almost every single night when we put our labrador retriever in its kennel, she lays down for a while, then gets up and starts to "dig" in her kennel as if she is digging a hole....what is up with that? it makes this really annoying scratching sound. and she does it randomly throughout the night.
2007-03-14 13:27:41 · 19 answers · asked by Lil Jon 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
When dogs lived in the wild they would find a patch of grass, leave, etc to sleep on. They would scratch and walk around in circles in their living space to create a "bed." Just about every dog should do this and it is completly normal.
2007-03-14 13:37:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It might mean that your dog is trying to tug at the rug/blanket/floor to make herself more comfortable.
Does the kennel have some type of soft bedding, like an old rug, or a doggie bed? If not, try putting one in for her to lay on. It will make her more comfortable. It might not stop her from "digging" but it WILL muffle the sounds a little.
Dogs are known to do things like this digging, or even walk around in a circle a few times before laying down (this is residual evolutionary behavior from when they used to pack the snow before laying down).
2007-03-14 13:34:13 · answer #2 · answered by henchook 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She is probably trying to get comfortable. Put a kennel pad in her kennel if she doesn't have one or give her a blanket. Dogs like to "nest" and they scratch and dig up their beds to create a comfortable area to rest. If she wanted out of her kennel she would probably scratch at the kennel door and whimper. And if you already leave the kennel door open at night and she scratches at the kennel's bottom, I would wager for certain she is trying to get comfy!!! :)
2007-03-14 14:04:11 · answer #3 · answered by sassychick 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is possibly her trying to make a bed. Dogs turn round in circles 3 or 4 times and dig to make a bed. Not sure why. Something to do with how they used to sleep in the wild. My dog has a blanket in her kennel and she scratches at that but its just her way of adjusting it to get comfortable.
2007-03-14 13:31:47 · answer #4 · answered by Sunday 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
How many times have you ever heard of someone escaping jail or prison? Same principle applies.
I had a Cocker Spaniel once that I would only put in the kennel for disciplinary reasons. Mostly for antisocial behavior. I used time frames for disciplinary penalties. If he compounded the infractions, his penalty was compounded. Eventually the separation from his surrogate pack, our family, became too unbearable for him. We always welcomed him, like a family member not seen for awhile. He turned into a very sociable dog that needed the kennel no more.
2007-03-14 14:12:42 · answer #5 · answered by eks_spurt 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How old is she? Is she house trained? It is most likely a sign of boredom. Try toy puzzles where you can put dry food in the toy and they have to work to get the food out. Sounds funny but this is very entertaining for dogs. If she's house trained then really...there is no need to put her in the kennel at night. Maybe give her a few toys to keep her entertained.
2007-03-14 16:58:02 · answer #6 · answered by AS35 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She is just trying to get comfortable, add a few more blankets and a comfortable pad to the bottom of her crate and she will be quieter about it. She is not trying to dig her way out, she is obviously comfortable in her crate or she would be whining and barking to let you know she is upset. You are being a responsible pet owner by crating her, vets will tell you that crating when you are not home or available to supervise your dog is the best thing for them to keep them safe from themselves. So just give her a little extra padding to ruffle around and let her fix it the way she wants it and she'll be sleeping through the night in no time.
2007-03-14 14:11:23 · answer #7 · answered by stalker_repellant 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It may be a separation anxiety, but then again it may be that its p****d off that its stuck in a kennel outside.....
Swap it places for the night and see if you can figure out why its doing it, as the dog lies in your warm bed, getting annoyed with your scratching sound....
Hope this helps :0)
2007-03-14 13:36:55 · answer #8 · answered by AngeleyesOddette... 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My pups will do this too, at times, when in their crates. Usually a firm "Stop it!" from me is enough to quench that activity.
I interpret this as their attempt to either get out of their crates, trying to create some "spot" of comfort in their crates (even if they don't have a pillow or blanket in there) or try to get something that is just outside their crates.
I suggest that you try to make her crate more comfortable, with a pillow (if she's fully house-broken and won't chew on it), with some chew toys, and maybe edible treats. This way, her crate will seem like a fun place to be. You may even have a soft radio on so she hears some background noise and doesn't feel so alone. Alternatively, you might even more her crate into your room (if possible) so she gets used to the notion of being in her crate at night, but can still see you. She may still do make this noise, but a gentle, "That's enough" from you should calm her and get her to lay down.
Good luck!
2007-03-14 13:33:46 · answer #9 · answered by doctoru2 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She's just trying to get comfortable. Most dogs dig around to make themselves a comfortable place to lie. I've seen them do it in the dirt, try to do it in carpet, in blankets... it's normal. And just like most people roll over and try to get comfy, dogs do too, that's probably why she's doing it sporadically through the night.
2007-03-14 14:08:10 · answer #10 · answered by kiki 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋