Help! My dog won't stop barking and whining in his crate at night.

Question

My dog(10 months) whine and barks in the crate when I'm home and when im not. How can I stop this. No one can sleep at night but I can't keep him out cause he chews on everything. He's a rescue from a shelter and won't be quiet unless I'm in the room on the couch. And even then he whined and barks when he realizes I'm not letting him out. I have two kids under five and I work 7days a wk we all need sleep. Help! Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | neutered | 10 months and 8 days old | 65 lbs

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

This is definitely a difficult situation, because you have a dog (with the mindset of a puppy) that has a normal amount of energy for his age and seems to view the crate as a negative place to be. The crate should be a place that the pup likes to go to, so there is a great deal of training that will be required to get him to associate the crate with good thoughts (like treats). Also, the crate should not be overused. If a dog is spending more than 8 hours a day in a crate, then there's a good chance that they will eventually go stir-crazy. The other thing that needs to be addressed is Ollie's energy. The best way to release this pent-up energy is regular exercise. In his case, it may be best to have exercise where he is running - like when playing fetch at a dog park. I recommend starting two hours of this (AM and PM) to start with. He may need more. Working seven days a week and raising young kids must make free-time for training and exercise very difficult. If you are able to hire help (i.e. a dog walker, or trainer), then this may be your best option. If it is not possible for the dog to get adequate exercise and training, then the only other option I can think of is a consult with a veterinarian, or a veterinary behaviorist. Sometimes medication is needed for certain circumstances in order to facilitate training. I hope that helpful for you. Good luck and I hope all goes well with Ollie.

Help! My dog won't stop barking and whining in his crate at night.

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