My Toy Poodle Maggie

Question
Hi my name is laci and i have a thirteen week old toy poodle named maggie. i have a couple questions for you. 1) if a poodle is loosing hair on its tail should it be cropped? and 2) how can i get her to stop crying when i put her in her crate when its time for bed? thanks for all you do laci

Answer
Hello Laci,
If your dog is losing hair from her tail, its best to find out why first.  She could have a hot spot and be chewing the tail hair, or it could be a bacteria or fungus.  Having the tail cropped at this age would require the dog to be put under anesthesia and there could still be risk of infection.  
To get a dog to stop crying when you put her in her crate, you have to put her in her crate and leave her alone.  Once she goes in the crate, you have to ignore her and act like she isn't there even though she is whining or crying.  Its hard, but she will soon realize that once she is put in the crate, she gets no attention whatsoever.  If you go to her once when she is in the crate and she is crying, she will continue to cry when she wants out, knowing you will come to her.  
You can make a ritual out of it by playing with her before her crate time, then taking her out to potty just before she goes in.  You can put a hot water bottle under her blankets to comfort her, play soft music or put the TV on for her, you can give her her Nite-Nite toy, or even a favorite chew toy (as long as its not Rawhide, which can get sticky in the stomach and can cause blockages) and put her to bed.  Don't go to her again (unless she is hurt or sick) until the morning.  If you try to talk to her to get her to be quiet, you are giving her what she wants (your attention) and its like rewarding her for being fussy.  
Instead, ignore her and eventually she will stop being whiny while in the crate.  
Also, make her wait a bit when you get up in the morning.  Don't just go to her, and also only get her out of the crate when she is quiet.  If you do, she will learn that in order to get out, she needs to be quiet.  

Try it out for several days and see if its working for you.  If you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim