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Crate Hate

849 Views 14 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  forgotten
We have a 5 month old Mini Dachshund named Oliver. We have had Oliver for about 6 weeks, and he's been doing great on most fronts, including crate training! The typical whining for a few minutes at night time quickly turned into going to sleep. However, recently this past week, he started to regress. There have been a few nights where he gets into this frantic barking and just wont stop. He will go for an hour or more. When I've finally given in and gone down to let him outside, he'll go to the bathroom. After calming down for a few minutes while I hold him, He goes back into his crate and sleeps.

Am i don't anything wrong? How do I help him to self-soothe when he gets into the frantic barking? Should I leave him for longer?

I am starting to work with him more during the day - treats to go in, and come out of crate on command. Leaving him in there for short periods of time while I'm still at home, etc.

Anything else I should consider? Please help!! My wife and I would LOVE a full night's sleep.

Thanks!
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Some great advice already, but just some little tricks of the trade if you haven't tried these already.

Try having a decent play session or training session before crate time to tire out that busy little mind so he's more inclined to nap when you put him away. Putting him away with an interactive toy stuffed with something yummy, or a puppy safe chew (NOT raw hide) can also keep him occupied and help him associate the crate with good experiences. The last thing I have to suggest is partially or totally covering the crate with a towel or sheet for a sense of security, like a little den for him if he likes that kind of thing.

Best of luck!
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