Last night was the first night in her crate. I put my shirt in there with her and a couple of toys. Does anyone know of some other tricks so she won't cry or cry less and not soooooo loud?

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Mary

I have heard a water bottle helps (we used to use an old dish soap bottle in a sock) because it's warm and they are used to snuggling with their mom. And, a wind up clock (turn the alarm OFF!!) It ticks and sounds like their mom's heartbeat.

How old is she? Our puppy whined and whined the first couple nights, but then got used to it after a couple of days. Remember (if she is really young) she may need to be let out in the middle of the night too. If you are doing that, and she is going, then I would say she will stop the "where is everyone whining" shortly.

We just went through this in July. Our puppy was just 8 wks old when we got him...it took about about 2 nights for him to quiet down, and about 2 weeks of me getting up at least once in the middle of the night to let him out.

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I'm not sure there are any tricks, other than the tricky thing we call TIME. She will get used to being in her crate faster than you think. But you can NOT take her out when she cries, (or he??) or she will get used to that, and learn that she can cry and you will take her out. You didn't say you had taken her out when she cries, but just a for-warning! Suffer through it for a few days and she will be fine!! What puppy did you get???

We got a fawn puggle(pug/beagle) she is 6 weeks old and her name is Miley. I haven't taken her out of her crate when she cries. This morning I put in her crate when I took ds to school. She cried before we left, when I got home she was sleeping :happy dance:

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Mary

That's it!! They cry themselves to sleep like children.....she will get in a routine and will be fine....when we got our lab when she was a puppy (and before we had a house with a yard, but a townhouse and she had to stay in!) She cried until we put her on the bed...bad idea. Then she cried when we moved and she was now outside (a month later), but got used to it because she had our other dog out there, and he wasn't crying, so she quit. Sweet babies, I love nothing more than a good sweet warm puppy! I'm such a sap with pups. love em all.

My dad used a stuffed animal that look simular to the Momma dog, and would always keep it in the crate with the puppy. Or if you can find one of those used teddy bears that make those maternal heartbeat sounds to soothe newborn children, that might work at night too.

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"Go on, get outside, get the stink blown off ya!!"

We have a stuffed puppy bed, a blankie (he likes to dig himself in), make sure he doesn't have to go "outside" and do his duties, make sure he has food/water and some kind of a chewy toy.

If he is still crying....my husband started saying--stop it puppy (yeah, he's a real prize) and it just reinforces the behavior....

What we did was just put a blanket over his crate--it helped him relax and not have so much stimulation--he does great now.

We have a mini- doxie and have had him for about 5 weeks?

He's the one in my picture--you can't see it, but he has his tounge fiipped up, very cute little fellow.

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Mom to: Andrew-11, Megan- 9, Nathan-7, Nicholas-5 & Amanda-2
Married to Ken (by biggest child) for 14 years!

This is exactly what I was going to say. It's almost like the crying it out technique with kids. You just have to endure it for a few nights but then they'll stop after a few times. And DO remember to take them out during the night to potty for the first months. HTH

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This is exactly what happened with us. Now we don't have to shut the door at night she stays in until I get up and tell her she can get out and if I can't find her during the day, she's in her crate curled up. I only had a blanket and a quiet toy for her to chew on if or when she got bored.