barking rescue dog, crated

Question
hello i have a rescue dog and ever since i have had him every night when we go to bed he barks,we got him a dog creat but he still barks,he is a year and a half and we dont no what to do.

Answer
Hi Kelly, How long ago did you rescue him and do you know anything about his past? He may not have ever been crate trained before and it can cause stress if not done properly. You did not mention what breed, or how long you have had him, or where the crate is located. But here is what I would suggest. The crate needs to be a happy place to go and that means usually most people start crate training young dogs. If possible move the crate so it is near you or in your room and see if that helps him. If he is housebroken, you could try giving him a rug to lay on at the bottom of your bedside, or a blanket in a laundry basket if he is small enough. You could let your hand hang down to help him settle in. You could also put one of your old socks, which you did not launder, in his crate with a chewy, nylabone, or knuckle bone to chew on. If he is young, you could put a doggie heating pad under his blanket in the crate with a tick-tock clock to give him a sense of security. If you do not want him in bed with you, try some of these things. Especially if he is housetrained or trained to go on a piddle pad, you could probably let him out of the crate. You can leave the crate door open and feed him in there, so that he becomes used to feeling that it is a good place to be, not a place of punishment or abandonment. If you are planning on showing him or taking him places, he will need to be crate trained and it is a good thing for dogs to know. But you may have to go slowly with him especially if he was adopted from a shelter where he was abandoned by his previous owner and stuck in a kennel, confused and upset. Please try out some of these suggestions and let me know how it goes with him. Also,please leave me some feedback, nominations if you wish, and let me know the outcome. I honestly do care about every one of you and your canine partners, or I would not be volunteering my nights to to this, so please keep me posted on you and your new companion. I would really appreciate it. Thank you. Regards, Susan