why doesn't my dog like going into her kennel?

Question

I have put a bed inside my dogs kennel but she frequently takes the bed out and sits outside. This behavoiur has only started happening recently. The dog is 8 years old.

Thanks for answers so far.
The kennel was hers from new - so no other dog smells. It is easily big enough for her to turn round in and rollover. It doesn't have a door so we can not lock her in. We don't really send her to it, it is there to use outside if she wants to. She prefers to be outside where she can see whats going on - when she is in she is always asking to see whats going on outside ie. listening at the door. So I don't think the punishment thing is the answer The 'beds' that she drags out often get left out in the open where they get rained on and dirty and then have to be thrown away.

I would have thought that she would prefer the shelter from the wind and rain

Answer 1

>>LOL...she finally worked up the nerve to fight back.

Answer 2

At 8 years old, she may have an onset of arthritis and is now finding it too cramped for her to sleep in. Dogs should be able to stretch, roll-over and stand up and turn around for a kennel or crate to be comfortable. If she isn't a bother in the night why not just let her keep her bed outside of the kennel.

Answer 3

Don't worry I have the some problem. My dog's have a kennel under a shade, they take their bedding during the day out when I am at work , but over weekends they don't take it out. But every night after I finish giving them their food and water I put it back again. Maybe they get bored I want to play with it or I really don't know. But I leave them at that it keeps them busy during the day

Answer 4

I'm a strong advocate of crate training and kenneling dogs when they're young. That said, it could very well be possible that your dog has simply outgrown the benefits of "Her Personal Space."

My dog Willy, a Rottweiler that lived with me 13 years always liked his box but preferred being with me. During the day, Willy would prefer to sleep at my feet or follow me around than snooze in his box. This level of closeness is to be expected if you guys bonded with each other well over the years.

I never worried about him using his crate and after a time, got rid of it. This was after Willy was already very house trained and I could control him with a few simple words. He would always run to the door when the doorbell rang but once someone came to answer it, he backed away a safe distance out of the way and sat to watch. He also was great with kids so it wasn't necessary for him to be restrained or confined when children came over to play.

Another personal example is my family's current 2 year old Pug dog. She was crate trained (naturally) and loved her crate when she was a puppy. Now Abbie prefers to be in the same room as the rest of the family. She hangs out under the computer desk and has pulled the crate pillow into the living room where she watches television with the rest of the family. Again though, Abbie is well behaved and completely house trained.

My sons dog Mojo is a chocolate Lab and is a hunting dog. Mojo was crate trained and is also well behaved. Originally he preferred his crate for sleeping but they got him his own beanbag chair and he uses that for rest breaks. Imagine a full sized Labrador sprawled out on a beanbag.

So my answer would be that if your dog is well behaved, don't worry about it. It's natural for companion animals that have become part of the family or pack especially if they aren't always being trained. She's part of the family and simply enjoys being out where she can see what's going on.

Answer 5

If your dog leaves the kennel to go onto the grass with her bedding then it could be because the bottom of her kennel is uncomfortable and hurts her hips due to her age you could try putting a mattress or something really soft in there to see how it goes, also when you send the dog in there and it goes in give the dog a treat everytime this may help encourage him\her


hope this helps!


Quick

Answer 6

If someone was trying to put me in a kennel i would do anything to get out! have you ever thought that she doesn't like the kennel and wants to sleep somewhere else, so let her sleep where she wants!

Answer 7

I would think an 8 year old dog is too old to NEED a kennel any more. I thought you only used the kennel when they were a puppy for training purposes.

Answer 8

She probably doesnt like the bed, might be to warm or just not her type. It might decrease her space too. Make sure she has enough space to stand and raise her head completely, turn completely around and stretch out a little. Not so big that she can eliminate and get away though. Try another bed but dont remove the tags, if she doesnt like that bed either she may just not like it if shes not used to it, dont push it on her.

Another thing you could try is putting the dog bed in a corner of a room and let her lie on it when she wants to, eventually she might get used to it and you can put it back in there or maybe she will.

Either way, if they don't like it, they don't like it. Don't force them or you will start to change her temper.

Answer 9

It could be a number of things. Maybe the weather's getting nicer and she just likes to be outside of the kennel. Maybe the kennel is getting dirty. Have you started to use the kennel as a punishment for her? Just some ideas...

Answer 10

If you did not get the kennel new it will still smell like another dog. Your dog will be scared and not want to go to it. If this is the case the take bottled lemon juice and wash the kennel out with it. This will help cover the smell.

Answer 11

I don't know where you live but, if its cold there....older dogs have been know to do this.(If your talking about a outside kennel, she might just want to be in the sunlight for natural warmth.
If your talking about a kennel/crate inside....because of her age her "Old Bones" might be aching! She just wants a little more room to stretch out!
Just some options!

Peaches