I am seeing conflicting information. Some people say to ignore the dog and let him know that you won't be reinforcing the behavior. Other sources say it is good to put him in a crate at the side of your bed (but not in your bed to show you are the Alpha male). We do have a crate that is large enough for a bed and also a pee-pad if necessary. Right now we keep him in the kitchen, gated off from other rooms so he can't destroy anything. He's got a couple of beds, toys, water, etc. We've only had him a couple of nights but he is whining very loudly, multiple times per night.
Yes, I know some people will say 'he's lonely, misses mom, etc.' and I totally understand that. I feel bad for him but I know that he is a pack animal and we need to set some rules outside of playtime and snuggling. I have tried putting in a ticking clock with his bed and a warm water bottle. Part of the issue may be that he wanders away from the bed (since he has the kitchen to move around in) so those methods don't work.
I will choose the best answer based on experience, please! Any advice is welcome!
ADDED QUESTION:
If the crate is next to the bed, is it better to keep a pee-ped inside? Or is it better to wake up at night and let the dog go to the spot in the kitchen where we have the pee-pad set up? I won't take the little guy outside yet as this is WI and it is in the teens or colder at night.
Yes, I know some people will say 'he's lonely, misses mom, etc.' and I totally understand that. I feel bad for him but I know that he is a pack animal and we need to set some rules outside of playtime and snuggling. I have tried putting in a ticking clock with his bed and a warm water bottle. Part of the issue may be that he wanders away from the bed (since he has the kitchen to move around in) so those methods don't work.
I will choose the best answer based on experience, please! Any advice is welcome!
ADDED QUESTION:
If the crate is next to the bed, is it better to keep a pee-ped inside? Or is it better to wake up at night and let the dog go to the spot in the kitchen where we have the pee-pad set up? I won't take the little guy outside yet as this is WI and it is in the teens or colder at night.