growling when he is in the cage.. help

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emir13
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growling when he is in the cage.. help

Post by emir13 »

Hi guys! I need some help. I have a 1 year old Chow named Po and a Jack Russel mix. There is no problem with asking my chow to get inside the cage but the problem is when he is already inside the cage he will growl when you try to close the door of the cage. And sometimes when you are really near the door of the cage he will try to bite as if he is protecting something. He also looks nervous.

* other info that might help
-my jack russel doesnt want to get inside the cage. you need to corner him before he get inside the cage by himself.
-my chow looks nervous when there are new faces.

please help me. im wondering why is he growling even at me. we are enjoying each other everyday and i really dont know why this attitude occur. thanks guys :)
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Sarahloo
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Re: growling when he is in the cage.. help

Post by Sarahloo »

Throw the crate in the trash? If it's nothing but trouble, then why use it? Just try things without the cage and enjoy your relaxed doggies!
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emir13
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Re: growling when he is in the cage.. help

Post by emir13 »

thanks.. what is the explanation behind it.. i want to understand my dog
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chow4life
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Re: growling when he is in the cage.. help

Post by chow4life »

The explanation is obviously he doesn't like it. Why push it. Some dogs like it, some don't. Mine absolutely hated it. Left her out of her crate and when i was out of the house she was put in a area (usually laundry room, or kitchen)where she could not hurt herself or tear up anything. I did not have to do this for very long. Now when i'm gone she usually lays on the couch or sits in the chair looking out the window waiting for my return.
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Merlin
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Re: growling when he is in the cage.. help

Post by Merlin »

And sometimes when you are really near the door of the cage he will try to bite as if he is protecting something. He also looks nervous.
It's more than possible that this is separation anxiety, possibly mixed in with territorial anxiety.
I don't know if you've ever seen a dog that won't allow visitors to leave, but this is along the same vein - especially if he knows he's going to be stuck in their for a long time. He's already anticipating something he doesn't like so be comes highly reactive when you put him in.

There's nothing wrong with teaching a dog to crate. There are points in their lives that they may have to be crated (vet's office, kennels), so gaining experience in that direction isn't bad, but - if he's stuck in a crate all day long, then, understandably, that becomes cruel.

What you can do to help is make the crate experience more inviting. You can start feeding your dog in his crate ( with the door open)
Put treats in the crate so he can walk in and out on his on volition, things like that... you could also change your timetable, because obviously you are putting your dog in the crate and closing the door at specific times everyday, and what would be helpful is to stagger the timetable, and don't leave him in the crate too long.

Sometimes, confining them in a small room with a baby gate is a better solution.
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Re: growling when he is in the cage.. help

Post by Rory's Dad »

You need to work on making the crate a positive experience, or at least not a negative one. Don't use the crate for punishment or time out. If your Chow can go into the crate just to look around without the door being closed, you have a starting point.

Try tossing in a toy or a chew. Close the door. When he loses interest, let him sit. Don't let him out when he complains and dont admonish him for the complaints. He may dig, bark, or chew on the grates. Ignore him unless he is about to injure himself. Let him out when he is relaxed and behaving properly.

Most crate training starts when they are young pups, so if older, this may be a process. But there are times it may be needed, so it can be helpful if he can find a comfort spot in the crate. My own dogs hate being in the crate if its in the same room and they can see/hear other people. When moved to another room they relax much easier.

Make sure he has a toy or comfort blanker and WATER. Sometimes a crate cover reduces the stress and might be worth a try (put a blanket over the crate before investing in an 'actual' crate cover as it may make no difference whatsoever).
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emir13
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Re: growling when he is in the cage.. help

Post by emir13 »

thanks guys., now i know why he is like that. we left him one time there for a day because of his skin disease. thank you for the ideas. i'll try to change his thinking about the crate. :)
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Re: growling when he is in the cage.. help

Post by wokman »

My Female Chow Zoey will go in a crate without any trouble, but when in she will growl and snap if I were to reach inside. I think Zoey feels a loss of control when having her freedom to move about taken away from her by crating.

Tell us more about the skin disease that you crated Po for. /:) :)
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Cam Atis
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Re: growling when he is in the cage.. help

Post by Cam Atis »

Cassie used to be like that when still a puppy. All the behaviors described above. She'd go inside and then realized she cant get out so she bites the metal gate and if I try put my finger to let her lick it she growled and even attempted to bite me. Her last resort? Turn her butt on me and play deaf. Funny but true. She still got the crate whenever she needs to stay there - say a utility man comes in - I just learned to be quick in getting my hands off the metal mesh gate. Coz when she turned around she'd get mad at me. :D that was all passed as she have already graduated from the crate. I made for her a dog house so she get the point of why she needs to be there.
As to why she did growl I dont know. I just attributed it to her temper
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emir13
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Re: growling when he is in the cage.. help

Post by emir13 »

he had a severe hot spot. it got worse because he was biting it plus we have a tropical climate here. i think half of hs back was infected. it happened for like 2 times so i started to use a crate for him not to sleep on moisty places around the house.
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Cam Atis
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Re: growling when he is in the cage.. help

Post by Cam Atis »

Allergy? If infected, could be mites. Coupled with fungal or bacterial infection if he lies on damp areas. What do you mean to prevent him from sleeping in moist places? These can be found in outdoor laundry area, or a sunk concrete floor. Could be the dog food you are feeding as he culprit if it is allergy.
Cassie my chow would always make it a point she lies in wet floor or wet cement if outside. Or wet grass. Her fur will dry up in no time because we are in a tropical country too. Summer make her like that.
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emir13
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Re: growling when he is in the cage.. help

Post by emir13 »

oh ok. i meant the mossy places in the garden and the laundry area. is it fine for him to stay in such places? thank you
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Cam Atis
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Re: growling when he is in the cage.. help

Post by Cam Atis »

I used to worry. but it cools her off and her coat went fine. It is an entirely different matter if a chow is in a temperate region.
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