# Trouble leaving puppy alone in crate



## CaitlinButters (Aug 10, 2021)

Helllo

Ive read so many threads about this issue but I'm having trouble and wonder if perhaps my doggo will be one that won't ever like being in a confined space. 

I have a 12 week old V. She sleeps in her crate all night, usually 7-8 hours. She will take herself there when we go to bed as she knows its bed time. At night she has a bed in there with a blanket over the crate. No issues. 

During the day is a different story and I feel like its getting worse not better. 

I used to wait for her to go to sleep then leave the home and when I got back she'd only just wake up or seem calm when I returned. Now Im struggling to have her in the crate with me in the room. She is hysterical. I have the crate in the living room so she is with us. I have always fed her in the crate, try to play with her in and around the crate, she only gets the good treats in the crate (bully stick, bones, pig ears) and when she goes in on her own I give treats or praise. I move it to the sunny spots of the room as she likes to lay in the sun. I guess the main difference is I have removed all the bedding as she just destroys it when I leave so I am trying to get her used to it in the day time with no bedding. It doesn't feel cold when I touch it and she is happy to lay on the ground anywhere else outside of the crate. 

Nothing entertains her enough to not notice you have gone or left the room. Ive done all the types of Kongs and other long lasting things but they are full when I get home. But if she's out of the crate she is happy enough when you leave the room and will self settle somewhere in the sun with no treat or toy.

The last few days ive been setting a timer for 2mins then 3mins then 5 mins and jiggling keys, opening and closing the front door and being away from her. I do that multiple times an hour. Sometimes I set the timer and stay in the room. Others ill go sit in my bedroom. Others I go outside or sit in the car. Sometimes she manages, other times she doesn't. Today, she is not managing at all. As soon as I let her out she goes to lay somewhere else in the room and is fine. Today I sat in front of the crate and just opened and closed the door at random intervals. When I stood up to continue the same thing she just stops her bone and wants to get out. When she's calm I let her out and she goes to another spot in the room to sleep. These spots arnt always the same and Ive tried moving the crate to these spots also. 

I usually encourage all her naps during the day in the crate but she will only go in there at the moment with a towel or blanket on the floor of it. I can't leave her in the day with a towel as she will destroy it and eat it. Even still I can't seem to leave her in there and leave the room at all. She's not completely Velcro. She will take herself outside and explore or just lay in the sun by herself. Sometimes she lays at my feet on the couch or just on the carpet near the couch but not always on me.

Id love to know any tips people have to help make her like being in the crate for when we leave in the day, and also like to know what age I should expect her to be comfortable on her own during the day

Thanks for any advice


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## Dan_A (Jan 19, 2021)

The advice I can give is to pick a spot for the crate and keep it there while you go through this process, no need to move it around. Have your pup in there when its nap time and start crate training 101 from the beginning. Let her carry on and cry with you sitting close by doing something else like watching tv, on phone, reading book, etc. It will be hard to hear but let her cry. Once she stops and settles in the crate, immediately praise her and let her out with lots of love. Give her some time, like an hour before repeating the process. Maybe do this 2-3 times per day. Eventually she will learn that crying and carrying on gets her nothing, and being quiet and settling in the crate is her best chance at getting out when you are ready. Be very consistant at first. Don't move the crate around, always be near her where she can see you. Once she gets this after some time, then start the same exercise with you slowly changing spots until you are in the next room and she is settling in the crate.


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## Frida010 (Apr 24, 2020)

There are plenty of V owners on this forum that didn’t feel crate training was working for them. It’s all about being able to leave your V alone in a safe confined area. If that is a small room for you, maybe that’s fine.

Fred was easy when it comes to crate training. Luckily, because I could not leave her alone outside the crate and when she was younger she wouldn’t settle or sleep outside her crate. It pretty much kept me sane in the first 12 months. But now that she is almost 1,5 we can leave her alone pretty much everywhere as long as we take her blanket, she’ll settle. We still have an emergency crate around but it’s been folded for months.

Although I’m a big fan of crate training, I’d say the end goal here is to have your dog settle by himself with and without you being around AND to be able to separate your dog from you (or visitors / young kids ) if necessary.The crate is just one of the possible tools IMO.


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