whining puppy!!!

Question
I just got a new boxer puppy about a week ago. He is about nine weeks old. I keep him in a crate when i am at work for about eight hours (i have a friend who lets him out at about four hours to go potty). He seems to do fine when i leave him in the crate durning the day but as soon as he is in there at night, he whines.  I am sure to let him out to go potty before i put him in the crate. I also make sure that he plays with me other dog enough so that he is all worn out. I spend time with him too after work. Now when i put him in the crate at night he doesn't stop whining! I have been told many things of what to do. Should i put him in a seperate room? I do take him out to go potty when he starts and most of the time he goes but then he still whines after i put him back in. What should i do to stop this before it becomes a habit?
I know that i am suppose to ignore him so he doesn't think that he is being rewarded for whining but i live in a basement apartment and sometimes he gets really loud and i don't want him to wake up the lady upstairs. Can you tell me some tricks to helping him stop?

Answer
It is only natural that a puppy resists its crate at first.  What the puppy wants more than anything else is to be others, you, anyone else in the household, and any other pets.  In our modern society, even if we are home, other things distract us from the attention an uncrated puppy must have.   The only real solution is to crate the dog when you aren't around.  The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house.  It relaxes, it feels safe in its den.  It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self.  Dogs that have been crated all along do very well.  Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open.  I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling.  Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew.  Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys.  Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter.  Don't leave anything in the crate the dog might chew up.  It will do fine without even any bedding.  You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

Likely it will cry the first few nights in the crate.  I have never had much luck with the old clock or radio tricks.  What I do is lay down by the crate like I was going to sleep there.  Usually a puppy may fuss a little, but then settle down and go to sleep.  Once it is asleep, you can get up and go to bed.

It is good you have somebody to give it a mid day break.  I never had any problems with puppies as long as I could make it home over lunch.