Thanks for the response.
Initially, he would start to cry in the crate when he could not see us. This happened during the day when one or both of us would leave the room for any period of time. He still does this even when he is out of the crate - though he gets distracted fairly easily.
We want to use the crate because he lived outside for most of his young life and received zero obedience training or house breaking. The confusing part is that he will go in there on his own during the day when the door is open to take a nap so long as somebody is in the room with him, but will begin whining when the lights go off and we get ready to go to sleep. We intend to have him sleep out of the crate at some point in the (probably very distant) future, but he hasn't had enough training to be left wandering without getting into trouble. At night, once he does calm down, he sleeps soundly through the night.
Update: Yesterday, we started moving back towards our routine from last week - more time in the crate and more positive encouragement to go in on his own when we're out playing or working on commands. After a short, short whining stint (20-30 seconds), we talked to him for a few moments, and he laid down and slept through the night. We're trying the same thing today.
We haven't had any success with the "ignoring" method and I don't want to use it because it feels like he simply does not want to be left alone. But, he's slept in the crate every night he's been home with us, and we sleep directly outside the crate so that he can see us through the night. Eventually, we want to start sleeping in our bedroom again, but that seems like it's weeks away.
I think the overarching issue is not wanting to be away from us. But we already are up at many points in the night to comfort him and sleep extremely close by; I'm not sure what else can be done to have him in the crate and also able to be with us.
Initially, he would start to cry in the crate when he could not see us. This happened during the day when one or both of us would leave the room for any period of time. He still does this even when he is out of the crate - though he gets distracted fairly easily.
We want to use the crate because he lived outside for most of his young life and received zero obedience training or house breaking. The confusing part is that he will go in there on his own during the day when the door is open to take a nap so long as somebody is in the room with him, but will begin whining when the lights go off and we get ready to go to sleep. We intend to have him sleep out of the crate at some point in the (probably very distant) future, but he hasn't had enough training to be left wandering without getting into trouble. At night, once he does calm down, he sleeps soundly through the night.
Update: Yesterday, we started moving back towards our routine from last week - more time in the crate and more positive encouragement to go in on his own when we're out playing or working on commands. After a short, short whining stint (20-30 seconds), we talked to him for a few moments, and he laid down and slept through the night. We're trying the same thing today.
We haven't had any success with the "ignoring" method and I don't want to use it because it feels like he simply does not want to be left alone. But, he's slept in the crate every night he's been home with us, and we sleep directly outside the crate so that he can see us through the night. Eventually, we want to start sleeping in our bedroom again, but that seems like it's weeks away.
I think the overarching issue is not wanting to be away from us. But we already are up at many points in the night to comfort him and sleep extremely close by; I'm not sure what else can be done to have him in the crate and also able to be with us.
