# Issues with Barking in crate - Could potentially get me evicted..



## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

So a little background (sorry this is long). I work overnights, typically 11pm-7:30am. Since I've had Avery (August 2010) we lived in a house we shared with the landlord (his room was downstairs my room was up). I've switched my hours 3 times since I've had Avery but I've been on nights for almost 1 year at this point. While living there my roommate never complained about Avery barking while crated, except once when drunk. So I've always assumed he was rather quiet during the night...

So this past weekend I moved. I finally found a place that would allow Avery. I had Saturday and Sunday off in hopes of getting Avery used to the place without leaving him alone. 

Here's how the week went:

Monday I was planning on working Avery pretty hard, but I ended up just going to my moms to do laundry where he was able to run free in the backyard. Then I actually went home, put him in the crate did a couple of errands, then came back fed him and took him out. That was it, in the crate for the night and my landlord said she didn't even know he was here Monday.

Tuesday we did less. We had a couple of short walks so he could potty but that was it. Again the landlord didn't hear a sound. 

Wednesday was a rather busy day, Avery went to the vet (that's when they found the mast cell tumor), I left him for a bit, did a few errands then we had a pretty long walk before he ate and I went to work. That night I gave him a kong with peanut butter, left the window open and the fan on. That morning my landlord came out when I got home and said he barked for a couple of minutes when I left and then he barked for about 15 mins in the morning around 7:15am. I figured ok, perhaps he just needs more exercise and more positive crate time.

Well Thursday we went to the parkway and walked and then went to the dog park for nearly 1.5 hrs, then we went to my moms again where he was able to run in the backyard. That night he had a frozen peanut butter kong and I left a fan on for him. Apparently he only barked in the morning that night.

Yesterday I walked Avery 3 times, granted they were not long walks but he was still getting out moving around (this is more walking than I've ever done with Avery mostly because that's how he has to potty-where we lived before had a fenced in yard)...Before I left for work, I turned on a fan and a radio for him and he had a turkey baby food filled frozen kong)...When I went home for lunch at 2:30am I had 11 missed calls from my landlord. Apparently Avery was barking from the moment I left until then (which is about 5 hours), she also said she could hear him "running around" which means he must have been spinning in circles because there is not much room for running in his crate. So I took him with me to work and he sat in the car the rest of the night.

So clearly he is having a hard time adjusting to our new home. I just don't know what to do now. Now every time I leave for work I have to wonder if he will be quiet or not. The bigger issue is my landlord, she clearly can not sleep when he is barking and she says the neighbors will eventually call the cops with a noise complaint. 

I feed Avery in his crate, he has treats in his crate, I never let him out if he is barking and he's basically been in a crate every time he's been alone since he was 4 months old.
Do you guys have any suggestions? In the meantime, I am trying to find a daytime job, but not having much luck in that area...


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## brandypup (Jan 23, 2012)

Extra exercsie helps my dogs stop barking in the crate. They are genneraly pretty good but every now and then they get pent up anxeity or energy that needs a really long good walk. Genneraly fixes them. Or if I am lazy I take them to doggie day care.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

That's what I was thinking too, but this week on the days he should have been exhausted he still barked.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

oh geez, i honestly have no idea what could remedy this... my apbt had terrible separation anxiety, my boy now doesn't mind being crated or anything for that matter so i haven't had to work on this much at all recently... Like Bandy said..there is a possibility that more exercise could help, i'm sure if he's too tired to spin in circles in his crate, he might be better :tongue: have you tried really working Avery to the point of being close to exhausted?


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

Tobi said:


> have you tried really working Avery to the point of being close to exhausted?


Does this exist? LOL

I think he could spend an entire day at daycare and then go for a 2 mile (or more) run. He never ever acts tired.

I am not sure about your dogs, but for Avery a day at the vet is very very stressful, he generally doesn't like new people (although he did great Wednesday no barking at anyone), but you could tell he was anxious and uncomfortable the entire time. Then we went for a walk after. I thought for sure he would be shot after that day, but nope that's when the barking started.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

Would covering his crate help? Mine rarely bark but covering the crate seems to help when Lola does bark.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

I did cover it last night and the night before, I left the front open because I was worried about air circulation, but I could cover the whole thing.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

I would cover the whole thing while home. Open the door, shut the door without leaving and wait for about 10 minutes. Just to check and see if Avery barks.

Bridget can walk 2 million miles but the trick is to work her mind and body at once. Run and play intermixed with obedience training. Or keeping up and staying beside the bike. The Kong is great but you might want to give some food puzzles. Just trying to throw out suggestions for you.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

What Tyrone suggested is what we used for Dude. Our front door has a very distinct sound so we would open it and the screen and close it. Dude would bark and we would address it. He no longer barks for more than a minute or two.

Buck is a different story.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

Ok officially having a heart attack. Just left him for the first time since his little episode. Last night he stayed at my parents with zero issues.

Today I tried to work him as hard as I could. We rollerbladed to the dog park prob a 1/4 of a mile, then he played at the dog park, we rollerbladed back and then played with the flirt pole for 10-15 mins...hopefully that tired him out a bit. I wish I could do more but it was hot today and I start feeling guilty that I might have been pushing him too hard..


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

lauren43 said:


> Does this exist? LOL
> 
> I think he could spend an entire day at daycare and then go for a 2 mile (or more) run. He never ever acts tired.
> 
> I am not sure about your dogs, but for Avery a day at the vet is very very stressful, he generally doesn't like new people (although he did great Wednesday no barking at anyone), but you could tell he was anxious and uncomfortable the entire time. Then we went for a walk after. I thought for sure he would be shot after that day, but nope that's when the barking started.


it does exist because my apbt that i had zoey would be there pretty consistently... i ran her for about 6 miles every night, doing a 9min mile... i then ran her up and down the stairs with a lazer pointer, played with the flirt for about 40 min, and i would do this in 100 degree weather. it's not too hot as long as you let your dog stay hydrated. I will work a dog to the point that they yearn for going to sleep at night. They love it... i can tell you that when we grab the keys now after i've put Tobi through his paces in the mountains he still gets crazy excited for that work. keep it exciting for them, keep praising them, and they will never stop pleasing you.

Zoey had horrible attachment issues, and that remedied it a great bit... she was far to tired to lay in there howling.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

Flirt pole for 40 mins?? Holy moly, don't you get dizzy. I must be doing it wrong.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

I know what you're going through. Its stressful. When I first got Ruby as a puppy she was a really bad barker. She would bark for a few hours whenever anyone left home. We didnt crate her, we put her in a playpen in my bedroom so she could walk around and be comfortable. But, when I would get home, the playpen would be moved and it would be a total disaster. It took her until she was 5 months old for her to stop with the barking. We had sooo many noise complaints from neighbours (I live in an apartment building) and there were actually a few neighbours who were petitioning for us to be evicted. 

The one thing that I found to help though, was to act like its not a big deal when you leave or come home. Which is what we started doing around the time she was 4 months old. 10 minutes or so before leaving the house we completely ignored her, didnt look at her or talk to her, and coming home we wouldnt look at her or talk to her for about 10 minutes too. So she wouldnt get over excited with us coming and going.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

lauren43 said:


> Flirt pole for 40 mins?? Holy moly, don't you get dizzy. I must be doing it wrong.


I use a whip for mine so it's about 16 feet long total, 8' stick, 8' line, with a flirt at the end, so i can move it side to side as well so they spring left to right, round in circles etc. i don't go in circles lol well, sometimes, but i have to be careful i don't make him bash into anything again.. so i don't spin. To make sure they stay interested let him catch it often as well, and big praise for catching it and "killing" it.


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

Sounds like he needs a job, some type of training to work his mind since you are physically exhausting him. He likes his kong right. Teach him to search for it on his walks. If you have a wooded area teach him in a wooded area. I found that when a dog has a job and uses his mind they will get rest while away.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

Chocx2 said:


> Sounds like he needs a job, some type of training to work his mind since you are physically exhausting him. He likes his kong right. Teach him to search for it on his walks. If you have a wooded area teach him in a wooded area. I found that when a dog has a job and uses his mind they will get rest while away.


Good idea. Though I may have to just play in the house. We were doing agility every Monday since October but finances would not allow me to continue.

While I agree he needs more exercise and more mind work I also think he is having a hard time adjusting to the new surroundings. Lots and lots going on right now, I am dreading the days after his surgery because I'm sure they are going to want him to be low key for a couple of days and I think it will drive both of us batty!!


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## werecatrising (Oct 15, 2010)

You are right to worry about Avery overheating. You'd be amazed at the amount of dogs that come in every year at the start of the warmer weather over heated. Last summer we had a dog come in after bicycling with the owner. They made sure the dog was well hydrated and thought he'd be fine. The poor dog winded up in massive organ failure and couldn't be saved.


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