maltese puppy

Question
We hav a 8 week old maltese puppy, that i just got 3 days ago..  I have read about crate traing, and especially at nite....  But when i put him in there he whines and barks and it seems to be getting worse.....  will he eventually get used to it????  Started out in our bedroom and was advisedd to move it out our room..   so i moved it out to the living room....  still no better...  help!

Answer
Feed the puppy in his crate, and give him a small treat every time you put him in there. Make sure he has some safe toys or chewies in there to keep him occupied. He should also have water available during the day.

One "trick" is to absolutely NEVER let him out of the crate when he is fussing. Wait until he is quiet for a couple seconds, before opening that door. Timing is EVERYTHING! If you open the door when he is fussing, the dog won... and he will then continue to escalate the noise each time until he wins again.

When I am crate-training my puppies, I start it at a time when I can leave home. I go shopping, visiting a friend, etc., so that I miss all that initial noise. By the time I return, they usually have fallen asleep in their crates, and are ready to go outside to potty.

While we are doing this, puppies here are also learning my "house rules". They are starting to understand "get out of there, be quiet, go outside, knock it off, no biting", etc. When a crated puppy starts to fuss (and doesn't need to go outside), I ignore it initially, and if it continues, I throw something at the crate to startle it as I tell it loudly to "Be QUIET!" Dog is immediately praised if it quiets down... "Gooood quiet!"

Also, it never hurts to invest in some ear plugs. *grin*