dog crying

Question
i have had my dog for about one month (he's 5 yrs old and from the shelter ).  he has improved greatly in behavior except for some aggression towards some men.  he probably would bite them if given the chance.  but i can control that.  my problem is his whining and crying. he is crated, but i return after about 4 hours to walk him.  do you recommend a spray collar?  i would be glad to leave him loose in the house, but don't feel it would be a good idea to change too much too fast.  help if you can. thank you , jeri

Answer
Hi Jeri,  I would not recommend a spray collar for whining and crying.  They are generally just for barking.  I don't even know if the whining would set it off.   If I understand correctly, the whining and crying is only when he is in his crate?    Is this happening all the time, or just when he sees you?  Have you tried making him think you are gone and seeing if he settles down.   I'll really need to know more in order to try to help.

Some general comments:  Sometimes a really nice sterilized bone filled (like they sell at Petsmart or Petco) will keep a dog occupied for hours on end.   Perhaps a stuffed toy as a security blanket for him if he is not the type to destroy them and possible eat them.   Sometimes leaving a TV on or a radio can be comforting.  

If he is crying only when he sees you, that is fairly common and he is just happy to see you and wants to be with you.  

If he is crying all of the time, when you leave you might want to start leaving for short periods of time and then coming right back.   If you do this often, maybe on a weekend when you have time, he will learn that you will be back.

Take a look at the following website.  You will find tips that may help with the aggression.

http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/dog_tips.php