We started having a problem with Hamilton barking at objects he wanted -- he dropped a toy behind the couch, or he left something in his expen and he couldn't get to it. He also started barking at things he wanted OUTSIDE, like the neighbors (he loves people, he can't stand when he can't go say hi!). We talked to our trainer about it, and with regards to things like his stuck toys -- she said don't torture him, but change how he gets it. He knows a series of commands, so if he's barking at a toy under the couch, have him do a sit-stay or a down-stay and the reward for that is that he gets the toy he wants. Therefore the barking doesn't get the reward, the polite behavior gets the reward. For the barking at things he can't have anyway (like my neighbors on their back deck), she just recommended a "leave it" command, or some distraction commands.
As far as the crate barking goes - of course you wouldn't want to get up and reward him in the middle of the night, but what about giving him a stuffed frozen kong at night when he goes into his crate so just being in there is awesome? Also I would make sure he's super tired at the end of the day. My only other thought is, where is the crate located? When we had our crate upstairs, poor Hamilton would whine and bark and whine when we put him in, then quiet down, then every time I got up to use the bathroom he'd hear me and it'd start all over again. We did that for about a week, then moved him downstairs to "his" room (the living room) where he spends his days and suddenly he was quiet all night! (And it's not just that we can't hear him from upstairs, because we hear him quite clearly in the morning if he's up before we are!) I think he wasn't familiar with being upstairs cause he spent all his time downstairs, and mostly in the living room, and then every time he heard me again he'd wig out because he wanted me again.
Now that he's a "big grown up" almost 8 month old, he's quiet in his crate, and a few times a week we let him sleep in bed with us and he's just pleased as punch with that arrangement! We found he sleeps in late too, so we usually let him on the weekends
As far as the crate barking goes - of course you wouldn't want to get up and reward him in the middle of the night, but what about giving him a stuffed frozen kong at night when he goes into his crate so just being in there is awesome? Also I would make sure he's super tired at the end of the day. My only other thought is, where is the crate located? When we had our crate upstairs, poor Hamilton would whine and bark and whine when we put him in, then quiet down, then every time I got up to use the bathroom he'd hear me and it'd start all over again. We did that for about a week, then moved him downstairs to "his" room (the living room) where he spends his days and suddenly he was quiet all night! (And it's not just that we can't hear him from upstairs, because we hear him quite clearly in the morning if he's up before we are!) I think he wasn't familiar with being upstairs cause he spent all his time downstairs, and mostly in the living room, and then every time he heard me again he'd wig out because he wanted me again.
Now that he's a "big grown up" almost 8 month old, he's quiet in his crate, and a few times a week we let him sleep in bed with us and he's just pleased as punch with that arrangement! We found he sleeps in late too, so we usually let him on the weekends
