Very loud howling...wailing

[Catherine]

Hi, just adopted a 3 yr old cockapoo from the shelter. He seems like a good boy and we had his teeth cleaned yesterday at the vets before we brought him home. So...he had some light anesthesia and just a scraping (teeth).

History: owner surrendered him on Prozac for year for behavior problems including "biting" her one time when trying to make him take his Prozac and another time while on Prozac...he bit a "handler" who reached to connect his leash quickly under his neck.

The shelter said they had no problems with him and weaned him off Prozac. They said only aggression was growling when he was walking with a volunteer and found a chicken bone, which the volunteer tried to retreve. No other food recourse guarding. So, we can work on that.

He walks great, he isn't hyper but oh my, he had 3 episodes where he started wimpering in his crate during the night in our bedroom and that turned into the loudest wailing we have ever heard. I can't imagine the neighbors didn't hear it and think he was being beaten. I had to get him out of the crate and pat him to make hims stop. He did this 2-3 more times during the night.

Like I said, my husband and I could not imagine such a loud sound could come from a 18 lb dog. Loud as a fog horn. I was worried the previous owner may have seen hyperactivity and started him on the Prozac but now wondering about this behavior which is not compatable with houses that are fairly close to each other. We got no sleep but this was the first night. He might settle down but worried about leaving him for the grocery store or a little longer. Any suggestions?

[lynn]

Hello, my name is Lynn. I just joined this forum and so far, have seen no replies to questions. The only thing I can tell you is if you take him out of the crate and comfort him when he is wailing, you are only reinforcing that behavior. Try filling a chew toy with peanut butter and putting it in with him. Only get him out when he is calm and lengthen crate time gradually.

[lpc]

Firstly, a warm welcome to you, Lynn! I myself joined not that long ago, but sadly this forum seems very quiet.

Regarding your post above, Catherine, my wife and I also got our cockapoo from a dog refuge (this summer). He had been abandoned and was very anxious that he would be abandoned again, so wanted to stay close to us all day, every day in the beginning. He also growled when we put on his harness at first, as he was not used to one. But he soon grew out of all that...Just love and patience were needed.

However, I would never consider putting a refuge dog into a cage at any time (I believe that Americans call a cage a "crate" - which has an entirely different meaning in Europe!). Having previously spent time incarcerated, a refuge dog needs lots of love, attention and plenty of exercise. When our dog, Forgy, first came home with us, he wanted to sleep in our bedroom with us; but we didn't want him on our bed. So we compromised by getting him his own dog bed - and he loved it! There is absolutely no need to put a dog into a cage at night. No doubt his anxiety that he was being "locked up" again brought back unhappy memories - hence the whining.

My very best wishes to you and your dear cockapoo! Bless his little heart! I hope that he settled down by now.