Can I kennel train my 4-month-old puppy who whines in his crate?

It's okay, but ideally we want Baxter to enjoy being in his crate and not whine or cry at all - so next time, I would recommend giving him a special, long-lasting treat of some kind when you put him in his crate. A Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter is a great option for many puppies. This will help him get into the habit of settling down right away when he goes in, and will also teach him to associate good things with being in his crate. This should cut down quite a bit on the barking and whining, and help to set him up for a lifetime of enjoying his crate :)

Crate training is related to house breaking. If your puppy is not having accidents in the house, then that's a good sign BUT I will mention that most puppies are not reliably house trained until 6 months of age minimum. You may try increasing how much he likes the crate by feeding him in the crate, throwing a treat in the crate to get Keela to enter the crate on his own or having a special treat or toy that he only gets in the crate. I hope this helps.

I would recommend giving him something to keep him busy. Kong toys with peanut butter frozen inside can keep dogs quite busy for a while. I would try this. You can also try the Adaptil products, which are pheromone products designed to help calm dogs down. Make sure he has plenty of toys and treats in his kennel to keep him busy. You can even turn the radio on or tv on for him while you are downstairs for noise and see if that helps.

You can go ahead and start training now. Here are a few links which will be helpful: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-crate-train-your-puppy-or-older-dog/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/chewing-in-puppies-how-to-control-it/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-biting-nipping-of-hands/ Congrats on adding Kinser to your family!

Hello. Crate training takes time, so keep persevering. That being said, expect dogs to be able to hold their bladders the number of months they are in terms of hours, as a general rule. They can hold it a little longer at night. Expect to have to wake up in the middle of the night to let him outside. Bring him outside, let him pee, then right back inside into the crate. No playing or else he will get used to that. The whining and barking should subside soon. HAve fun with him!

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.

I recommend playing with him before bedtime so he’s tired. Playing music and giving him a toy to snuggle with usually helps. Some dogs sleep well in the crate if it’s in your bedroom. Give it some time and he should adjust, usually the first few days or week is the worst. Crate training is important for housebreaking, travel and boarding so be patient. I do like to leave the crate open during the day and place treats in it so he likes to go inside. My dogs still love their crates and often prefer to sleep in them even now that they’re grown up. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Benji.