Aggresion

[EqstrnJmpr]

My dog growls, barks, and bites when ever we try to put him in his cage at night. He has to be locked up at night and when we are out because he chews things up and goes to the bathroom in the house. i am just wondering why he would show this type of agression. He was purchased from a friend as a puppy, so we know his history. If anyone has any information that can help, it would be greatly appreciated. I would hate to have to give him up but his behavior is getting worse.

[jesse_3]

That sounds horrible! I would suggest maybe having toys and treats inside his kennel, and don't only put him in there at night.

Could you somehow tie him up with a leash at night instead??

Good Luck and Welcome to PT

Steph and Jes

[lv4dogs]

Welcome to PT!

How old is the dog?
Has he always done this?


It sounds as if he thinks the crate is a bad place. Do you ever put him in the crate for punishment or punish him while he is in the crate?
You need him to understand that his crate is a happy safe place to be. Never punish him in or near his crate nor put him in it for punishment.
Give him some toys to keep him busy while he is in there. Kong toys are great, you can fill them with all sort of treats & they have to work at them to get the yummies inside. Keep a few of his favorite toys set aside & use them ONLY when he is in the crate.
To help get him used to his crate you can feed him his meals in there. If he's really scared f his crate start off slow. Start by feeding him next to his crate, a few days later move his bowl to the door of his crate, a few days later move the bowl just inside his crate etc...
Does he seem lonely in the crate? If so is there a way to move his crate into your bedroom at night so he sleeps next to you?

Hope this helps a little!

[Dixieland Dancer]

This dog definitely regards his crate as a bad thing which means it was never properly crate trained. I suggest using baby gates to confine the dog to a area where he can't do destruction until you can properly crate train him. You need to recondition the dog to thinking the crate is a wonderful place. Until you do that, don't confine him to the crate. This may take some time and lots of patience on your part. Having him from a pup, you should be able to look back into his puppyhood to determine why he hates it so much and then work on changing that. Make the crate comfy for him. Lay by the crate with him. Store his toys in there. Feed him his meals in there. ETC. ETC. ETC...

In proper crate training you never use the crate as a negative tool. For instance to punish the dog for something you didn't want him to do such as going potty in the house or chewing something up. The dog needs to associate the crate with everything good in his life if you want to use it in a positive way.

The one thing I want to mention in this thread is that this is not a sign of aggression. It is more a sign of fear. The majority of dogs that bite do so out of fear and not aggression. The two should not be confused. My guess is your dog never shows these tendancies unless you are trying to put him in the crate. Don't make the mistake of labeling your dog aggressive when he probably really isn't. It's not fair to you or the dog.

[Pit Chick]

I aggree 100% with lv4dogs and Dixie. You could also try coaxing him into the crate with a treat so that he is being rewarded as he goes into the crate. He may also feel like he's being crated too much. Would it be possible for him to sleep in the bedroom with you at night instead of the crate, keeping the bedroom door closed so he can't wander through the house and get into trouble? He doesn't have to sleep in bed with you (unless you want him to), but just being in the same room with you at night will make him feel more secure and bonded with you and keep him from being frustrated from being crated so much.