We recently got a 9-10 month pitt/lab mix (male rescue) to buddy up to our 2yr APBT (female rescue). He's a sweet guy for sure and eager to please, easy to train, etc. but his exceptional youthful vigor is often a gigantic pain in the ass. While the pitt is mature enough to let roam in the house while we're gone, he will chew/eat/destroy anything he can reach if unsupervised so we crate him when we leave or cannot babysit him.

It doesn't matter what we do, if we crate them together or not, but he almost immediately starts screaming and howling and barking and growling and making the most ear-piercing obnoxious noises that I've ever heard come from a dog. And he will. not. stop. Our neighbors probably think we are torturing him.

We don't ever let him out when (or I should say because) he's doing that. We crate him ~15 minutes before we leave and let him out ~15min after we return. We completely ignore him in the crate and don't make a big deal about leaving or returning. Basically, everything you're supposed to do. He gets PLENTY of exercise, is well-fed and allowed to pee/crap beforehand. We've tried calming treats and all kinds of other things but he's just a noisy asshole in a crate.

I'm sure he'll grow out of it eventually but I want to try to mitigate it as much as possible. We have a revolving household and it is intolerable to be inside the house when he is crated. Anyone have any suggestions?

[Edited on November 4, 2012 at 1:18 PM. Reason : http://youtu.be/OI8GlxGrGko]

11/4/2012 1:10:36 PM

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11/4/2012 1:17:36 PM

I've tried all that. Except the crazy skype thing

11/4/2012 1:20:44 PM

This sounds *exactly* like the pitt mix my buddy took in a few months ago. He's probably 8-10 months old now. The dog has destroyed 2 crates so far, so they don't even bother trying to crate him now. They tried a thunder shirt, and he tore that off and shredded it. They've resorted to leaving things out for him to chew/destory, which I think is a bad idea. I can only suggest a training/bark collar, but they aren't willing to do it. If you go that route let me know how it works out.

11/4/2012 1:31:58 PM

Actually, something in jbrick's thread I didn't catch the first time, something about a "no" trick. I've been so preoccupied with ignoring him altogether in the crate that I haven't actually tried vocal discipline.

I'm definitely the alpha in the house, to a hilarious extent actually...sometimes the dogs will be running wild (it can get insane with a 55lb musclebound younger pit combined with a 45lb hyper, rambunctious puppy) and my gf can't get a lid on them without crating, which obviously presents the problem in the OP. As soon as they hear my truck or bike (or all she has to say is "daddy's home") and they dive into their beds with their angel faces as if nothing ever happened.

All that is to say that, as of the making of this thread, giving a loud and stern "NO." from another room when he starts his racket seems to be working remarkably well. I'll report on any continued success or lack thereof.

[Edited on November 4, 2012 at 2:06 PM. Reason : asdf]

11/4/2012 2:03:59 PM

We got a lab pup at about 8mo that has the same feelings about her crate. i tried a couple different things with her initially because she was literally eating her way out of the crate (pulling metal and eating carabiners). I tried zapping her everytime she barked in the crate but that didn't help and i felt bad for her. We moved the crate into the area where we always hang out, feed her in there, treats n shit. we had to put extra security on the crate to keep her from getting out. now she sleeps in it fine and is ok during the day. we put sheets on the top to make it feel like a den for her.

11/4/2012 2:08:45 PM

yeah, we tried most of that. he just hates being separated in any way from us, even if the crate is right next to us. And he will destroy and eat any "comfort" pads or sheets we put within a tongue's reach of the crate, so he's just in there with a kong and a heavy duty chew toy.

glad to hear you got yours figured out though, it's both infuriating and saddening because you feel so bad for them

11/4/2012 2:12:51 PM

drugs.

11/5/2012 4:36:23 PM

I got this thing at Petsmart that everytime my dog barks it lets off a high pitch frequency and she stops barking IMMEDIATELY. My downstairs neighbor told me within a day he hasn't heard her bark at all when I'm gone. She's being crate trained (She shits and pisses everywhere if I dont' crate her). I usually leave a laptop movie on for her streaming while I'm gone, but since I got the no bark machine ($40 at petsmart) I haven't heard a peep, nor have my neighbors

11/5/2012 4:54:48 PM

^ if that doesn't work, shock collar

[Edited on November 5, 2012 at 5:13 PM. Reason : all kidding aside, shock collars can be extremely effective]

11/5/2012 5:12:36 PM

Shock collars can be extremely effective- I used it on my Weim for off-leash training, and would have for training him off the chickens, if he hadn't figured out independently they're not to play with.

Obviously don't turn it up to 10, and use the beep/tone if you need to. My friend has a lab/pit mix he also trained to a shock collar, and all it takes now is for the dog to see the collar to instantly stop acting like an asshole.

11/5/2012 5:55:49 PM

i think we've only used up to level 3 on one of our dogs (she has short fur) and level 4 or 5 on the one that looks like a husky (it was the lowest setting she'd respond to)

they have about the same response that ^ mentioned...we don't keep the collar on either of them and most times it's just seeing the collar to make them stop and when they're at a distance, the beep (from across the yard) will cause either of them to stop immediately

we haven't actually USED the shock function past the initial training (which was extremely fast and required minimal actual shocks)

i shocked myself on level 3, once...it was like touching your tongue to a 9V battery (but a little stronger, obviously)

11/6/2012 9:38:55 AM

We also just got a pitt/lab mix puppy, about 6/7 months old. He barks and cries when crated and left alone, but we've gotten a Kong treat bone (black rubber bone with holes in the ends for treats) for when we leave. Fill it with peanut butter or dog treat 'cheese wiz', freeze it over night, and give it to him when we leave him in the crate for the day. Leaves him content for awhile after we're gone and I imagine he falls asleep soon after.

Repetitions is important for this style of training.

11/6/2012 1:28:41 PM

^doesn't work in new places though. He pitches a fit when I crate him at my brother's house. Doesn't matter what I give him. This dog really hates being alone.

11/10/2012 2:22:06 PM

11/10/2012 4:33:26 PM

First of all, google "crate games" and Susan Garrett. This is a clicker/marker training method used to introduce your dog to the crate, foundation obedience, and proper manners. It also builds up your relationship with him.

Also, if your dog is fearful of the crate or experiencing separating anxiety, DONT USE AN E-COLLAR!!!!! That is horrible advice. You will shut down a sensitive dog. You need to show your dog that the crate is not a scary thing and you need to build up his trust for you. E-collars are meant for more confident/harder dogs in very special circumstances (I'm discluding hunting dogs and military/police dogs). I'm sure you understand that rescues can come with baggage so you are going to have to work with him. This isn't a quick fix.

You can never let your dog out of the crate if he is whining/barking/digging/etc or he will learn that not only does his noise get your attention, but it gets him OUT of the crate too. You have to be 100% consistent. Also, feed him in the crate. Play with him in the crate. And I'll say it again...google crate games.

11/11/2012 6:54:55 AM

My pit mix tore up the house till he was about 1.5 years. Now he is 5 just hangs out all day and is perfect. Oh yea, he's 95lbs and yea he tore up a whole house haha

11/18/2012 11:17:01 PM

Dog people....

Don't you think it is cruel to condone an industry that creates animals that are psychologically incapable of being happy or healthy?

Separation anxiety is bred for because some heartless motherfucker like you in the past thought it was adorable when their slave pet had a panic attack at the prospect of being imprisoned and isolated for an indefinite amount of time.

My grandmother thinks turning on the god damn radio is a solution because somehow the sound of human voices will take away the loneliness.

That dog should be sent to a shelter that will let it live out its natural life with other dogs at your expense. Anything else is cruel and selfish.

11/19/2012 12:06:47 AM