You have just adopted a cute little puppy and you are excited to bring him or her home. You go out and buy the perfect crate, food, bedding, toys, etc. However after your puppy has been in the house for a few hours he starts howling loudly when left alone in his new crate. Your first instinct is to give your pup a hug but this will only make it worse; how do you stop your puppy from crying?
In order to understand how to get a puppy to stop crying in their crate, we need to look at what causes them distress and how they can be helped with these different things that cause them stress.
Make sure the crate is the correct size
A proper sized crate is important to your puppy’s well-being and how they are going to feel within the crate. A too small of a space can cause them to become frustrated, anxious or angry which will result in howling when left alone in their cage.
A crate that is the incorrect size can lead to howling because the pup is not comfortable, they are unable to lie down or sit up and turn around. A crate that is too big will also lead them to use one corner as a bathroom and the other for sleeping which can cause howling when they are left alone in their crate.
A good rule of thumb is that if you have a pup under six months old, get a crate that is two inches taller than your dog at its highest point (neck). You want this height so it will allow your puppy enough room to stand up comfortably but not be able to fully stretch out. If you have an older or larger breed then make sure that there’s about three inches from the floor of the crate all around him before he gets too big.
Make sure it’s a safe space
The crate needs to be kept in an area that is free of any hazards for your puppy. If there are other animals who want to play with them then you may need more than one howl-free zone so that they do not feel threatened by outside forces. You can also howl stop puppies from feeling unsafe if their crate has been placed near another dog on leash since this could make them anxious about staying still.
If possible, try placing the cage somewhere where people walk past often as this will help socialize your pet and make him less afraid of strangers coming into his territory.
Reduce noise levels around the house
Having extra noise around the house could keep his mind busy. A quiet crate helps him to relax. This means that he will be more at ease and not howling. This could then become a positive association with the crate when it is quieter around him, which also helps to stop howling in the crate.
Feed before leaving him in there
It’s important to feed your pup minutes before heading out of town as this will distract his senses from anything else happening there, such as how hungry he may be feeling following a morning walk. Be sure he’s well fed when leaving him in his crate.
Give him a blanket or toy to keep him company
You may also want to try giving your puppy some comfort items like a favorite toy, treats, or chew toys while they are caged up; these can be used as rewards for good behavior (e.g., chewing its bone). This should stop howling caused by boredom because all puppies need to do what comes naturally – chew things!
Place food and water in the crate
Leaving food and water in the crate can help him to tend to his own needs. This is especially important if you plan to leave your dog in a crate when you leave the house.
Put something that smells like you (like a shirt) in there with them
Puppies love familiarity. Having something with a familiar scent in the crate can help them feel more at home. A shirt is a great way to provide your puppy with this feeling. Something like an old shoe gives your puppy a sense of your smell and can be comforting to them.
Look for howling triggers
If you know how they are triggered, look into getting rid of those things or blocking their access to it. For example, if the howling is caused by hunger in a crate situation where food cannot be left inside with them then adjust that accordingly. The same goes for boredom-based howls – find out what causes this as well and remove these trigger items from the dog’s environment until he has stopped crying altogether.
Try soothing noises
In some cases, using calming sounds like white noise (a low-pitched sound) could help stop howling because they may soothe him enough to calm down. This might not work on all dogs but it is worth trying with your puppy. Soothing noises are often used to get puppies to stop howling in their crates.
Schedule more time with them
Another way you can help your puppy stop howling is by spending time with him. This may be difficult if you are a working professional but it’s worth considering what this means for the future because how he behaves now will reflect how he acts later on when he has all-day access to his crate or when alone at home without any company – and that could lead him back into howls as well.
So, while it might be hard right now, try and schedule extra playtimes where possible so that the dog does not feel lonely or abandoned during these periods of separation from you.
Keep it dark, quiet, and not too hot
If you have an adjoining room where your pup can see outside then this could be causing him distress because he wants to go out and explore but cannot do so from inside his crate.
This may also cause barking that becomes more intense as time goes on if there is nothing else happening with your pup besides being left alone for hours on end without any stimulation.
It can be a little hard to gauge how warm your puppy is. If they are panting, shaking, and have moist ears then they might need more warmth. Making their environment as comfortable as possible will help them feel less anxious while caged up.
Leave them alone when they’re sleeping
If they’re sleeping in their crate already then you should wait until they wake up. A puppy can become more anxious if the person does not return to their usual activities and routine after being left in a crate which could lead them to howl or crying for an extended period of time. You can keep your dog in his crate at night.
If your pup is already sleeping then it would be best to leave him alone as he may have just exhausted himself by howling for hours on end while waiting for his owner’s return.
