Here's a riddle for you guys:

I just picked up a new puppy; she will be eight weeks old tomorrow. She has the loveliest temperament you could desire: calm, stable, fearless. Comes happily when called, loves to climb in your lap and give kisses, but isn't clingy; she's adventurous and will leave my presence to explore areas out of sight of myself, or contentedly play with a toy in the next room. She has loved every person and every dog she has met so far, offering a friendly lick and a gentle tail wag to each.

All of this goes out the window when she is crated for the night. She begins pawing at the door and emitting an anxious, worried croon that quickly escalates to a high-pitched yipping. Doesn't matter that we just wore her out playing, doesn't matter that she was falling asleep anyway, doesn't matter that she's got her litter-and-mommy-scented stuffed toy duck; she loathes being crated.

Same goes for the car; as soon as the car starts, she makes the same noise and also begins desperately trying to climb me/the car...as though there's a flood and she's trying to reach higher ground.

I'm stumped. She gives every sign of being the last puppy in the world to have any anxiety about anything, and then morphs into a different dog in these two situations. I'm particularly perplexed about the crate business; this is the first dog I've owned who didn't naturally take to the crate and love it happily ever after...and of course all the literature ever printed on the subject assures one that all dogs love crates as they are their dens. This puppy loves to hide in dens, it's true...just anywhere (under furniture/bushes/the dishwasher) BUT the crate.

I've tried everything I can think of...feeding her in the crate, placing a special toy in there, etc. I know a lot of you will probably tell me to be firm and just let her yip because she needs to come to terms with the crate herself. In a perfect world I would do just this. Unfortunately in the real world I have a husband who dearly needs his rest and some nice neighbors with a new baby upstairs whom we would very much like not to stone us.

Anybody got any ideas?

She's very young still - she's hardly been given the chance to learn to like the crate!

My suggestions would be:

Continue to feed her meals in the crate.
Cover the crate so she can't see you, or any activity.
If you have another dog, crate them close, side by side - she'll be able to smaell and hear the other calm dog and will be comforted by it.
When she's crated, give a special treat to chew until she tires enough to fall sleep - crate time is when I give my babies big bully stix!

Otherwise, be firm with her and tell your hubby and whoever else to get over it; it'll only be a few days! And crate her in the vehicle - she doesn't need to be crawling up you.

These things are all new for her, and she is just a baby. Give it time.

This can be a common time for a fear period. Count your blessings that it's just crate issues.

Can you leave the crate door open at all times? Did the breeder have a crate (I always have a doorless one in my pen) in the pen? She may just need the introduction in baby steps. Agree w/ the crating near other pets too if you have any. She's probably quite lonesome for her littermates.

Dear Riddle- if she is 8 weeks old tomorrow- how long have you had her? Many breeders don't let dogs go home till 8 weeks so they are socialized and don't have separation anxiety and other problems.

still such a young baby you will have to give her time to adjust to life routine in your home.

covering the crate will help and close your bedroom door if hubby has to sleep. It wont go on forever, poor baby just misses her litter mates.

also I agree if she is panicked in the car crate her so you don't wreck.

UPDATE: Hooray, progress! She was (almost) silent last night and this morning was going in her crate to relax and chew on a toy!

Thanks for the tips/questions. Wag the Dog: I had tried that sort of thing with pig ears, but she eats them like chips. Clearly we need to graduate to something tougher--I'll look for the bully stix! I would normally have crated her in the car, but as long as she hated both so much I was hesitant to compound the negative associations.

Windycanyon: I do leave the crate door open at all times, except at night. Yes, the breeder had several crates in the puppy room, all open. I'm almost wondering if that might be just it...she's not used to crates having a door that keeps her from leaving...?

Question: I've had her for a few days. She was about 7 1/2 weeks when I brought her home. I know 8 weeks would have been more optimal, but the breeder lived some distance and we had to pick one of the dates that worked for all parties. With that in view I am being careful that she receives adequate socialization. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but I truly don't believe this is simple separation anxiety. Like I said before she will happily meander away from me to explore and has no problem with me being out of the room or leaving altogether (while she is supervised by my husband.) Also, the whining begins the minute the crate door is shut, not when I leave.

In any case I think y'all are right, she's just a baby and will learn in time. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything to make matters worse, since I hadn't run into this type of situation before. Thanks all!

I don't know whether you are using a wire or an airline type if crate, but that can make a difference, too. My three y/o male loves his wire crate, but refuses to go in an airline crate of any size.

Hm! Hadn't thought of that. It is an airline crate. Might be worth checking out. Thanks!

I just went through this, brought a new puppy home at 8.5 weeks and it was like her head was stuck in the crate, I couldn't help but break the rules and take her out!

This is what I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8HNO79bZMY

We did it all the time. For an hour a day. It helped immensely even the first night.

Now, she's 4 months and if I mention the word kennel or crate she runs into her crate. And she's a gem in the car crate too.

Good luck!

This is a training issue. When puppies are placed in crates with their littermates they adjust very quickly, if that is not done by the breeder than of course it makes your job begin immediately. Do not allow the puppy to take over the household. Be a leader, this is a test. There is so much info online to help you, read and read some more. Short crate times, very short, with lots of fun stuff in and out of it. Set the stove timer, when the bell goes off , clap your hands, get puppy out, make a big fuss , take puppy out to poddie, play time lots of play time, tired puppies SLEEP in their crates.

Yes Wag the Dog is right. Crate a dog next to her and play the radio on nice soothing music if you have to.

You can wait until she falls asleep then carefully put her in the crate and close the door. As soon as you hear her start to wake up take her out. Also you can lay on the floor with the crate door open and put your head on a small pillow in the doorway so she can't get out. Rub her under the chin and chest while laying there and make sure there are no interruptions or distrations. You might be there a while until she falls asleep. I had done this and after a few times they get the hang of it.

Traci,
Been there, done that!!! It works! Glad to hear I am not alone....

You already have lots of great suggestions.
In addition for night time I use a small puppy size wire crate and put it next to my side of the bed. I put my hand in the crate and let the puppy lick it, play with it until he/ she falls asleep. I take them out when they are very young in the middle of the night to potty. Then back in the crate with a stuffed kong or something to chew on and my hand close to the crate again for reassurance. I also have several adults who sleep in the bedroom with us, so the baby is surrounded by the pack, human and canine. I have never had a pup cry even one night.
Good luck.

Wow...that is exactly what I have been doing without having read that...!! Basically just tuckering her out, letting her fall asleep and then gently putting her in the crate. After I get her up for midnight potty break she sometimes wants to cry, so I lay down next to the crate and tell her soothingly that it's time to sleep and she usually lies down after a bit and goes back to sleep.

It's odd...if I just pop her back in the crate and walk away, she will kick up a fuss: yelping at top volume, hyperventilating...however if I tell her to lie down and that it's time to sleep, she will lie down...after getting up and switching position about 12 times, whimpering each time...but she IS trying. She's quirky like that...she can never find a sleeping position she likes, even just on the floor during the day. She seems to want to lie with her head propped up on something, and she can't get her stuffed duck in a
spot to suit her--hence the endless repositioning. My guess is that she's used to sleeping in the puppy pile with her head on somebody's back maybe?

(As to the other dog tip: alas, I have no other dog, or you can bet I'd be doing that. This is the first time in a few years that I have been able to have dogs again because of moves and other life changes.)