Crate Training Nightmare - Help!

[sheshistory]

Truman has never been a giant fan on his crate but he will go in there for naps and to sleep without much protest. However, he can and will not wake up without letting out the most insanely annoying high pitched barking!

We were working on that but somehow last week, while I was away, Truman decided to bark in the middle of the night and my husband got up to let him out. Well, ever since then, he's been barking constantly for about 25 minutes every two hours at night for the past week! I have NO idea why - other than he wants attention - but he's not sleeping good at all! The first couple times it happened, we let him out because we thought maybe he wasn't feeling good but the past two nights it's been going on, I did not let him out and when I got up there was no accidents and not even a pressing urge for him to go potty. I am at wit's end because I am a very light sleeper. I currently have him in our downstairs bathroom, with a sheet over his cage, facing the wall to minimize the sound of the barking but it's still not working! He goes to bed fine but it's like once he's bored of sleeping or has the slightest inkling he'd like to get out, the barking starts.

Does anyone have any ideas? Is this a battle of wills? I am almost ready to put him in bed to shut him up but I don't really want him sleeping with us and I shudder to think about his behavior if we ever had to leave him with someone else overnight! Help!**

**Written by a sleep deprived bully momma.

 

[cali~jenn]

It does sound like a battle of the wills doesnt it? If it were me, I would just let im in bed with us but then again that is what I did. hehe. If you dont want him in your bed then you have to stick to your guns I would say and NOT give in. Sounds like your hubby started this by letting him out the one time, such a typical man right? lol. I dont have any advice for you as to how to stop it but you will hear plenty I am sure. Good luck!

 

[gatorfan85]

I am not a crate training expert lol. My puppy barks uncontrolably and the only way to quiet her is a bone or a long walk so she passes out. Mr.Beefy will RIP the crate open... i am guessing its due to some trauma associated with the crate with his prior owners, so no crate for Beeferoni lol. If you dont want him in your bed. You have to tuff it out, dont give in or he has won the battle lol. Try spraying some lavender oil on his bedding , its very calming and maybe a new chewy or bone to make him feel more comfortable with his crate again. Also make your husband try to redirect the barking if possible since he created the issue or truman may start to see you as the "bad guy". when my son causes an unwanted behavior from the puppy, i tell him how to correct it rather than do it myself so I dont look like the " bad guy" and she doesnt associate me with just redirecting bad behaviors.

 

[TessaAndSamson]

I wish I had a better answer than everyone else but all I would suggest is just keep doing what your doing and eventually he'll give up. Hopefully sooner rather than later so you can get some sleep!

 

[KMARINO]

WOW, what a delima!! Vegas loves and needs his crate, it is his "saftey haven" Even when we send him to the pet spa, when we go on Vaca, I take his crate, pillow and stuffies, but isen't it weird if you let them do one thing ONCE they seem to get it?? YET nothing else???? I tried to let Veg sleep in our bed, first of all he would chew on our feet, then if he did not do that I KNEW he was peeing the bed. NO MORE sleeping with us, he actually uses his crate for naps (when he wants, or the couch) but at night all I have to say is "night, night" and he goes right in. It is a battle of the wills, and he will stop eventually, I feel sorry for you, my husband has to get up at 5 and me at 7...Thank god..he is very OK in his crate!!

 

[wfd38383]

going to use my clincal therapist behavior mod info here (however not really sure if it applies to bullies haha). Dog wanted attention and was loney so he barks, husband enters and reinforces behavior by letting him out. dog continues to bark and people come and turn his cage around so once again his bad behavior is reinforced by attention . the behavior will tend to last longer is reinforced intermittinly then by continuous behavior. so ignore him consistently and the behavior should stop quicker then periodically ignoring him then giving in. however no time frame can be estimated and I cannot be held accountable if this doens't work or takes forever hahaha

 

[sheshistory]

Maybe I misrepresented a bit...Truman had a one night bout of diarrhea so when my husband went down at 4 AM, he had pooped all over his cage but it did start the trend of barking at night. So it isn't ENTIRELY his fault. I also didn't get up in the middle of the night and turn his cage around and put it in the bathroom, that was in response to night #3 of him being naughty and barking at night so it was my plan to get sleep the next night. Really the only night that someone got up when he barked was the initial night (when he pooped in his cage) and the next night, for fear he pooped again. (He didn't).

So, today, I had some work to do so I put him in his crate and he was quiet the entire time and then I put him in for a nap and he was quiet again until I got him up. So it's really only at nighttime.

Truman is also around 5 months old and losing a ton of teeth, so I was thinking maybe he's uncomfortable.

But the point is well taken - it's a battle of wills and he's just going to have to learn to sleep through the night like a big boy! I guess I am struggling with it because both of my other bullies LOVED their crates and loved sleeping. It was a non issue for them!

 

[bullmama]

I agree it does sound like a battle of wills as well. Just keep the night routine the same- and no matter how loud he barks- do not say anything to him, at all. Not even no- just ignore him, get you some ear plugs so you can go sleepy...