Solving Problem Behaviors in the Crate
This week we are going to shift gears into addressing problems around the crate: you’ve introduced the crate (or tried to) and experienced problem behaviors, ranging from crying, peeing, barking, scratching, and whining.
Instead of just labeling the dog's behavior as a hatred of crates overall, it is beneficial to determine more specifically what the motivation behind the annoying behavior is. There are actually man reasons why a dog could display a “dislike” of a crate: they could be having generalized anxiety or separation anxiety, have barrier aggression, be resource guarding the space, be over aroused and excited, be demanding attention, or just need to go outside to go to the bathroom.
So how do you figure out which one it is?? Taking a close look at the duration and intensity of behavior, as well as how the behavior changes to changes in the environment and human response you can determine some of the motivation. Keep reading for more information and specific things to look for. Once you understand the motivation, you can choose an approach to address the underlying feelings about the crate
Ask questions, join the conversation, and post pictures of your crate set up in the Facebook group!
𓃡 𓃩 𓃡 Human End of the Leash 𓃡 𓃩 𓃡
Ask questions, join the conversation, and post pictures of your crate set up in the Facebook group! 𓃡 𓃩 𓃡 Human End of the Leash 𓃡 𓃩 𓃡
OVEREXCITEMENT AND DEMAND BEHAVIORS
Behaviors that fall into this category include any behaviors that are not anxiety or aggression. Some behaviors you may see in your puppy or adult dog that are most likely demand behaviors or over-excitement/inability to relax include rushing out, refusing to go in, peeing in the crate, barking and whining, and scratching. This is most likely the motivating factor for your dog’s problem behaviors in the crate if none of the other options fit.
ANXIETY VS SEPARATION ANXIETY
When the problem behaviors move past just demanding and overexcitement, they can move into anxiety. If the dog is barking, whining, or otherwise cannot settle in the crate after a period of longer than ten minutes, they may be experiencing anxiety related to the crate and you should reach out to a professional.
In the meantime, or if you are seeing low levels of behaviors related to anxiety, you can take some steps to help determine the underlying cause and begin the behavior modification process. The first step in dealing with anxiety around the crate is to identify what kind of anxiety your dog may be experiencing, or over what specific trigger.
One possible cause for anxiety related behaviors is noise anxiety, or noise sensitivity. The sound of a dog's nails on the floor pan or the sound of the door against the rest of the crate may be a trigger for a dog's noise sensitivity and exacerbate their behavior by adding an additional stressor.
Another common cause of anxiety around the crate is confinement anxiety. Dogs experiencing confinement anxiety will often exhibit stress going into the kennel and show immediate distress once in the space whether their handler is present or not. This discomfort and distress will continue the entire time the dog is in the crate.
Lastly, a dog could be suffering from separation anxiety. With separation anxiety, a dog will typically be fine, or show a lower level of problem behaviors while their handler is present, and show an escalation of problem behaviors once their handler leaves (or begins the predictable pattern before leaving). Again, if your dog continues to escalate their behavior for ten minutes or longer, please reach out for professional assistance as this is very distressing for your dog.
BARRIER FRUSTRATION AND RESOURCE GUARDING
Now we’ll take a look at aggression based behaviors around the crate. This could be that your dog barks and slams against the crate door when you walk by, or growling when you approach the crate. The two most common causes we see dogs exhibiting aggression, or using their teeth around their crate, are barrier aggression and resource guarding.
If a dog is displaying barrier aggression, they will typically lunge against the sides of the crate, or against the barrier, and continue displaying offensive behaviors against the barrier. On the other hand, a dog displaying resource guarding is more likely to lunge out at the person or other dog, then pause and/or retreat to the object or space they are guarding.
In both cases, it is important to implement the proper safety through management and prevention as much as possible. As a general rule of thumb, do not reach into a crate toward a dog, open the door and allow them to exit instead. If your dog is displaying barrier aggressive behaviors around the crate when you go to get them out or when you walk by, try this strategy.
When you walk up to the crate and toss a treat into the back of their crate. Allow them to find and eat the food and toss a piece twice more, then keep walking or let them out.
If your dog is displaying resource guarding behaviors with an item while they’re still in the back of the crate, step back, allow the dog room to exit and call them into another room. Now you may remove the item they may have been guarding, if there was one.
If these strategies do not cause a significant change in behavior, consider reaching out to a professional to help you find an individualized strategy to help resolve your dog's big feelings about the crate as these behaviors can escalate quickly and severely.
