# Bark collar while in crate?



## bellarose (Apr 7, 2014)

My 3 month old yellow lab is starting to do great in the crate. She used to bark multiple times through the night....but now sleeps till about 5am before needing to go out. She poops and pees right away and then I put her back in the crate with a kong and say goodnight. She will be quiet for about 5 mins and then she starts with the whining and then barking. Some days she will bark non stop till we get up....other days she will bark for 10-15 mins and stop. On the days she barks non stop, she will wake up my entire family. Which is hard with a very young child. This morning was an off day and she went out at 3:45am and barked until she finally woke up my daughter at 5:30am. 

I want to get her a bark collar because I honestly don't know what else to do. I understand that we have to ignore her in order for her to stop. And I am doing that. But when she is waking up my daughter and that effects the rest of day for everyone, its very hard. Is it bad to have a bark collar on her when she is in the crate? I don't want to have her associate the collar with the crate. 

Any other suggestions??


----------



## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

A 3 month old dog is a baby. A bark collar is a very harsh correction for a baby who is wanting attention. It could easily backfire not just in her hating the crate but in generalized aggression issues at this point. Electronic collars have their uses but they are on the higher end of aversives (punishments) and their use and timing needs to be carefully considered. 

I would start with things like covering the crate, placing the crate closer to your room or in your room, providing a middle of the night bathroom break so she isn't waking up at 5:30 am. If you give her a potty break at 1 or 2 am, she is more likely to then settle back into a deeper sleep until 7 am or so. Sometimes you just have to suffer for a few days until the pup realizes that barking doesn't work, maybe try this over a weekend. No attention at all (after the very business like potty break with no excitement or extra attention) and let her bark it out.


----------



## Greater Swiss (Jun 7, 2011)

I completely agree with Shell, a bark collar is excessive for a 3 month old puppy, it certainly IS a baby. 



bellarose said:


> Some days she will bark non stop till we get up...


 That is part of the problem....you get up. The more often you get up, the more likely she will keep barking until you get up, she wants attention, and if barking gets her that then she'll keep barking. Yes it is annoying, yes it ruins everybody's day, but it isn't forever, but after a time it WILL stop, and eventually, you might get a little bark, or a wimper rather than barking every night, then it'll stop all together. Pretty much all of us have dealt with this, the puppy barking forever at night (there are a few lucky exceptions, I know I wasn't one). Like Shell said, keep the crate closer to you, even next to the bed for a while, cover it (at least the sides and back), and get up for a potty break before she is desperately barking or whining to tell you she needs to go. A bark collar is really not appropriate in this case.


----------



## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

It will be harder now that she has found she gets results by barking but that is what you have to do. It might help if, like Shell suggested, take her out for a potty break around 2 or 3 am and put her back in the crate. Just the change in routine might help as it is dark out so she might not be as likely to think it is time to get up for the day.

I got Kris at 11 weeks and the first night she complained a lot but I just rolled over and ignored it. I did get up at least once in the night to take her outside and did that for at least another couple of weeks before she would sleep all night.


----------



## Chichan (Apr 1, 2014)

My 3 month old sleep through the night and here's what I do:

1. Take away food 2 hours before bedtime, no food no poop.
2. Play with him and wear him out before bed so that he's begging to go sleep in his crate.
3. NEVER EVER go to him if he is whining. If you think it's a potty thing wait until he's been quiet for a few minutes before going.
4. Don't expect him to be in the crate for more than 8 hours. He goes in at 10pm and is up at 6am.
5. If you want to sleep in on a weekend, let him out to go potty, fill a kong with kibble and put both the kong and a few toys back in with him.

*it's spring so the sun is up earlier. You could try making sure the area where his crate is will be blocked off from the sun.


----------

