# Crate Problems, Any Advice?



## smzoey (Jul 28, 2012)

Hey Everyone, 

Just wanted to see if anyone had any advice on a little problem that Zoey seems to be having with her crate, as of the last two night, she has been crying and stratching to get out after I put her in there for bed, nothing has changed in our routine, she usually falls asleep on the couch and then we go pee outside and then I put her in the crate which is at the bedside on the floor so she can see me climb into bed then i turn off the light. Zoey is 17 weeks now and we've been doing this with her since we got her at 8 weeks old and it's NEVER been an issue, sometimes she'll whine very quietly for maybe a minute or two but then settles in. We got her a medium size kennel as she outgrew her small one, she has a a little pillow and her favorite blanket in there as well as a blanket overtop to cover it. The last two nights though she has been crying like the first week we had her, very loud non stop stratch to get out, messing up her blankets and this lasts about 3-4 hours, off and on, so the past two nights I had to put the crate back up on the bed and then she seems to settle slowly after that. Can anyone tell me what they think this might be?? Things were going SOOO well and now it seems like its' back to when we had her one day one. She does usually wake up in the morning around 6 and goes outside, eats and then goes into her ex-pen until I wake up around 10 with no compliants, should we just be leaving her in her ex-pen now to sleep, also house training is coming along very nicely she never messes in her crate or ex-pen, I just feel it's too soon for her to be not crated at night, any thoughts or ideas would be great. Thanks everyone


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Try putting the crate on a chair next to the bed, since it sounds like she settles down when close to you. If there is a nightstand, turn the chair so the seat faces the nightstand, with the back of the chair holding the opposite side of the crate, and the long dimension of the crate goes accross the seat. No baby talk, and the quieter you are, the sooner she will get over it. 

She'll outgrow the anxiety after a while, and the crate can be moved to another location.


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## smzoey (Jul 28, 2012)

Hey 
Thanks Tom, we will definately try that again, the problem is, is that we did all that back when she was a 8 weeks old, we had the crate on a chair at the bedside for quiet a while and it was perfect and she was completely fine, then we put her at the bedside but far enough away to be able to see us and she was completely fine with that as well and has been sleeping with no problems that way for the last few months, but now all of a sudden she's having anixiety and I don't know why? I'm thinking of getting her a wire crate instead of the travel type one we have her in now so she doesn't feel so enclosed, maybe that will help ?


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

I don't think it's the type of crate. Just move backwards to the on the chair way again, and see how she does tonight. It might still take her a little while to settle, but she'll get over it if you remain calm and quiet.


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## lise (Sep 1, 2006)

Ted sleeps in his crate in his ex-pen. It is in the kitchen, but thats where he has always been.


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## Tuss (Apr 22, 2012)

probably just a phase. I wouldn't react to the whining or you'll just teach her "if i whine and scatch they will pat me, therefore they must want me to whine and scratch"


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## smzoey (Jul 28, 2012)

Thanks everyone for the tips, Yeah I do just ignore her I know that part, my ears on the other hand hurt a little bit! haha, but last night I put her up on a chair at the bedside and she whined a bit but settled much more quickly so here's to hoping it's just a phase!


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Glad to hear there is improvement!


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## Acoughlin0618 (Sep 4, 2012)

Similar thing happened with our puppy- he just turned 4 months. We got him at 14 weeks and was fine in his crate the first two weeks, then started waking up at 4am, crying and waking me up- I took him to pee on a pad but then he wanted to play. So I put him back his crate but was barking and scratching. Then we moved the crate to the guest room with a fan on the floor - the first time was rough and took a while for him to settle. Now he is totally fine going in his crate during the day in the guest room when we are gone and at night- we always have the fan on too. 


Sent from my iPad using PG Free


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## smzoey (Jul 28, 2012)

Thanks everyone for the advice, Zoey is doing a bit better in her crate again, but waking up throughout the night, I think because she is more use to her ex-pen and her dog bed in there, so we have started putting her in there and it's working out better, except now, zoey can jump OUT of the ex-pen, I have come home twice to find her sitting on the couch looking out the window! Luckily nothing has been damaged or chewed, and no accidents but now the trouble is what to do? I use to trust her in the ex pen because I knew she couldn't get hurt or into anything she should when my hubby and me are out of the house but now when I leave i worry that she's going to jump out and eventually hurt herself, I'm thinking we are going to try a wire crate now and see how she does, she won't have as much freedom as in the ex-pen but at least I know she will be safe.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

smzoey said:


> Thanks everyone for the advice, Zoey is doing a bit better in her crate again, but waking up throughout the night, I think because she is more use to her ex-pen and her dog bed in there, so we have started putting her in there and it's working out better, except now, zoey can jump OUT of the ex-pen, I have come home twice to find her sitting on the couch looking out the window! Luckily nothing has been damaged or chewed, and no accidents but now the trouble is what to do? I use to trust her in the ex pen because I knew she couldn't get hurt or into anything she should when my hubby and me are out of the house but now when I leave i worry that she's going to jump out and eventually hurt herself, I'm thinking we are going to try a wire crate now and see how she does, she won't have as much freedom as in the ex-pen but at least I know she will be safe.


Yeah, the trouble is that many of them don't actually JUMP out, but climb. If they are truly jumping out, a taller pen may help. If they are climbing, it doesn't matter, they can climb a 36" gate as easily as a 24" gate... and whether they jump or climb, that's too far to want a puppy to jump or fall down from.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

smzoey said:


> Thanks everyone for the advice, Zoey is doing a bit better in her crate again, but waking up throughout the night, I think because she is more use to her ex-pen and her dog bed in there, so we have started putting her in there and it's working out better, except now, zoey can jump OUT of the ex-pen, I have come home twice to find her sitting on the couch looking out the window! Luckily nothing has been damaged or chewed, and no accidents but now the trouble is what to do? I use to trust her in the ex pen because I knew she couldn't get hurt or into anything she should when my hubby and me are out of the house but now when I leave i worry that she's going to jump out and eventually hurt herself, I'm thinking we are going to try a wire crate now and see how she does, she won't have as much freedom as in the ex-pen but at least I know she will be safe.


ya, we are one of the few here on the forum that barely used the x-pen! Tillie was jumping out of it within the first 2 weeks we had her... switched to crating her when I had to leave (I was a stay at home mom and only left for brief periods of time to accustom her to the crate) and still do to this day. She LOVES her crate and runs to it when she knows she doesn't get to come with me. She sleeps in it at night with the door open. 
Although we DO still have and USE the x-pen on occasion, we do not leave her in it if we aren't going to be around.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

TilliesMom said:


> ya, we are one of the few here on the forum that barely used the x-pen! Tillie was jumping out of it within the first 2 weeks we had her... switched to crating her when I had to leave (I was a stay at home mom and only left for brief periods of time to accustom her to the crate) and still do to this day. She LOVES her crate and runs to it when she knows she doesn't get to come with me. She sleeps in it at night with the door open.
> Although we DO still have and USE the x-pen on occasion, we do not leave her in it if we aren't going to be around.


The funny thing is Kodi WON'T sleep in his crate with the door open. He'll go in and out, muttering and whining, putting his feet up on the bed (NOT because he wants to get on the bed... if you lift him up, he just jumps right off) until one of us gets up and closes his door for him!ound:


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## lise (Sep 1, 2006)

Ted loves his pen and has never tried to climb on his crate to get out. I bought the tall one as the breeder warned me about the jumping and climbing. The way Teds crate is, would be impossible to use for climbing as it is surrounded by the wall in the back and the wall of our island on the right side. If he climbed on it all he would be able to do is jump in the pen.ound:


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Karen, My girl Khloe does that at night too. She has two house crates one in the kitchen and she will go in there and sleep during the day and I crate her when I leave, the night crate is in our room next to Misty's bed, not only does she put her nose over to check if Misty is in her bed, she yap's until we close the crate then she rolls in a ball and goes to sleep. If we don't crate her she will alert at any sound and wake the house. She is quite in her crate.

I have a friend that uses a old wooden playpen for her pups, it's not as old as my kids as the bars are closer together...kids could not climb out of those either.


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