8 week old puppy, incessantly cries and barks when gated

[Louie's parents]

We just got a new chow chow puppy, 8 weeks old. He is very housetrained. Will pee on a pee-pee pad in the kitchen or outside on a walk and only poops outside. We bought a crate and a baby gate. If he is left in either, even though we are still in the house just not in the same room, he cries, barks, and whimpers nonstop. My girlfriend and I need some advice on how to deal as we both work. We don't want little Louie to be upset or cry when neither of us are home. Only both gone 3 days a week. Does anyone have some advice on how to make him more comfortable?

[PCC]

Welcome. Be sure to post some pics of little Louie!

Give him a blanket of piece of clothing that you have worn so that he can lay on it or be near it. The scent may comfort him. Throw treats into the crate to entice him and make him equate the crate as a pleasurable place to be. Don't close the door immediately; if he comes out, throw another treat in. Pair the treat with the command "crate" until he will go in with just the command and no treat. If he cries while in the crate, don't immediately take him out...then he will just learn that crying will get him out.

[Cam Atis]

Loiue, in doggy psychology, is the kind of puppy that needs reassurance. Unfortunately, incessant barking or whining distracts you. What I am going to tell you and this is against standard dog training like what PCC has told you - which is how it is really by the book (ignore bad behavior) and I also do it sometimes - when Louie cries if crated or on the other side of the baby gate, pick him up or sit down with him and cuddle him for 5-10 minutes talking softly to him. You may repeat this process over and over and see if it gives your pup a little confidence boost that you are there for him. You will see that later that by talking to him he will stop whining when even if you are far - like cooking or scrubbing - now if these fails, and if it failed, be prepared to ignore the barker - and it is worse now since he'll expect you to come to him like what you did. I had pups who cries for 2 nights night, yet I have smart ones, who cried a little then knew it brings them to nowhere and decided to keep their energies instead of wasting it in incessant barking and whining when mom doesnt come anyway. Mostly at night and if they are new. I had one which took more than 7 nights - that's a mini pin Luca. So I had Luca beside my bed and comforts the poor thing when she whines. She keeps quiet if my hand is on her.

This I did with Cassie while I was in Manila and stayed in a hotel. I leave the television on so Cassie thought we were still there watching tv. She didnt saw us going out of course, she's in the bathroom with the door open. The bellman didnt knock on our doors as Cassie was so quiet during the two nights we had her there. Whenever Cassie whined a little, I come to her, and talk to her softly, and run my hand through her coat as if to reassure her I am there for her now - i give her milk and food eveytime - mostly she just sniffed..

Also, he may have missed his mom and litter that's why he needs constant re-assurance.

If you are the ones he misses, a piece of your clothing (with your scent) is a good idea, though be prepared to see the clothes torn to pieces when you come back home.

[Louie's parents]

Today is the day we are both gone for work. Left him one of my shirts and gated him in the kitchen with all his toys, food, water, and a pee pee pad to use, also left an ipod playing music so he doesn't feel completely alone. Will see how it works. He sleeps on the floor in the bedroom at night and is well behaved when we are home so he has run of the house. We try to gate him in the kitchen for short periods at a time to get him used to it. Only when we leave does he need to be gated because he is a pup and there are too many things to get into/chew unsupervised.

[Tippsy'smom]

Welcome! Your little Louie sounds very similar to my Jasper when he was a puppy (suffered from separation anxiety). What I did was start by putting an old shirt that had my scent on it in his crate. Then I would sit in front of his crate and toss treats in and he would go in and eat the treat. Soon he began to associate his crate as being a place where good things happen. And when I would put him in his crate to leave, I would give him a treat and tell him "good boy". And I never heard him make a peep once he adjusted to it. Just remember, it WILL take a little bit for your pup to adjust.

[TyChowgirl]

I would do the same thing as Jess. I still from time to time, walk Ty over to the middle of the floor (now that he's not crated during the day) and have him lay down. I'll lay down the treats as a distraction or routine if you will and tell him to be a good boy and that good puppies are quiet puppies. He's gotten much better with that and I don't always do that when I leave for work anymore.

[Louie's parents]

well he seems to be doing much better. will still cry a little when we leave, but then stops. Also when we get home, he starts to bark again. Thanks for the advice.

[Cam Atis]

Cassie does bark when I come home. If she's out and I ignore her, she'll mouth my leg. Asking for attention, that is.

[MartMan86]

I had the same problem with my new pup about a month ago. At night I would gate him in the bathroom, since it's all stone tile, so if he had an accident it's easily cleanable. Which he never did. Anyhow, he barked a lot when I put him in there... I gave him a few toys to chew on and a sweat-shirt I wore a lot for him to lay on as a blanket and smell. When he would get real rowdy I would just yell "Kage, QUIET!" very loud and it shut him up fast.

After a week or so he was quiet and I always told him "Bed time" when I was going to bed, or "I'll be right back" when I left for work as well, so he knew what was going on... get him use to the command so he understands what's going on when you put him in there.

[Rio]

Im no expert but with Rio I did the same as I did with my children, when trying to settle children down on a night for bed I would put them in bed then leave, if they cried I would leave them for maybe a minute then go in, let them know it was bedtime give them a quick kiss and walk out again, if they still cried I gradually extended the time I left them for so they understood that I was always around just not visible. It worked for Rio, if I was busy in the kitchen and he was fretting I would pop my head around the corner and let him know I had heard him and would ask him to lie down. Good luck, I am sure as pups confidence grows it will be easier. Oh and for first week of bedtimes my slippers were left about 2 feet away from his penned bed area.