Yesterday we picked up our one year old Lab rescue dog. He was beautifully behaved during the day and settled in really well. We put him in his crate while we ate during the day and he was fine. At bedtime we put him in his crate in the living room and all went upstairs to bed. After a while he started barking. For a while we ignored it hoping he would stop but then we started worrying he would wake the neighbours and children. We ended up taking turns periodically going down and sleeping on the sofa next to him and then he seemed to be happy. So I guess this is a separation anxiety problem? Any suggestions on how we get around this? Or do we just need to persevere?

Wow.....he needs time to adjust!!! New people new smells, new noises and the poor lad won't know whether he's coming or going. He'll need time and patience and he will make 'noise' until he settles and gets use to his whole new surroundings.

If you're worried about waking the children then perhaps put him nearer to you....for the next night or so and then finally move the crate where you want it to be eventually once he's used to everything and more settled.
I'm not a fan of that though and preferred to stick to the one place. As long as he's toileted before you all go to bed then he should settle and will become used to it after a couple of nights or so.

Not surprising he was unsettled though and it will take a bit of time for him to adjust!

Hi
When I got my dog, Woody from a couple at the beginning of December, I had to sleep in the living room with him as it was new surroundings and I even put the lamp on as well so that he could get use to my flat.

The next night, I brought him into my bedroom with his bed and again left the small lamp on so he knew where he was. The night after that, I left the lamp on for a few hours and then switched it off. I can now switch it off straightaway and he does go in his bed without any fuss now.

Mine suffers from SA and probably won't sleep on his own anyway. You are going to have to give more time to settle in and see how he copes.

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Well we're still having the same problem with him sleeping but I'm willing to persevere and I realise it is early days. I'm sure he would be OK in his bed on the landing upstairs with us but we're also trying to get him used to being left in his crate for short periods of time when we go out. So if we let him sleep on his bed upstairs but put him in his crate when we go out would this be sending mixed messages and make him more worried when we got out? (BTW he happily goes to his crate at any time of the day and treats it as his space and will sleep in it happily in the evening with the door shut or open as long as we're around). We have tried leaving him for short periods during the day (no more than one hour each day) to get him used to it but come back and find him barking. Any suggestions?

All my dogs have had crates, downstairs, away from where we sleep. They have all made a noise for the first few nights but they are left and after a few nights it usually stops. However when returning to them in the morning I would time my return so it coincides with a period of quiet (yes its hard to find one sometimes!).
When they were puppies - when they did settle of a night time , i did attend to them when they woke up in the early morning- not straight away - i waited a few minutes but then would go , let them out for business - pups cant be expected to save it all night long and then we would go for snuggles on the couch (lovely times). I have just moved house with my 4 year old dog and he winged for the first night in his new home, but that was all, second night - fine.
Other things i did. sometimes when they went in the crate during the day, i would lock the door, and then unlock it randomly so they knew they were fine , that i would let them out again. All treats were given to the dogs with the command 'bed' - they were told to take them to bed - ie into the crate. They really grew to feel very secure in their crates. My dog at the moment suffers badly from separation anxiety - unless in his crate - if he is in his crate he is calm and he sleeps knowing iw ill come back and he is safe. I f he is not in it he will bark and howl constantly, mess the house and chew everything - walls doors etc. sorry for waffling, hope something helps!

Thanks for your reply. He seems to like his crate and knows it's 'his place'. He takes his toys there and happily sleeps there with and without the door open but is only happy if we're downstairs with him at nighttime at the moment. I have been leaving him for short periods of time during the day in his crate too and come back and find him barking. Hope it's just a matter of time....

Have you tried leaving the TV or a radio on low ?

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"I am not perfect and i don't have to be, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean" - Bob Marley

https://sites.google.com/site/blisschalet/

Yes tried leaving radio on and lights on/off. Think he just needs to smell another person with him!

Hopefully it is just a reasurrance thing and with minimal attention at night he will soon settle

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"I am not perfect and i don't have to be, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean" - Bob Marley

https://sites.google.com/site/blisschalet/

My dog sleeps on my bed and is perfectly happy going into his crate during the day. It is of course your choice, but it doesn't confuse him.