Train or Help a Puppy Stop Crying when Locked up or Outside

Sometimes you cannot have your dog inside with you all the time, but a crying dog outside will only frustrate you and your neighbors. Dogs usually love to be with their owners and separation anxiety is why most dogs cry and howl when left outside or alone. You can help your puppy learn to accept being alone and prevent this anxiety from becoming a pathological and destructive problem in the process. Here are some steps you can take to help your puppy pal calm down and learn to be alone quietly.

Steps

Tiring Your Puppy Out

  1. Walk your puppy regularly. Aim for at least two daily walks with your puppy. They don't need to be long but they should reasonably tire out your pup. Just make sure the puppy is getting enough daily exercise based on its size and energy level.
    • Be kind to your puppy and be sure to give it exercise on a daily basis.
  2. Play with your puppy. A bored dog will take out its energy in some other (undesirable) form, from whining, to crying, to destruction of property. Try to have two active play times each day, with you playing fetch, keep away, or tug of war, or any other active game your puppy loves to play.
    • In addition to getting necessary exercise, the puppy will love the attention it gets from you. The younger the dog is the shorter your play and exercise sessions have to be but remember to increase the frequency of play or walk time as the puppy gets older.
  3. Give your puppy toys to play with. You want your puppy to be able to amuse itself when it is alone in the yard. Supplying plenty of toys will hopefully distract your pup from the fact that it is alone.
    • Supply a variety of types of toys. Balls, squeaky toys, and treat-dispensing toys are all favorites for puppy playtime. These types of toys can help to distract a puppy from being sad it is alone while stimulating its natural inquisitiveness and desire to chew. [1]

Practicing Being Alone

  1. Practice letting the puppy be alone. Whether inside or outside, you'll need to get your puppy used to the fact that you won't be around all the time. You can practice indoors by leaving your puppy in one room and leaving for a few minutes, then returning. Then begin putting the dog outside for short periods of time, one to five minutes to start. You need to accept that the dog will probably cry and make a fuss while it is outside.
    • Only leave a dog outside if you have a safe and secured fenced-in area.
    • You must train the dog that nothing good will happen when they cry. Only let the puppy in when it is quiet and (preferably) lying quietly. If you give in and go out with the dog or allow it to return inside when it is whining, then you are giving positive reinforcement to the unwanted behavior (i.e. the dog "gets satisfaction" by your acknowledging the whining).
    • Leave your puppy with a distraction, like a Kong toy stuffed with wet food, to keep them occupied and to help them associate the yard with positive things.
  2. Give your dog praise for good behavior. This is a big key to training a dog. Once an allotted amount of time is up (remember to start with small time increments) go outside and praise the dog profusely with attention and petting. Maybe even give the pup a treat. The dog will eventually make a connection that if it is quiet and well behaved outside, it will be rewarded for that behavior.
  3. Slowly increase the puppy's alone time. Continue the training by lengthening the time outside until the dog remains quiet outdoors for at least an hour (as long as the weather is nice). Now the dog should be able to better deal with the separation anxiety when left outside or alone. Hopefully the pup will just quiet down and take a nap instead.
    • Make sure the puppy always has fresh water available.
  4. Consider use of a calming product. There are calming products available to help puppies with being alone.[2] Pheromones are chemicals released by dogs, which help ease puppies’ anxiety. The dog appeasing pheromone (D.A.P.) have been shown to calm puppies in dog obedience classes.[3] These come in collars, sprays, wipes or diffusers.

Crate Training Your Puppy

  1. Begin crate training your puppy. It is very important to use a crate inside the house or a dog house, igloo, or some warm, comfortable shelter outside where the dog can rest and feel secure. Put the pup’s bed or blankets, as well as its toys, into the shelter so the puppy will recognize the space as its own.
    • Recognize that it may take some time for this new place to seem like home to your dog. Take some time to gently teach them to go inside it.
    • Any crate or kennel needs to be big enough for the dog to stand normal without a hunched back and to allow it to turn in a circle without being cramped.
  2. Entice your puppy into the crate. Start by leaving the door open and putting a few of its favorite treats inside toward the back of the crate or kennel.[4] As as the puppy goes inside to eat the treats, say “kennel” and shut the door gently behind it. After the dog has finished the treats, open the door and give it praise.
    • When you shut the crate and the puppy is quiet, make sure give them lots of praise. This helps the pup learn that being quiet and not whining is a positive way to get attention.
    • Put the puppy's food and favorite toys in the crate, making it a fun environment with positive associations.
  3. Repeat the crate enticement. Do this a few more time over the course of a couple of days gradually lengthening the amount of time the puppy is in there with the door closed. Never let him out if he starts to whine or cry; otherwise he will think that is what gets him out of the crate. Wait for him to be quiet before you spring him from the crate.
  4. Treat the crate nonchalantly when you put the dog in it. When you crate or kennel your puppy when you leave the home, never make a big deal out of it. Give the pup the usual crate or kennel command and walk away as normal. This way the dog won’t associate a bunch of fuss with you leaving the house.
    • Remember to leave them with distraction like a food-stuffed Kong to divert their attention away from being crated.
    • When you return, don't let the puppy out of the crate right away. Do a few things first, and wait until the puppy is being quiet to let them out. This teaches them to be patient as well as removing the direct link between the crate and you leaving the house.
  5. Never use the crate or kennel for punishment or the puppy will resent the crate. Never leave a puppy under two months of age in a crate longer than two hours or under six months of age in a crate or kennel for longer than four hours.[5] They can’t fully control their bladders for more than that time period. As for older dogs, aim to only keep them in their crate for 4 hours. Its cruel to keep them confined for much longer than that time.

Tips

  • Be sure the dog has plenty of chew toys, soft toys, water, and food (if left alone for longer periods).
  • Never give in. Don't reinforce behaviors you want to eradicate by projecting human feelings and emotions onto your puppy. This will only teach the dog that you can be convinced to do whatever it wants.
  • If you are very frustrated and just want the puppy or dog to be quiet quickly (and there may be times when you will want this), do not yell at the dog, but try giving a sudden noise. Such as a firm but gentle "tch!" This will hush the puppy or dog by telling them that you are the boss and you need it to be quiet.
  • If your dog whines and yelps throughout the night, try a sound pillow, like the Conair Sound therapy Pillow from Bed, Bath and Beyond, which mimics a heartbeat noise and has a timer.

Warnings

  • Barking is more prevalent in certain breeds like hounds and terriers. Sometimes you will just have to deal with a certain level of noise.
  • Yelling at the dog as it barks or whines is the worst thing you can do. The dog doesn't understand your words, only the tone and energy are giving off, and to it you are barking yourself, making it okay for the dog to do it as well.
  • If these techniques do not work and your puppy is destructive of your property, you will need to consult an animal behavior expert to help you and your puppy.
  • Never hit a dog because that will teach it to be mean and aggressive.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/how-stuff-kong-toy
  2. ↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/separation_anxiety.html?credit=web_hpfs3_separation_anxiety_090115
  3. ↑ http://pets.webmd.com/features/pet-pheromone-products-for-behavior-problems?page=2
  4. ↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/crate_training.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
  5. ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/weekend-crate-training
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