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My puppy cries and destroys when I leave, even if not alone. Why?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Alaskan Malamute | Male | unneutered

I have a puppy malamute and whenever I leave he starts crying and destroying things when he realizes I am gone. He isn't alone though cause my parents and siblings are there. Why is this? How can I stop him from acting like this?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

Published on April 26th, 2017

Cnt'd from previous answer.... Never use the crate as a form of punishment. This will defeat its purpose almost entirely. The crate should always be viewed as a place of comfort and enjoyment. If you are unable to crate train you dog, and the destructive behavior continues in spite of other training methods, I would seek a trainer to assist.

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    Answered By Jeffrey Milner

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    This is not an uncommon issue to see in puppies. It sounds like a great idea for Cheeto would be considering crate training. Successfully crate training your dog will be helpful in several different ways. It will create a den, so to speak, for Cheeto that he can call his own. Once he realizes that this area is his, most dogs will learn to enjoy it and spend time inside of it even when they are not forced to do so. More importantly, a crate will prevent your dog from destroying objects in the house when you are absent. Crate training a puppy is generally easier than crate training an adult dog, so I would suggest starting as soon as possible. There are many websites and books dedicated to dog training, nearly all of which will include some information on crate training. While you can look into these in great detail, I will just point one very important mistake that many beginners do.

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