crate training for older, sick dog

Question
I have a 7-year old maltese who has never been crate-trained (my fault).  However, her vet just diagnosed her with a slipped disk and hip problem.  Her treatment is suposed to be strict confinement and pain medication and muscle relaxers.  For the first two days, she was going crazy in the crate so I bought wire cage and we increased her valium which seemed to calm her down for a day, but now she is back to crying, barking, and being extremely tense.  If the confinement does not work, she may become paralyzed and have to be put down.  I don't know what to do.  She seems particularly upset when my husband is not home.  I teach at a university and am only teaching one class over the summer so I can be at home more, but i am also sleeping on the couch in the den because my husband has to be at the university almost every day and needs his sleep, but I am not getting any.  I am at a loss.

Answer
Hi Victoria,  You need to leave her alone and not continually go back to her when she cries in the crate.  When you do, you are giving her what she wants, which is the attention to be out of the crate.  You can give her a rawhide or pigs ear to chew on while in the crate to help aleviate some of the anxiety, but each time she cries and/or barks, you need to either spray her with a spray bottle of water and tell her "no" or ignore her and not give her any attention at all.  Most dogs will quit acting up in the crate if you spray them when they act up.  hope this helps, and good luck.

Dawn