Howling when alone
 

Hi all,

My boy is now 9months old and fantastic. We have been crate training him since the day we got him. Whenever we leave him in the crate (savic, 118x76x88cm) we give him a filled Kong toy and a bone filled with frozen Ground pork liver. We can leave him, but once he is done with the kong and bone, he will howl for several hours... We knew this could happen, but would like to know if anyone knows how to make him stop? Every morning I walk him for 45 minutes and he gets to smell everything, then I train obedience or stimulate him some other way for 15 minutes..

It is not a problem with neighbours, but we just want him to sleep and relax while we are away :-)

I hope you can help!

Hi, I hope this could help, as every dog has his own character! first of all, I don't know his behaviour at your arrival! but if he is agitated, maybe it could work!

Generally at the beginning, when I arrived home or I left my dog alone for some time, when he saw me returning, he started crying and howling and to be agitated as he wanted to come close to me the fast as possible (and I know he cried even before my arrival)..
now, I know this is hard to do, it was very hard to me! I simply ignored this behaviour, and as he was in his fence and me out, I made a step back for every cry or howling he did. Step forward when he bacame calm and relaxed. Of course at the beginning the step forward made him very excited, so he restarted cry and howl.. so.. step back again.. you must very patient, but he will learn that your arrival (positive) will be only when he is calm and relaxed. Of course he could be bored sometimes and make some "damage", but at least he will not cry for your absence, because (I think) he will hope that his state of calm will cause your arrival!
when I come home my dog waits for me at 5 meters from the gate and he stay sit or down, because he knows that I will open and enter playing with him only in this state. otherwise he will have to wait more :)
so, if he is agitated at your arrival, never go to him, or you will reinforce this behaviour (agitation = make you go to him).
hope this can help

Hi,

Thanks for your response. He is always calm when we come home and stays calm untill we open the cage, then he gets really excited.. If we come home within a few hours and he is howling, we never go inside, untill he stops howling for a few minutes..