Why does my puppy panic in the crate when left alone?

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

1. 1
   Ditching the crate for short absences and using a play pen instead.
2. 2
   Using a waterproof crib liner under a cheap blanket instead of a standard dog bed to make washing easier.
3. 3
   Asking a vet about short-term anti-anxiety medications to calm the dog enough to learn.
4. 4
   Keeping separation training sessions incredibly short (under 5 seconds) to avoid the whine threshold.
5. 5
   Leaving white noise, music, or a TV show on to provide background noise.
6. 6
   Leaving the puppy in a larger puppy-proofed area like a kitchen blocked off by a baby gate.
7. 7
   Allowing the puppy to free-roam in safe rooms with toys and chews instead of confining them.
8. 8
   Covering the crate to block their view of the owner leaving.

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.