Last, if she is acting up (barking, crying, etc) you need to go to the crate and stop that action. Tell her NO in a stearn way. When she stops, give her a treat. Help her to learn that it is not a bad thing. However, she should not be in a crate more than a few hours. If this is an issue for you, maybe try a larger space like putting her in a bedroom with lots of toys, food and water.

Good Luck!!

Put her favorite blanket, treat and toy in with her, cover the crate with a blanket and I used to put a small clock that ticked in with my boys. It resembles a mothers heartbeat and helps them to relax. The blanket over the crate really did the trick I think though.

Thanks for all the help, I actually stumbled onto the "blanket" solution shortly after posting this problem. The other morning I was getting ready to leave so I placed him in the crate and the tantrum immediately started. I kept telling him no and nothing seemed to matter, so I decided to just cover the front of the crate up and within just a few minutes he whimpered himself to sleep. I have continued this and so far it seems to help. ;)

I would tell you to put his crate in the basement, of course make sure its not too cold down there. But basically if he cant see you, then he may stop that! Good Luck!

I'm confused
 

I'm getting my puppy this Friday meanwhile I learn from your experience.
I'm sorry but I became frustrated what this is mean "crate training". In some posts crate it's small space just to lay down and to stand. I assumed that pee pad placed in an open area. So puppy taken out to do it's business and what, after he's done goes back to crate ? Another type of crates describes crate as enough space to put in bed, food and water, toys. So where is a pee pad then, inside or outside (in case of the big crate). And so what is an X pen then? If I choose to use X pan do I need crate small/big, also ?
Pl help me to clarify it. I got lost in all this info.
Thanks

I don't know if this will help you but it helped me a lot. Daisy used to hate her crate when she was a puppy. We put her in her crate and Teddy Bear was in a crate right next to her for company. But she still threw a huge fit. One day I put her on the floor in FRONT of the crate door and gently told her to go into the crate. She walked right in and didn't throw a fit. Turns out the problem with Daisy was that she didn't want to be PUT IN the crate, she wanted to walk in herself. I never had another big tantrum after that.

Also when I leave I always tell them in a gentle voice "I'll be back". I know it sounds crazy but they seem to understand what I am saying and don't show anxiety when I leave thehouse.