Kennel Problems

[KRISTY FROVICH]

Hi, i have a 3yr old border collie named Daisy, we have had her since she was a puppy but we had NO idea what we were getting into so she didn’t receive the proper training, attention, or exercise she needed. She quickly became an outside dog, after 2yrs of her being outside(she didn’t like being out there all the time all alone) we re-homed our cat that didn’t get along with her and now she has been an inside dog since November.  I had no idea how I was going to fix all her issues then I found this so thanks! I haven’t started the training course yet but have been working on things like whining.

 

The biggest problem I’m having with her is in her kennel, she doesn’t like going in there and she has been whining/freaking out when we put her in there. Couple things to keep in mind: she has to go in there at night and sometimes during the day(never for very long though), she sleeps in my bedroom, her whining has been affecting my sleep and that heavily affects my health.

Daisy has never really liked her kennel so we’ve always had to fight to get her in there. We’ve recently established a routine of her coming into my bed for an hour or however long before I go to bed then I put her in her kennel, it still took some convincing(making her really want a treat) and she still whined a bit but we were getting better with the whining part. About a week ago she went in her kennel very well and didn’t whine at all but the next night, it was late, she went in her kennel to get her toy and I locked her in. I very quickly regretted doing that as she freaked out(panicked whine, pants hard, jumps up against the kennel wall, paces as much as she can in her kennel) I ignored her for about an hour, I knew if I let her out she would figure out that she can do this every night to get out of her kennel, the only reason I let her out to basically restart the night(bathroom, my bed, kennel) was because she was jumping up against her kennel so much I was worried she could injure herself.  So I let her out and she stayed in my bed from about an hour then I put her back in, she did the same thing. I believe it took me sternly telling her to be quiet for her to stop. Over the week I’ve tried to talk to her softly, sternly, I’ve yelled(I know I know) nothing has worked, I can’t even tell her “good girl” because she starts up again. The past three night I’ve given her a kong with peanut butter but that only lasts her about 2 minutes. After realizing that talking to her does not work I’ve just completely ignored her and sometimes it takes her an hour to calm down sometimes she whines the entire night. I’ve had to switch beds with my mom two night so I can sleep, I didn’t want to cause anymore problems by leaving her alone. She is a people dog and doesn’t like being alone. She is mostly fine when she is put in there during the day. Also I am going to a camp at the end of April for the weekend, last time was gone for the night she whined all night. What could I do for her that weekend? I would like to know how I can fix this kennel problem? Everyone in our house is losing sleep because of her so any suggestions would be very helpful. I could possibly let her stay out but I’m not sure how she would do and if she isn’t good with staying out of her kennel at night I would never be able to get her in there but if she was good I would be able to work with her better.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi Kristy,

Welcome to the forums! Please see my observations in non-bold.

Hi, i have a 3yr old border collie named Daisy, we have had her since she was a puppy but we had NO idea what we were getting into so she didn’t receive the proper training, attention, or exercise she needed.

She quickly became an outside dog, after 2yrs of her being outside(she didn’t like being out there all the time all alone) we re-homed our cat that didn’t get along with her and now she has been an inside dog since November.  I had no idea how I was going to fix all her issues then I found this so thanks! I haven’t started the training course yet but have been working on things like whining.

It's great that you decided to make Daisy an indoor dog, that's awesome! Although it does come with some challenges such as learning how to behave nicely in the home. 

The biggest problem I’m having with her is in her kennel, she doesn’t like going in there and she has been whining/freaking out when we put her in there. Couple things to keep in mind: she has to go in there at night and sometimes during the day(never for very long though), she sleeps in my bedroom, her whining has been affecting my sleep and that heavily affects my health.

It sounds like she may have some confinement phobia, which makes sense if she was used to sleeping outdoors with lots of space. However, there can be other factors at play.

I don't think she's missed out on any of these, but prior to her bed time, it would be important making sure all her needs are met and there isn't something that needs direct attention. So before confining her:

-Make sure she has peed and pooped. Haven been outdoors for the most part in the past, she likely went any time she felt like it, so  I would make it a routine to send her outside to go potty to ensure she is empty by bedtime, and while you are at it, you can aim to train her to go potty on cue, here's how to accomplish that:https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/potty-on-command/

-Make sure she has received enough exercise, training, play and mental stimulation (brain games!) during the day. Border collies are vey high energy and need a "job." Some of them are prone to becoming anxious if their bodies and minds aren't put to "work."

-Make sure she isn't hot. Dogs with a full winter coat can be uncomfortable with indoor heating running at night during the winter. 

-Make sure there isn't anything in the room that could be making her anxious. Any critters in the walls, inside the attic, air fresheners, air from vents etc. 

Daisy has never really liked her kennel so we’ve always had to fight to get her in there. We’ve recently established a routine of her coming into my bed for an hour or however long before I go to bed then I put her in her kennel, it still took some convincing(making her really want a treat) and she still whined a bit but we were getting better with the whining part.

About a week ago she went in her kennel very well and didn’t whine at all but the next night, it was late, she went in her kennel to get her toy and I locked her in. I very quickly regretted doing that as she freaked out(panicked whine, pants hard, jumps up against the kennel wall, paces as much as she can in her kennel) I ignored her for about an hour, I knew if I let her out she would figure out that she can do this every night to get out of her kennel, the only reason I let her out to basically restart the night(bathroom, my bed, kennel) was because she was jumping up against her kennel so much I was worried she could injure herself.

  So I let her out and she stayed in my bed from about an hour then I put her back in, she did the same thing. I believe it took me sternly telling her to be quiet for her to stop. Over the week I’ve tried to talk to her softly, sternly, I’ve yelled(I know I know) nothing has worked, I can’t even tell her “good girl” because she starts up again.

The past three night I’ve given her a kong with peanut butter but that only lasts her about 2 minutes. After realizing that talking to her does not work I’ve just completely ignored her and sometimes it takes her an hour to calm down sometimes she whines the entire night.

I’ve had to switch beds with my mom two night so I can sleep, I didn’t want to cause anymore problems by leaving her alone. She is a people dog and doesn’t like being alone. She is mostly fine when she is put in there during the day.

Based on this info, it sounds like the issue is mainly with the crate. Has she been acting like this in the past 5 months since you have had her indoors since November? Or is this a new behavior? What have her indoor sleeping arrangements been up until now? Is she having any pee or poop accidents since she has been in the home?

It sounds like your routine was starting to help, but then the change where has created some anxiety-and she may have felt trapped.

You can make a Kong last longer by filling it up in a more challenging way, for instance, sticking a cookie at the bottom, then a layer of peanut butter/canned dog food mixed with kibble, then another cookie at the top  and if possible freezing it for a much longer challenge.

There is guide for creating positive associations with the crate, but it would take several baby steps to increase duration in it:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/love-the-crate/

Also I am going to a camp at the end of April for the weekend, last time was gone for the night she whined all night. What could I do for her that weekend?

Where will she be when you are away for the weekend? Will she be in your home? Who will be taking care of her? If it will be a family member, starting today it may help a bit if this family member can take over some tasks that you have been providing so far, firstly with you nearby and then gradually with you at a distance. 

I would like to know how I can fix this kennel problem? Everyone in our house is losing sleep because of her so any suggestions would be very helpful. I could possibly let her stay out but I’m not sure how she would do and if she isn’t good with staying out of her kennel at night I would never be able to get her in there but if she was good I would be able to work with her better.

Where would you be planning to keep her at night? Does she panic if she's in a room away from you? Does she have a history of chewing or eating things in the home? I think this could be an intermediate solution as she learns to be calmer in a crate/exercise pen, but we need to ensure she stays safe and doesn't chew things. Another option may be the use of an exercise pen. 

[KRISTY FROVICH]

Thank you for replying back. She would come in every night during the winter when she was an outside dog . ( so from November to April) She was in her kennel for two winters. In February she had her first freaking out when there a big noise that startled her and that caused her to freak out any time there was any kind of noise. So at the point her kennel was in a spot that it had been since we got her. We moved her to our living room then we realized part of the problem was the cover we had over the kennel so we had no choice but to move her to my room. We had a cover out it because we have cats and they would bug her. She has only had one pee accident and that was months ago.

With the Kong after the first few minutes she just doesn’t want to play with it anymore. She loves peanut butter and she spent like 20 minutes this afternoon trying to get the rest of it from last night out.

So just to clarify I am a teenage. My mom will be most watching her when I am away. So Daisy will be a home.

She will be in my bedroom. If I leave and she is in the kennel she does panic. If I leave when she is in my bed she is fine when I leave the room. The only thing she has chewed since being an inside dog is our chair arm. That has only happened twice, the first time she was still a newly inside door and we weren't paying attention to her.

[KRISTY FROVICH]

Where would you be planning to keep her at night? Does she panic if she's in a room away from you? Does she have a history of chewing or eating things in the home? I think this could be an intermediate solution as she learns to be calmer in a crate/exercise pen, but we need to ensure she stays safe and doesn't chew things. Another option may be the use of an exercise pen. 

My only concern is that I would never be able to get her back in there at night if I need to even after she was better with her kennel, she is very set in her ways so I think that even with better kennel training she might still freak out if I could even get her in her kennel.

[KRISTY FROVICH]

Ok so last night we made Daisy a make shift exercise pen attaching to her kennel hoping that it would help her not feel so confined. I don’t think it is a confinement issue because she still did the exact same thing that she did in her kennel, the freaking out, from 11 to 6. I am not sure if she stopped at all because I was able to sleep some but she most likely whined the whole time. I really think it is an attention thing because she slept in her kennel completely fine until the incident last week that I told you about. I have been doing my best to ignore her but with it being late at night and I am so tired I slip up and look at her or talk to her sometimes which is probably why she is still whining after a week. I really need to sleep at night and I really don’t know what to do with her anymore.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

3 hours ago, KRISTY FROVICH said:

Ok so last night we made Daisy a make shift exercise pen attaching to her kennel hoping that it would help her not feel so confined. I don’t think it is a confinement issue because she still did the exact same thing that she did in her kennel, the freaking out, from 11 to 6. I am not sure if she stopped at all because I was able to sleep some but she most likely whined the whole time. I really think it is an attention thing because she slept in her kennel completely fine until the incident last week that I told you about. I have been doing my best to ignore her but with it being late at night and I am so tired I slip up and look at her or talk to her sometimes which is probably why she is still whining after a week. I really need to sleep at night and I really don’t know what to do with her anymore.

If this is purely attention-seeking behavior, it tends to get worse before it gets better. Ignoring leads to what's  called an extinction burst and then you have episodes of spontaneous recovery. 

This is the most difficult part because behaviors fueled by attention requires that we ignore these behaviors totally, no looking, no talking, no scolding, no pushing, no making eye contact. No attention at all, even attention of the negative type. You would therefore have to pretend as if your dog isn't there, waiting for her to give up engaging in the undesirable behavior. 

 In simple words, an extinction burst takes place when you have provided your dog with attention and then suddenly stop providing it. The behavior will typically intensify or the dog may try new behaviors in hopes of getting attention again. If one is able to endure this temporary intensification, one will eventually succeed.

If you give in though and dole just about any form of attention, you will be back to square one, or may have even regressed, as you have reinforced persistence. 

*However,* you mentioned that she really never liked the kennel and that she freaked out last time you closed her. On top of this, you mentioned her being startled by noises and fear of the kennel cover so we likely have some strong elements of anxiety at play.

So  we have three main solutions: take some steps in making sleeping in the play pen/crate  the best place on earth,  or if that is still too anxiety-inducing then, if sleeping on the bed is the only thing that keeps her calm and you are willing to make that her permanent sleeping place, that's OK too as long as you stick to that rather than swapping back and forth between crate and bed which can create confusion. I generally have no particular issue with dogs sleeping on beds as long as they aren't guarding the area or acting aggressive when moved/startled and that they don't take off at night to play and chew things. 

However, keep into account that, if you are are going on the camping trip, she may then suffer if she'll be sleeping in your bedroom all alone, and when dogs are anxious, they are likely to chew things and panic. Also, if you would decide to let her sleep on the bed, it would still be important getting her used to like the crate more considering that you may need to crate her when going outside. 

The third solution is having her sleep in your bedroom without being confined but on her own bed/mat. You may need to initially put the ex-pen around your bed initially to discourage her to jump up or place bulky items on the bed. Of course, this works well only if she's not the type of dog that in the middle of the night will start chewing on stuff. After my Rotties were perfectly potty trained and respectful of our things, I stopped letting them sleep in their crates at night in our bedroom, and graduated them to sleep one each on a mat on the floor at the side of our beds. 

Acclimatizing her to being comfortable in the crate/ex-pen obviously will take some time, so it's something worthy on working on for the most part once you come back from your trip. Here are some pointers to help you accomplish that: 

• Establish a reassuring bedtime routine. For example, you can have Daisy play with you a couple hours prior to bedtime, give her a last drink and then in the next hour let her wind down with some calmer interactive toys/brain games. Then, send her out to potty a last time (making sure she goes), and bring her into the bedroom, say "crate" as you toss a bully stick/long lasting chew in the crate/ex-pen, let her in it and close it. Shut off the light, say "night-night!" and go to bed. 
• During the day, create positive associations with being in the crate/ex-pen. Keep the crate/ex-pen with the door open and place toys and treats in there, so that your dog visits it often. Turn it into the best place on earth.
• Never use the crate/ex-pen for punishment. Don't yell or push your dog into a crate. 
• Have your dog assessed for separation anxiety if she struggles being left alone. Record your dog's behavior when left alone and show it to your vet. Crating can make these dogs worse and they may even hurt themselves trying to get out. 
• Teach your dog to follow a relaxation protocol. Teach your dog to be relaxed on a mat in the living room and then aim to practice having her relax on mat in the bedroom, adding one element at a time and trying your best in keeping her under threshold.
• Leave worn items of clothing in the crate/ex-pen so that your scent comforts her.
• Consider trying calming aids. DAP diffusers, DAP sprays,. There are also nowadays many calming supplements such as L-theanine, GABA teamed with L-Theanine and L-Trytophan, Calming Care by Purina etc. Ask your vet about these options.
• If the dog has had a negative experience with a particular crate it may help re-starting with a different crate in a different location. 
• Make sure she received enough exercise, training, brain games, play and mental stimulation during the day. 
• Don't let her nap too much during the day and see if that helps.
• Play calming music in the bedroom (Through a Dog's Ear, Canine Lullabies). I know a dog owner who must play Chopin for her dog, while another uses raggae (a recent study found shelter dogs respond better to raggae/soft rock).
• Some dogs do best if their crate/ex pen is right next to the human's bed. These dogs feel reassured by seeing well their owners. I had a dog not too long ago who struggled as soon I laid down in bed and he couldn't see me and then when I turned off the light. I had to use a night light and move the bed so he could always see me. 

I hope this helps! It's surely frustrating when they whine so much during the night. I hope things get better for you soon. 

[KRISTY FROVICH]

Thank you for the suggestions!

[Adrienne Farricelli]

You are very welcome, keep us posted on how things go!

Best,

Adrienne