apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

It will get better! I found the best solution for my golden puppy was to just put him in the crate and leave and let him cry it out. It took about 2 weeks, but since then he loves his crate and goes in happily without complaint.

You might have to try a different kind of crate. We had one of those hard plastic ones and our Gordon setter HATED it. She would cry and cry. Then my parents picked up a wire crate for her for their house and the first time we visited them, she immediately went into the crate, we shut the door and she happily went to sleep. no crying.

My theory is that with the hard plastic ones they can't see anything. The wire ones let them look around, see what's going on, etc.

Just a thought.

I highly recommend "Calling All Pets," fabulous radio show about animal behaviour. You can find a lot of info and podcasts of previous episodes on the site:
http://www.wpr.org/pets/

This is exactly the type of question they deal with all the time.

Where is the crate in the house? When crate training my dog I kept the crate near my bed and he went in it every night. Now he goes into the crate on his own to nap.

If the crate is somewhere far from you where he can't see you that could be part of the problem at this stage.

BTW, what a cute puppy - that pic of the two of them is so adorable.

I agree with Kathie. When my dog was a puppy, she was also crate trained. Throwing a sheet over the crate helped a lot. It was like she had her own room as opposed to her feeling like she was in a cage. Good luck! Your dogs are the cutest.

I didn't crate train my puppy, but did something similar by putting him in our spare room (the puppy play room!) while out of the house (never more than 4-5 hours for several months, now 7h max per day). The room we use is a small bedroom that is pretty empty besides a futon and dog stuff like a blanket, a few toys, water bowl, etc. It has a window and we usually leave a radio on at a low volume to drown out background noise from the street.

Anyway, for a few months (3? 4?), after closing our pup in the room and saying goodbye, he would *freak out* - cry, bark, scratch at the door, jump against the walls, and he chewed a fairly big hole in the solid wood door. I called my vet for advice, considered getting an animal behaviouralist to come visit, wondered if I was traumatising my poor pup...

In the end, it just took time. He still doesn't like being left at home, but he's fine - no complaints, no damage (to walls, furniture) when I get home. We just stuck to a routine, made sure he was comfortable, and he adjusted.

Tips:
- Leave her a treat-filled Kong to work at while in the crate.
- Can she see your older dog? Try different crate positions (near the other crate, in another room... etc.).
- Practice several short crate times (5 min, 10 min) throughout the day so she knows it's not permanent.
-Make sure you're not leaving her so long that she needs to urinate (puppies have very small bladders).
- Lots of exercise to tire her out.
- Patience...

Good luck!

Sounds like Nan and our second pup, Maple, could be best friends. Maple was also a screamer and we live in a complex with thin walls so we couldn't just let her go. But after a destroyed couch and several shoes lost to the cause, we were at our wits end. We ended up "crating" her but in one of those portable fence contraptions. So she's enclosed but doesn't have anything over her (which seems to be the impetus for the wailing.) This has worked beautifully. And it's easy to fold up and stash when guests are over.

I agree with arza's tips, especially the short practice crate times, just make sure that the puppy is not crying when you let her out. If you let her out when she's crying she will very quickly learn that crying it the way to get herself out.
Our second dog was harder to potty and crate train than our first dog, but even though it took longer he got it.
hang in there!!

There are some very good suggestions here already, but I just wanted to second the suggestion for covering the crate with a sheet and giving your dog a kong when she goes in the crate. You can get very elaborate with how you fill your kongs. I find that a mix of kibble and peanut butter works really well, and you can freeze it to make sure that it takes your dog a while to get all of the filling out.

I also recommend feeding your dog in the crate. I've found that that works wonders for getting the dog excited about going in the crate.

Our puppy whined and screamed in her crate at night until we HAD to let her out! We just kept letting her out and would crate her when we would leave the house. Also, what saved us from any accidents was that we put a little cow bell on a banana tree near the door for her to ring. We took her paw and rung the bell everytime we took her outside. She still uses it today and it's worked out great.

Another thing we did so that our two dogs wouldn't rough house indoors was to have a squirt bottle with water. For some reason they hate this and we never actually have to use it, just hold it up- this also stopped the puppy nipping at our legs!

Good luck - and what a cute puppy you have!

my sister's sheltie doesn't mind going in his crate at all,and will eagerly go in on his own, but if he's in there and he knows you're still in the house, he starts howling. Like if you put him in since you were leaving but forgot to do something which takes 10 minutes or so before you leave for real, his crate is in a room with the door shut, but somehow he knows and the howling starts. it's been like this for years no. you don't hear a peep out of her other dog...

so there's always the chance it might not get better.

It seems like she might be missing Herbie when she's in the crate.

in the 10 months since getting our dog from the shelter (and granted, she was a year old), the things that have helped her embrace her crate more are:

- having pillows in there to lay on (i used old couch pillows that i didn't care if she tore up, and an old body pillow) so that it feels more like a bed
- having a stuffed animal of her own- for some reason all the dogs i've had have loved their own stuffed animal
- covering the crate with a blanket when it's quiet time. i think this helps our dog a) not feel left out if we're still in the room or moving around, b) feel like it's more of a sanctuary and calming from other stimuli and c) stay quiet!

i hope this helps.

People have posted a lot of good suggestions. I'd like to second Kathie in Chicago's idea about getting a different kind of crate. My dog (who was also a screamer) HATED the plastic crate, but adapted well to the wire kind, camouflaged with an IKEA tablecloth.

I tried a few different things, like baby-gating him into the laundry room, which had a bed and treat balls. It worked fine until he figured out he could climb it. But it might be an option for your puppy (who is incredibly cute), at least for now, if you have a tiled area like a bathroom where you'd be OK leaving her.

Take the crate training really slow, a few minutes at a time at first, with a ton of praise and small treats. Stay by the crate to reassure her the first few times. Feed the puppy in or at least next to the crate to create a good association. And experiment with its location. I didn't try the clock, but I got a small rubber radio for Owen, in case your puppy is more comfortable with the hum of human voices rather than ticking.

Arza's idea of a Kong is definitely worth trying. Fill it with peanut butter to keep her interested. The teacher at Owen's dog school recommended feeding dogs their meals and snacks in treat balls (hollow plastic balls with small openings) to keep them busy.

And, not to discourage you, but some dogs just never take to the crate. My other dog, Henry, loathes confinement in a crate with all of his small, hairy being. But he's fine in a bedroom, chilling under the bed, with the door closed.

How old is your pup? They enter into a fear phase around 2 months that is seriously the death of all things. Our dog was the same, screamed and screamed in his crate (even though we did everything right) for quite awhile, even his x-pen. We live in an apartment and dropped notes on all of our neighbors doors, letting them know we had a new pup and that if his wails were bothersome to please give us a call or knock on our door. We found that (a) putting a blanket over his entire crate helped (maybe because he can't see out) and that (b) eventually, after doing that long enough, he just adjusted. I know it's hard, but it will get better with him eventually. He just needs to get use to being without mom and dad, and learn to like the crate.

Looking back, I think we learned something in dog training that really helped us with crate training our puppy. It was part of basic obedience for puppies when she was about 4 months old.

Even if the door of the crate is open, she is not allowed out until we give a verbal command. In her case, it's "Free Dog!". (That's her general "freedom" command - for instance, we put a bowl of food in front of her and tell her to "Leave it." until the "Free Dog!" command. You have to create lots of excitement and joy with the free commands initially because it's not a treat based system.)

To achieve this, we would open the crate door and if she started to step out we had to nudge the crate door into her face. We didn't have to slam the door or even make it really hit our dog and she's pretty stubborn. It just had to touch her and she would step back away from it. When she stopped trying to walk out on her own, we gave the "Free Dog!" and lots of love. I had two concerns with this method: a) I didn't want to cause some fear of the crate and b) I'm not interested in hurting my dog. Neither of those things happened. It simply taught her that she will stay in the crate until we let her out. We also use this method for going outside and crossing streets (except it's a sit/stay with no door nudge) for her safety. Now, if the door is open, she just goes to it and sits but makes no effort to go outside.

We also stopped giving food and treats outside of the crate for a few months. That was easy for us because we used a verbal/physical reward system rather than a treat based one for everything except the crate.

I would also try letting her know that you're unhappy with the whining. A "shh" or "hey" may work but watch closely because she has to understand that it's a reprimand. If she just sees it as attention, it will become reinforcement and you don't want that.

Like Herbie, our first dog was a dream. He was crate and house trained almost instantly it seemed. We foolishly thought we were just so good at it that we could handle another dog with no problem. We were wrong. Hiring a dog trainer to work with us was our answer, it may be for you also.

And one more thing, you absolutely cannot feel guilty for putting her in the crate. It's for her safety and she needs a place to be quiet and still. Do not feel guilty because she will exploit your guilt. Dogs are great manipulators. Fortunately, they're also great cuddlers so they get a pass.

You mentioned that the dogs only go in their crates when you leave or take a nap. She has probably begun to associate the crate with having to be apart from you. My 3-year-old lab will sleep in her crate all the time when I'm around, but when I get ready to leave, she doesn't want anything to do with it since she knows that going in means that she's going to be alone for awhile.

I would practice putting her in the crate for a few minutes at a time when you can sit with her. Pet her through the bars, give her some treats, lots of praise if she's being quiet. Gradually increase the amount of time she spends in it with you around so that she doesn't immediately associate crate time with lonely time.

I have three little ones and the only way I got through crate training was with lots of food.


Kongs full of peanut butter
plastic water bottles with snausages in them
even small bags of food that they need to fuss with to open.
These all work great to occupy. Your pup is just bored.

This is a live animal we're talking about, I am seriously shocked that so many people stick their dogs in little boxes and walk away and are annoyed and surprised that they are screaming.

If you have to crate your dog it shouldn't be for more than 2 - 3 hours MAX. Any more than that is cruelty.

I don't really want to get into the great crate debate but the post states that the puppy cries after 20 seconds of being in there.

Most of my suggestions have been mentioned in one form or another already, but they are worth repeating:
The puppy should be in the crate unless someone is physically watching her. Eyeballs focused solely on the pup, not washing dishes and keeping an eye on her. Someone else mentioned that she shouldn't associate the crate with you leaving. They're right.

It might help to have the crate near you (or your bed, whatever) or to put a piece of clothing (something you don't mind being destroyed) in the crate with her. If it is too big and carpets the crate, she will be able to pee on it and push it out of the way.

I definitely recommend feeding her in it or even just giving her treats in the kennel. Get a Kong toy and some peanut butter. I don't know how big her snout is, but mine go crazy over an empty jar of peanut butter or jelly.

I know it's ridiculously hard, but don't reward the shrieking by giving her your attention or talking to her and trying to calm her down or letting her out (I mean letting her out to play. If you respond to her whining by taking her out to pee and nothing else, that's great). It reinforces the whining. I hate this part of puppy training, but they get over it if you make them.

Good luck! Keep us updated.

I haven't read all the comments, so sorry if I repeat things, but:

1. Put her in her crate, roll her over on her back, and spread some peanut butter between the pads of her dear little feet. She'll be busy for some time. (Kongs are probably to big and hard for her at this point.)

2. Fill a hot water bottle with very warm water, wrap it up in something you've worn but not washed, and put it in the crate with her. If you have a non-electric clock that ticks loudly, wrap that in with the hot water bottle.

3. Give her to me.

My boyfriend recently got a new puppy. He is crating her at night, taking her out a couple times a night for a bathroom break. Like your puppy, at first she wouldn't stay in there for even a minute without screaming and wailing... We started giving her a Kong stuffed with yogurt or dog biscuits and that would keep her occupied and quiet for 20 minutes... just long enough for us to fall asleep before she started wailing again. So finally (still giving her the Kong too) we put her crate on top of two stacked trunks right beside the bed (you could probably use a table) so she could see us and smell us right nearby. As soon as she would start to scream, bf would reach over and poke his fingers through the wires of the crate just to let her know he was still there and she would quiet down and sleep peacefully through most of the night. We are now gradually moving the crate further from the bed and closer to the floor each night and she seems to be taking this pretty well. Hopefully the crate will soon be back on the ground in the corner where it will stay permanently.

I've got two hellions and they are like night and day in personality. You'll probably have to try quite a few things before you find what works best for the littlin'. I highly recommend long walks or attendance at a dog park to tire the puppy out, as well as treat filled Kongs before you put the puppy in the kennel. Frozen peanut butter or broken up milk bones keep my dogs occupied for quite a while. And perhaps moving the kennel to where the pup can see you while she's in there, til she gets more comfortable and used to the crate. You've definately done the right thing by not going to fetch her out of the crate everytime she starts whining!

I'm with MirandaJay on this one. Personally I never knew people would even consider crating their pets except on flights.
Why can't they be free? Why have an animal that has to be caged when it is inconvenient for you? That only has freedom when you're in the mood for them?

Crate training is a good way to work with your dog and to keep them safe when you aren't able to watch them. It's the best method to do this. They scream not because they are in a cage, but because they can no longer see their people...you leaving, etc, etc. There are many things a puppy can get into when they are not supervised. MOST dogs feel very secure in crates and many willingly go into theirs because it is their space and their space only--it's a safe haven for them...thing of how foxes and other dog relatives exist in the wild...they live and sleep in small dens. It's certainly not cruel unless you leave them in there for hours upon hours upon hours.

My westie, now a year old, used to cry in his crate too, he responded well when I put him next to my bed and covered his crate with a sheet. Now that he is a little more than a year old he gets a Kong usually filled with his kibble before I leave and he excitedly runs into his crate. Many times when I come home I find him peacefully sleeping, he doesn't even wake up when I open his crate door, he now knows that it is his safe little den. Good luck with your new puppy!

I think Nan is about to teach you a big life lesson.

I had a similar issue, nine years ago when I got my dog. I read all the books on crate training and knew the Best Thing To Do, and obviously it was crate training, because as you're reading here, crate training works for most people. From the moment she’d go in the crate, she start crying. Just like you, I did exactly as I was supposed to: all the right comfort items, frequent walks, and a conscience of steel—no self doubt because I KNEW I was doing the right thing. Meanwhile, she could cry steadily for two 4-hour sessions; a tape recorder and our neighbors confirmed this. Moreover, she’d work herself into such a frenzy that she would frequently vomit on herself. I was bathing her every other day. After two weeks of her non-stop crying, I went to a vet who told me: she’ll get the hang of it, just keep trying. Don’t back out now. So I kept going. A few weeks later, I contacted an animal trainer, who said the same: she’ll adjust eventually. I put us through this torture for about ten weeks. Then I gave up. I puppy-proofed the bathroom and gave her free reign of that space. Within days, she settled into a routine which involved much sleeping and very little barking. Nine years later, she still suffers from a degree of separation anxiety, and that’s something we’ve come to live with. But the underlying issue was an absolute terror of being enclosed in small spaces; the separation anxiety only magnified the problem. I still regret not stopping sooner; my gut was telling me I was doing the wrong thing, but since all the experts agreed, well, I did what they told me. And probably exacerbated the problem along the way.

So my advice is this: Give Nan a little more time with the crate—she’s going through a period of adjustment, after all. But recognize that some dogs never adjust to standard crate training. Throw away all the advice from other pet owners, books, and experts, and start searching for a solution that will work for YOU. Maybe Nan would like the bathroom over a crate; it worked for my dog. Maybe Nan would be happier if she was with your other dog. Could you put up an X-pen that would confine them together? Maybe some medication would help her relax—we tried prescriptions for both Clomicalm and Prozac, and while neither worked for our dog, maybe they would for yours. And finally, I’ll suggest another option that will surely meet with disfavor here: When we leave her home alone, we use a bark collar on our dog. Yes. It was certainly the most heartbreaking experience in my years of pet ownership, to strap that thing on her neck and watch her shock herself the first time. But you know what? She knows that when that collar is on, she can’t bark. And so she curls up and falls asleep. For her, that breaks the cycle of stress-bark-stress-bark. We return home to a happy, healthy dog. Without the bark collar, she will bark for up to SIX HOURS straight. It makes her physically ill, and our landlady (who lives upstairs) was ready to evict us.

This is what worked for us. It was a long road, but we’ve found something that works for us. It’s quite possible that you and Nan may have to experiment to find a method that works for you.

Canines in the wild also have crates - there they are called dens. Crates are not cruel. They are just about the most natural thing in the world to a dog, but sometimes puppies get upset when they are confined if they have some sort of previous trauma or if they are super clingy. My dog wailed like crazy when I first put her in her crate as a 4-month old puppy. She wanted to be next to me at ALL times! But now she's 9 years old and goes in their voluntarily - to rest or chew her bone or escape from the vacuum cleaner.

Dogs need a safe place to call their own.

MirandaJoy had a good point about the length of time you put your dog in the crate though. My general rule of thumb is max 4 hours when I'm away from home. Overnight is ok if you are around, and can hear the pup scratch to be let out.

When my dog was a puppy, I would go home from work during lunch and let her out of the crate, play with her for an hour, then go back to work. That's how it's possible to housebreak a dog (or keep it from chewing everything in sight) when you have a 9-5 job. Granted, you can't live over 10 miles from work if you are going to do that. If you give your dogs enough exercise, they will be tired when they return to the crate and will sleep while they are in there - and you want your dogs to learn the habit of sleeping while you are at work! :-)

I know some neighbors who have told me they keep their dogs in the crate all day while they are at work. And that seems way to long IMHO.

Our second dog did the same thing. He was inconsolable. The only thing that worked was to cover the crate with an open weave blanket (open enough that air could circulate, but still difficult for him to see out of). We would also rest a pillow against the front door/gate. Again, same thing. The pillow was angled in such a way that he couldn't see us, but plenty of air was going in and out.

Once it was nice and dark and cozy he would fall right to sleep. He still would cry a bit, but no more than a few minutes. After a while, the blanket and pillow weren't necessary and he associated crating with nap/quiet time.

Both of our dogs were scared of the crate in the beginning. Our oldest was severly abused before we got him (owner were prosecuted) and he had heartworms. Treatment for those required that he be crate confined for 2 months - and he didn't much like it originally. So, for the first week or two, I slept on the couch with a squirt gun of water. Every time he cried, he got squirted. He finally figured out that crying was a bad thing, calmed down and got better. We continued to crate him after his treatment for another 6 months as he learned the rules of civilized society... and eventually, he started sleeping wherever he wanted. Usually, even when he had a choice, it was still in the crate.

Our second dog was also a rescue who was left in the crate for around 18-20 hours a day. (This is excessive - 6-8 hours for an adult dog is not.) She ended up being severly afraid of the crate - not a surprise, but an issue. She was also an escape artist and we were concerned about leaving her unattended in the yard... so tried crating her. In all of the years, with over 30 dogs (fosters) going through this crate, she's the only one who ever did it damage. We tried the squirt gun, the short trips out... nothing worked. I started feeding all of her meals in the crate, leaving hidden food in the blankets in there... Her fear subsided and after about two months, she started going into the crate on her own even when we were in the room. She's fine now, though I still don't leave her in there if we're not home. She did learn about the electric wire in the fenced yard and so hasn't so far managed an escape... yet.

And, as to the people who don't have dogs who wonder why crate? If left unattended, our second dog would quickly get into trouble with the trash, shoes... something when we are asleep. She did it once...

My suggestion? Feed her in the crate. Leave treats in there when she's not around - make it a happy place full of surprises. And - if all else fails - bark collars are an owners best friend. They work and even Cesear has used them before...

I'd just add that leaving a dog in a room by itself is a really bad idea. We had a dog that not only destroyed a pressboard door, but ate her way through the garage door. If a dog doesn't want to be shut in, it will do everything in its power to get out. Especially a smart dog like a malamute. In addition to costly repairs, it can be really bad for the dog's teeth, gums, and digestive track to eat construction materials.

Crate-training is the best thing we ever did for our pup--and, yes, it's not easy at first. Please don't be swayed by any nay-sayers (especially those who have obviously never owned a dog!). As our dog has gotten older and had more medical problems--first back problems, then he needed leg surgery--crate-training or some other method of confinement for 2 whole months was an absolute *necessity* for healing, according to our vet. If our dog hadn't already been crate-trained, imagine how traumatic it would have been to start from scratch, and while he was recovering from an operation!

I think there are some great suggestions above--what worked for us was switching to a different kind of crate (wire instead of plastic), and crating sometimes when we were just hanging out in the same room (not just when we were leaving the apartment).

well, for one, ask your vet.

the problem is they want attention. so, you're going to have to leave her alone for awhile. let her know it's not the end of the world. don't respond. don't even look at her. if a dog doens't learn to be alone, they will get worse.

make sure the crate is warm enough & comfy. make sure it doesn't smell weird.

as bagatelle, i'm also quite shocked to see that putting dogs in a crate when the owners are not at home seems a common habit in the States ! Don't try this in most european countries, the animal protection will interfere right away !

"I'd just add that leaving a dog in a room by itself is a really bad idea."

As posted above, this is what I do with my dog (for ~5h per day during the week). It's for his own safety. It keeps him out of the plants, keeps him from chewing on wires, shoes, prevents him from getting into cupboards and getting into cleaning supplies... etc. Our home is pretty clean and spare but it's very difficult to puppy-proof an entire house, as opposed to one room or one area of the home.

The other thing I've learned as our dog gets older (1 year now) is that if we're going out for a short period and give him free run of the house alone, he gets scared. His own room provides much more comfort to him and he's visibly happier to be left there. Take it for what you will but I prefer to come home to a safe, happy dog rather than one who's destroyed the sofa cushions out of anxiety.

I'm with MirandaJay and Bagatelle on this issue

There is no good reason to crate a dog except for the convenience of the owners

Why on earth are you having dogs if you're not at home to look after them? - someone who works full-time and is out of the house for the majority of the day should not own a dog

Dogs need to have company - they need to have their pack around them at all times - leaving them alone all day drives them barmy!!!

"Canines in the wild also have crates - there they are called dens."
- which do not have loackable doors - they can leave them at any time

"And, as to the people who don't have dogs who wonder why crate? If left unattended, our second dog would quickly get into trouble with the trash, shoes... something when we are asleep. She did it once..."

We have had plenty of dogs and have NEVER crated any of them - and as for making a mess once - would you put a child in a cage after the first time it was naughty????

When you have a new puppy/dog you need to animal-proof the house (just as you would if you had a new baby but obviously in different ways) and then train them not to chew/make a mess etc - not just train them to sit in a cage all day

I must admit when I read the post with the cute picture of the two sleeping dogs I had no idea what sort of crate you were referring to. I thought the dog must have done something wrong and was being punished. Having read the other messages I can see this is normal practice in the States.

I live in the UK and have several friends who have dogs and none of them are kept in crates when the owners are away from home. Most of my friends who own dogs live with family or friends so the dogs are not alone for more than a few hours a day. However, one friend lives alone and does own a dog. He goes to work each day. The dog pretty much sleeps for most of the day in his own basket in the hall or in the bedroom in the winter and in the garden in the summer and can walk around two or three rooms in the flat whenever he wants to.

None of my friends would dream of keeping their dogs in a crate for hours each day. They all had problems at first with chewed up shoes and constant barking but this was soon resolved with training, the right toys and food....and patience.

I love dogs and would love to have one someday but my husband and I both work all day and I would feel guilty leaving a dog alone all day in my house let alone locked in a crate. How big are these crates anyway? I will stick with my cat for now who can pretty much fend for himself when we go to work.

While I don't tend to leave my crew in crates when we are out, crate training is a widely used potty training method hinged on the (kind of gross, but effective) idea that an animal will not sleep or sit on its own refuse. After a few weeks it gets the idea to wait till the owner is home to go for a walk, or you slowly move the WeeWee pads out of the crate, into the house, by the backdoor, and the same idea follows.

However, this is a practice that can last from two weeks to two months depending on the animal.

Looking at little Nan in the photo, I'm guessing this is what our poster is using the crate for, not just for kicks and giggles while they are sitting home.

Oh- to the poster:

It's also suggested that you leave the crate open when the dog isn't using it, place a few toys, or even food in there to make it more like a rest area and less like a punishment.

Keep trying and be patient.

A few things that worked for crate training Isaac:
making going into the crate fun by luring him in there with treats, toys and praise.
putting very special, crate only, treats in there when he isn't looking to find on his own (this may be tricky with 2 dogs, Herbie might nab the treat first).
making sure the crate isn't to big (or too small). Really he only needs enough room to stand up, turn around and lay back down.
changing toys *every*time he goes in there. He will never know what to expect.
Isaac is a chewer, he has destroyed many blankets and plush toys, so those are no longer in the crate with him. I think he will play with whatever is in there, so I keep it to nyla-bones and Kongs
that said, he always gets a Kong with kibble and peanut butter (or soft puppy food), always always always. He will watch me put it together each morning and do this little dance. I say "go to your house" and he sprints to his crate and will wait until I get there.
I have used the same techniques for getting him to stay on his bed.
I ignore him once he is in the crate. I say good-bye when I close the door and leave immediately.
I leave a radio on, tuned to a talk station.
best of luck
very Cute dogs!

Thanks everyone for your comments and tips! I've been using the peanut butter plus kibble in a Kong these past few days, and Nan LOVES it. She's been doing great at night, but definitely wails during the day (although I have discovered that she is a big fan of old school Whitney Houston.) One tip that some of you mentioned that really worked was feeding her in her crate--she hops in there to eat and then will lay down for a few minutes in a food coma.

Herbie hasn't warmed up to her at all--they have been battling it out every other hour. But I think give a few more days (or weeks?), they'll be thick as thieves...right? ;)

I've read this with great interest because I am going to be getting my first dog this year and this is one issue with which I would be very concerned. The crying would break my heart, but what to do? Thanks to those who have posted ideas and suggestions, I now have some answers.

I hope it's not a stupid question to ask if you have ever heard of Cesar Millan? He is a very knowledgeable, intuitive, and compassionate expert dog trainer/therapist who has a TV show called "The Dog Whisperer" (National Geographic channel). I only recently heard of this guy and he is so inspiring in his success at helping a different "problem" dog each episode. This forum prompted me to look up his website for you (where I found out he's written a couple of books as well) & here's a snippet that might help steer things in the right direction http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/tips/issues_separation.php. He stresses calm and assertive energy and the principle that you are the pack leader; it's not mean to be very firm about being the one in charge.

I apologize if this is contribution is redundant or not specific enough; I just really felt compelled to add this at least as a general resource because--and this is just my own personal endorsement--I have become a big fan of Cesar and truly believe you couldn't go wrong with anything he says.

Best of luck.