Crate Training D:
 

My pup is 3 months old and we've been putting her in the crate for about 3 or 4 weeks and she screams and howls and cries non stop for sometimes hours : o I dont mind it but the rest of my family is going crazy : ( What should I do?

You can start feeding her in the crate. Also giving her treats in there, like maybe a kong with peanut butter. She has to know thats it's not a punishment and good things happen in there. If you're folding laundry or watching tv, you can make her run a lot before you go in that room. Then give her a small treat and try to get her to take a nap in the crate while you're still in the room.

Meeko was a little difficult at first but he eased up after we started doing this and he loves his crate now. You should never put him in as a punishment though. It should be their little room. If Meeks get bored and even scared from thunder, he'll disappear into his crate.

Good luck!!!

Just wondering - is this at night or during the day?

Good question...Is the family doing things while she is suppose to be in her crate? Do you have an Xpen?

Agreed.
Before I got my Sophie I read over 20 training books. So I thought I would be pretty well prepared but I have to keep re-renting those books from the library to have on hand cuz its important to refresh. Anyways I had to refresh on crate training allot. Sophie absolutely loves her crate now.
What I did is when I brought her home I tossed a couple of the toys she liked inside at first she would go just to the door but not inside. Then she started going inside. then I would give her a kong in there (she doesnt quite get kongs yet but I havent tried to stuff them too much as to not interfere with her housebreaking) anyways then she started liking the crate. I fed her the first several days right by her crate. And then every time. And I mean every time she would get sleepy I would put her in the crate and then shut the door. Now we leave the door on the crate open and when she's tired or just wants me or my brother to get out of her face haha! :rolleyes: =p she goes inside her crate. And I'll shut the door.
So give that a try also its important to do it when she's sleepy and when She's awake I would recommend using a pen with toys and a pee pad or litter box and a sleeping area in it. She will bark and cry but you will notice that in the play pen she will shut up relatively quickly because theres stuff to do in there. So just try and associate the crate with good things toss treats inside and praise her when she goes in. Also to help further set that "Crate=Good" you might want to get a clicker. Clicker Training helps dogs understand things so much faster I got mine for $1.99 at PetCo.
Hope that helps.
If you need anymore tips about this just let me know.
good luck =D

:goodpost: When I got Chloe, I had already bought a DVD from Ebay about bringing home your puppy, and it showed how to lure them into their crate using small treats (don't want to fill up the little bellies so they won't eat their food) in a trail into the crate with the door open. Then add some chewy bones (like Nylabone teething bones), toys and make it their happy place. After doing that for a while, when pup is in the crate and relaxed, close the door half way so they know they can get out, and open it, repeat, repeat until you can close the door without their freaking out.

My breeder also said to ignore the howling, etc. I also brought her in the bedroom with us in her crate so she could always see us. She would cry, and I would just stick my fingers in and speak to her quietly telling her "it's OK, shhhhhhh, and sometimes that would calm her down.

Good luck!

:thumbs up
I would also like to mention to the OP, I've read and know this works like a charm with Sophie... this is going to sound really dumb...haha!..but
Audio Books, or CD's work like a CHARM! if your pup is really having a hard time with being left alone in the play pen while you make dinner or something. Or doesnt like to be in the crate I play some audiobooks (she's currently on some Dr. Phil better life tape or something I found laying around lol :yelrotflm) And she like will whine but she actually listens quietly. And this also works for car rides. Every night I take her with me when I go pick up my brother from work and I play a CD in the car and sing to it or tell her good girl but now she cries in her Dog Purse for about two seconds and when the CD goes on she just listens. It's actually a really great tool and kinda cute. Anyways that might help out if your dog is really struggling with the anxiety or something.

Thanks so much for the quick feedback. It's been a ot of hard work this pup :P So glad ot have you guys around or I wouldnt know what to do.

It's at night. She spends time with everyone during the day. I had her in my room but it seems like i need to be laying on the floor right beside her for her to calm down and if she wakes up during the night and howls she'll wake me up (which I dont mind) and my dad aswell..but he isnt as patient with these types of things.

I'll try to put a king in the crate and have her in my room tonight and maybe even try an audiobook of some sort so that when i fall asleep she'll still hear something to calm her down a bit.

crying puppy
 

When we first got Belle she was 12 weeks old and tiny so there was no way I was going to let her sleep with us. She has a crate that I had bought and I put several soft blankets in there plus I had a teddy bear that you can put in the microwave to make it warm. She really loved that. You can also buy stuffed toys that have a sound like the puppies mama's heart beating. Belle would start to cry and yip so I did what I had done with our Schnauzer, I put a blanket over the crate so she couldn't see anything and It also kept her warmer. She sleeps in the crate next to me at night. When she would start to cry, I kind of hit the door of the crate gently and told her no. It only took about foour or five times and she quit and cuddled up with the bear and has been sleeping that way ever since and she just turned a year old. Even in the daytime if I lay down, I have Fibromyalgia and rest in the afternoon, I cover her crate and she doesn't make a sound. All you can really do is be patient. You can make a corn warmer yourself that can be microwaved to put under blankets to keep baby warm. If you are interested, let me know and I'll tell you how to make one. Good luck

Okay sounds like you should be okay.
Let us know how it goes or if you hit anymore snags in the road.
I know how it is, Sophie was supposed to stay in my room but I ended up putting her in my brothers room so when she cries my Dad wont wake up too much. It works out well even though she's super quiet she does cry at about 3am to go potty if I dont follow through with my housebreaking schedual to a T the day before heh..heh Dx i gotta work on that.

She cried for a bit but she stopped in half the time it usually takes : D Im soo happy! Now for the potty training >: [ hehehe