Crate Whining

Question
Evening.

We adopted a male beagle mixed hound (we think treeing walker coon).  Currently just under 4 months old.

Over the first 3 nights, he has been extremely great.  Very quiet at night.

But during the day, if I or my wife or both leave the gated area he resides in, he will start whining.  He will also whine loudly when put in his crate during the day.

We've started with not paying attention when let out or we return into the area.

By doing this will his whining simmer down?  

His background is his mother was rescued when pregnant.  She was since adopted, and he was one of the last 2 to be adopted.  So he's already had the mother-son separation happen.  Thanks for your time.

Rob D

Answer
Hi, thanks for writing and sorry for the delay. Glad to hear you rescued a dog instead of buying one!

Yes he will learn to stop the whining eventually with the crate, but you need to continue to ignore it EVERY single time, dont tell him to be qquiet, dont acknowledge it in any way, if you reinforce it even once by paying attention to it there is his pay off! Also when he isbeing calm and quiet in the crate praise him. I recommend that you pick a special toy or a kong filled with treats to use during the day when you are going to be gone for a while. Give it to him ONLY when he is in the crate so it remains a special treat he will look forward to and will then begin to associate that good things happen when he goes in the crate. I also leave the radio on for mine so they hear some noises like voices talking or singing. Hounds - beagles - tree walker coon's are pack animals, they crave being part of a pack, they are hard wired to want to be around someone else canine or human and are dont like to be alone very much. Other breeds are more independant but hounds are as I said are genetically wired to need others around them so they sometimes take a bit longer to be crate trained.... I can tell you that not one of my beagles ever really adadpted well, the isolation was just too hard for them, whereas my pit bull, albeit she didnt love it, never made a sound and just accepted it.