Barking And Crying

Q: brought home maltese puppy last week. He was sleeping in daughters room, but wants to be in her bed and barks and cries. Daughter could not sleep, so we moved him to bathroom, then to laundry room. I know he needs consistency, but he has been barking and crying all night. What should we do?

A: You have taken the right stiep in moving him to a separate location. The fact that you mentioned he wanted to be be in your daughter's bed implies that he probably has been up on the bed before which makes it a little harder to undo, but there is still a way to deal with this. Whenever barking or whining in the cage are a problem the number one rule is walk away and no one can go back until after he has been quiet for at least 30 minutes. Another trick is to cover the cage with a breathable towel or blanket. This should be done every time he is placed in the cage to sleep. Realize also that since there was a different approach when you first got him it may take up to a week to establish the new rules and get him to quietly accept the cage.