How to stop my puppy from barking in her crate when I'm at work?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | unspayed | 7 lbs
I have a 9 week old puppy. She does very well in her crate at night, but when i put her in her crate (ive also tried a gated area as well) during the day, she will yelp and bark EXTREMELY loud for well over an hour or until I let her out. I start my new job in 2 weeks where i will be gone for around 9 hours a day, and I have heard i should use a crate when I'm gone (i will have a dog walker come around noon every day), do you have any suggestions? Thank you!
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on December 27th, 2016
Poor Chelsea! It sounds like she's quite anxious in the crate by herself - many puppies have trouble adjusting to this at first. I would recommend giving her a special long-lasting treat of some kind each time you put her in the crate, such as a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter - this will help to keep her busy and encourage her to settle, and over time will also help with her anxiety by giving her something to look forward to when you leave. You can also try a DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement such as Zylkene or Composure to see if this helps.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on October 4th, 2017
Most of the time consistent barking is secondary to anxiety. In such a young dog I would recommend increasing exercise by getting Alex into a training class and starting daily walks or even playing ball. The training will help to focus Alex's energy to wear him out and decrease stress. I would also recommend getting him neutered. He could also have mild cage anxiety. You could try an adaptil collar or adaptil spray to help calm Alex. Adaptil is dog pheromones to help decrease stress. I hope this helps
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on December 27th, 2017
You may need to get Shadow used to being in her crate with the door closed gradually. A few good steps are to never use the crate as punishment, and to give her access to it at all times without the door being closed (as it seems you have already started doing). The next good step is to crate her at random intervals with a favorite toy or treat to keep her occupied that is only given when she's in the crate. Try not to link this with something she may not like, such as going to bed, or you leaving, so that she learns the crate is a safe spot and doesn't indicate something bad is about to happen. When crated, take a short walk around a corner, into another room, etc and try not to give kisses or make a big deal of coming or going. After a few minutes, or if she settles down/has a moment of quiet, return and let her back out. This can help teach her that calm, quiet behavior is rewarded, and that it's OK to be in the crate because you're going to return. Over time, you can gradually increase the time spent in the crate. In some cases, you may need to just "wait out" the crying so she learns it doesn't lead to being let out or getting what she wants (this can be very hard as puppies are very persuasive!) if this behavior still continues after a month or so, worsens, or doesn't improve, it may be that she is having some phobia or anxiety related to the crate that is best discussed with a trainer in person.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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