Puppy crate training with separation anxiety?

Question

I have a 5 month old puppy who has separation anxiety. Ever since getting her she has HATED the crate. I've been leaving her locked in my bedroom with our 3 year old dog but she has become distructive and I HAVE to put her in the crate for her own safety. Last time I locked her in the crate though, she was 3 months old, salivated like a water hose, threw up, started to refuse food, shaking, screaming, and chewing the crate door which damaged her puppy canine teeth.

She is not food motivated AT ALL! And she actually rarely eats her meals. Even potty training was really hard because she did would not take a reward and would run from us instead.

So what do I do? How do I help her? She's only alone for 4hrs in a day but she does a lot of damage in that time.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

bathrooms are often the room which has least stuff to chew up as long as you put towels etc out of reach.

You do need something the puppy likes for crate training. Crate training starts out with making positive associations for the dog with the crate. For most dogs its food.

Can  you find anything the dog likes? Games, toys, certain foods she doesn't usually get (e.g. chicken, tuna, peanut butter, green tripe, dried liver, pup peroni are all foods a lot of dogs love, not necessarily in this order.)

Once you figured out an incentive for the dog you can google how to crate train a dog and that will explain the gradual process of making a crate a good place to hang out for a dog. The gradual part is important, you don't close the door of a crate until the dog is comfortable inside.

Anonymous · Answer

dogs do not belong in cages

Horsense · Answer

I used my own Tryptophan on a stray dog that was frightened of the sounds of fireworks (trying to hide under my desk & shaking & whining July 4th ... when it took effect he curled up & went to sleep) . . .

Tryptophan / Nutricalm for Pets
http://www.petplace.com/article/drug-library/library/over-the-counter/tryptophan-nutricalm

Play music  that is designed to calm dogs while you are away from him:

"The Right Music Can Help Pets" 
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2014/03/28/music-healing-effects.aspx#!

This is one of my favorites:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsumMhfK6U8
(8 hour length)

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Puppy crate training with separation anxiety?

3 Answers