How can I stop my 2-month-old puppy from barking in her crate?

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.

When she barks, she is looking for attention of some kind from you. Even negative attention, such as clapping your hands or scolding her, is better than nothing in her mind. Ignoring her is the correct response, but you can't give in after a while as you have been doing. The same is true if she is in her crate and barking. I know it is tempting to tell her to be quiet so you can get some sleep, but that is counterproductive. Because she knows that after some time you will interact with her, she will bark even more to get what she's always gotten in the past. You must be more stubborn than she is, and ignore her until she stops--then praise her immediately for being quiet! You also have the option of leaving the room or going outdoors when she is barking during the day. For further assistance, you can click on the prompt for a consult, where we can discuss this at length.

You could try giving them a treat puzzle or something else to keep them occupied while you are gone if you are crating them when you aren't home. You can also try starting over and slowly re-acclimating them to the crates: try feeding them in the crates and keeping them in for short periods of time with a treat or other distraction, then gradually increasing the amount of time they spend in the crate. If this is a new behavior you may want to try to determine if something in the environment has changed, like a loud noise that might be startling them or a dog barking nearby.

Daisy is just a baby, so it's to be expected that she will bark and howl if she is left alone at night - normally, puppies would never be alone at this age because they always have their mother and littermates around. I would recommend moving Daisy's crate into your bedroom beside your bed, instead of leaving her in the kitchen by herself - this way, she can hear you and smell you at night, which will make her feel much more secure and less anxious. If she whines or seems uneasy, just talk softly to her to reassure her. She should quickly learn to sleep well at night as long as she is with you. Once she gets older, if you don't want the crate beside your bed, you can gradually move it to another location in your bedroom or even another part of the house if you wish.

Begin with crating her for very short periods of time. Gradually increase that time as she acclimates. This will take time and requires patience and consistency. Offer a special toy or treat as a distraction. Praise and reward her as she acclimates. A pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, may help to decrease anxiety. This same method can be used to acclimate her to your absence. Additionally, you can prepare to leave several times daily then put everything away and stay or actually leave. Upon your return, ignore Lily Belle for 15 minutes or until she is calm. Do not make a big deal about coming or going. Consider a pet day care program or having a dog walker visit during the day. At her age, she should not be crated for more than 5 hours before being let out to relieve herself. This time can increase as she matures. The general rule is 1 hour of crate time per month of age plus an additional hour.

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 :)

Be patient with Dobbie. He's just moved into a new home, and that is stressful. You can get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety and pair that with a DAP pheromone collar that releases pheromones when in contact with his skin. I hope this helps!