# Crying in Ex-pen



## whitBmom (Nov 27, 2006)

Hi Everyone. It has been a week since we brought Majik home and we love him. He is extremely intelligent and knows how to pull at our heartstrings. The reason I am writing is because I would love further suggestions as to how to condition Majik to "enjoy" being in his expen alone. Crate training took only a couple of nights and he hardly made a fuss - knock on wood- but with the expen he screams, barks and whines whenever he is in it. 

His expen is located in our living room and our little place is an open concept home where the living, dining and kitchen are all combined. He can see us from his pen when he is in it, no matter where we are. Now that he has been home for a week, and having him cry up a storm when he is in there, despite seeing us, I'd love to have suggestions as to how I can get him to relate good things with his expen. If his crate is in there, he will go in it, but after whining, even when we are all in the living room with him watching tv.

As a mother, I have my chores to do around the home and I believe him being safe in his expen, as opposed to being crated is best for him. I will be heading to Global pet foods to buy his treats and then boiling up some chicken breast to cut up and let him "find" them in there. He has a bone that I will only be giving him there that he loves and this week I will be focussing on helping him over come his separation anxiety. Any suggestions that have worked for others is very welcome. Poor little man cries everytime, no matter what and only will chew his favourite bone out of his pen.... Sigh... help.


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

This happened to us with both Roscoe and Stella. We used the same technique for both of them...we climb in the ex pen with them, with some treats, of course!

I think this has showed them that the ex pen is a good place to be, and over time we slowly spent less and less time with Roscoe in the ex pen until we just never went in again. He knows it's a good place and pretty much goes in and falls asleep 

Stella is starting to get used to the ex pen. She had never been in one before she came to our house, so we have been hopping in and playing with her in there. Ironically, she JUST started whining now, after being relaxed and quiet in there for the last 2 hours!


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

galaxie said:


> This happened to us with both Roscoe and Stella. We used the same technique for both of them...we climb in the ex pen with them, with some treats, of course!
> 
> *I think this has showed them that the ex pen is a good place to be, and over time we slowly spent less and less time with Roscoe in the ex pen until we just never went in again. *He knows it's a good place and pretty much goes in and falls asleep
> 
> Stella is starting to get used to the ex pen. She had never been in one before she came to our house, so we have been hopping in and playing with her in there. Ironically, she JUST started whining now, after being relaxed and quiet in there for the last 2 hours!


I did the same with Oliver when he was a puppy. (Every once and awhile I would also leave a full kong in there too)


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

That's too bad, Helen. I know it's hard to hear a puppy be unhappy, but we have to get them used to being on their own, in their own space - for their own good! I'm not sure what else to suggest, sorry. Did you ask his breeders for ideas?


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## Lynn (Jan 2, 2007)

I probably can't help you out with this one...I can just tell you Casper was the same way about being left alone in his ex-pen, and Missy had no problem in her ex-pen.

Missy hated her crate and Casper loves his crate. 

I think the treat idea in the ex-pen sounds good....stuff a kong with something good to take his mind off it.


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## whitBmom (Nov 27, 2006)

Thanks for the suggestions. We have tried playing with him in it and he is perfectly fine. Oreo will be in there with him for a while until he gets rambunctious and then he wants out. It's being alone, even when we are in the same room that is he finds difficult. I spoke with the breeders and suggested to leave for short intervals to see that we do come back and slowly extend the time. He is so used to his siblings and other dogs that he NEEDS company. I will try the treat method along with what my breeder suggested and go from there. I would love him to associate only good things with his ex-pen, just as he does his crate.


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

That's true about the company Majik is used to. He came from a home with 11++ dogs to one with only little Oreo! lol I think this might take a bit of time, patience and loads of positive reinforcement. Hang in there!


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## Sissygirl (Aug 8, 2007)

Hi Helen, 

I remember when we first got Sissy I wanted her to have some play time in the laundry room (I have a large room) and I would put a gate up. She would just cry because she could see me and wanted to be with me.

It took a few days of my time but I sat in the laundry room with her and read a book and just ignored her. Then I moved my chair to the outside of the gate (real close) and read or talked on the phone and would pet her or put my fingers through the gate when she would come over. Then I moved it a few feet away and gradually starting walking around and she got use to seeing me w/o being with me.

I didn't have her in the laundry room long because she potty trained really fast and was reliable within days. She came already trained to paper and I just taught her the bell system and she loved it.


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## citygirl (Jan 26, 2010)

Hi all,
The same thing happens with Loki (6 months).He is very outgoing and confident in public and with other dogs. He can be a bit high-strung and high-energy as puppys go. I think this is his personality...but, the dependence on me is really annoying.

It's not being in the ex-pen as much as being away from me. He whines even when I leave the room and trys to follow me about the house. (always underfoot)

It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't cry/scream when I tie him outside a coffee shop for 5 minutes or run to the bathroom at work. He acts like I"m never coming back.
I give him his favorite chew toys, but nothing works. He puts himself into a little rage/frenzy and barks at me until I come out or back into the room (which I was eventually going to do anyway)......he really won't stop, and doesn't respond well to 'no's or anything negative.
I might try leashing him about the house and moving around so he gets used to being alone in small time periods. Any advice besides that? (sigh)
Thanks!


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## susieg (Aug 28, 2009)

Citygirl - sounds to me like Loki might have a little bit of separation anxiety. I went through the same issue with Lola. I don't mind the following me around part [that's why they're called velcro dogs], but Lola could not STAND to be away from me. She would bark her little head off when she was left alone. I read a lot of articles on separation anxiety and worked with a trainer. You can do a search for separation anxiety on the forum and might find some helpful info. It took a lot of practice with coming & going, building up to longer increments of time slowly. And I also started crating her when I left the house which worked wonders. She's definitely more comfortable & secure in there. You just have to keep at it and make sure Loki is left alone a little bit each day. I don't know how long you've had him and it sounds like you take him to work with you. So maybe he isn't used to being alone quite yet.

Helen -- Majik is just a baby. He'll get used to being in his ex-pen. Like others said, it just takes time and patience. Start leaving him alone for just a few minutes while he can still see you, then work up to longer periods of time. Then move on to leaving the room for a minute where he can't see you and so on... I was told to only let Lola out of her confined area when she had been quiet for at least a minute. That wasn't always easy [or possible since she caused such a ruckus], but I'd try to wait for at least a 30 second pause, then let her out and ignore her until she was calmer. He'll get the hang of it! Lola wouldn't touch her kong, treats or toys when left alone at first. Now she runs into her crate when I'm about to leave b/c she knows she's getting a treat.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

It's important that puppies see their people walk by their expen without any interaction from the people probably at least half the time. No talking, no eye contact, no anxiety for the puppies to pick up on in any way. If the only time they see anyone approaching is to come give them attentio, they don't learn that things are okay when they see someone and they don't get reinforcement.

The "Ignore" is one of the most powerful tools in teaching these smart dogs. They can figure some things out for themselves.

We do this with the whole litter by having their expens set up in different places and in the middle of our family activities. However, even after that, sometimes when the last pup is here by itself when it's last littermate has left, we have some work left to do with help from the "ignore". It never takes more than the first day though and they understand that there are sometimes when they will just have to stay in the expen and relax.

At an early age, staying in the expen is necessary as they are too young, regardless of what good habits have been developed, to have too much freedom for their own good and the good of their good citizenship training.

Their people have to be strong, consistant, and not build on their anxiety.

I use their desire to get out of the expen right when they wake up to train them to the potty command, after which a good result immediately rewards them with a time to come out and play after being praised highly. The first few days, they only get to come out when they potty when asked, but this puts the onus on me to ask only when they need to go.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Helen, I think you should listen to Tom and Others...but I just have to say that Cash hated being behind the pen. He would scream like an orangatang!!! I could leave him in Jasper alone in a room together and they would be fine, but if he was on one side of the pen and Jasper and us on the other he panicked. For us, we found that it was easier for us to shut him in the room with us than to listen, watch him panic. Once the door to the pen was open he was fine, he would even stay by himself in our little sun room where the pen/potty/crate lived. but the minute we shut him in he was a crazy cash. We did crate train him a night, and that went better. And he has grown to have no separation anxiety. 

So I know that this in a way was giving in, but it worked for us.


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## SnickersDad (Apr 9, 2010)

I was very lucky in that Snickers was very used to being in an ex-pen before we ever got her. She did have a bit of separation anxiety the first couple of days, but I quickly discovered that a kong filled with Cream Cheese and soft treats would keep her occupied for a long time (long enough for me to run errands and / or have a lunch with friends. 

You've gotten some really good advice from others about spending time in the pen - and gradually spending less and less time, and also about being strong. Remember -- Your supposed to be the Alpha!


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Hi Helen, I am sure it is heartbreaking to hear Majik crying in the expen! Hard to resist that! I love the idea that others have offered of climbing into the pen with him to play  

The only thing I remember from when Scout was a puppy and crying in the expen was that my breeder told me to be very careful not to take him out of there when he was crying. Even if I had to wait for a 2-second pause in his crying. Otherwise it would reinforce to him that crying was a way to get out of jail free. I also remember telling him "uh uh" or "shhh" (as alternatives to the overused "no") when he'd cry. Good luck!


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