7 yr old dog aggressive when we try to get him out of crate

**Jcorosco** · 01-20-2009, 03:06 PM

Thurston is a peaceful, wonderful dog except...when we are leaving and want him to go outside, he refuses to leave his crate. He growls, and snaps and actually caught my husband's hand which required 5 stitches. Other than when we are trying to get him out, he has never shown any signs of aggression. We don't want to reward his behavior by leaving him in the house free and we don't want to leave him locked in his crate for 8 hours while we are at work...suggestions please!

**Bonny** · 01-21-2009, 08:26 AM

Could you gently tip the crate from the back forcing Thurston out that way?Then tip it up so he can't climb back in. I don't know the size of your dog if it is a big one then it could be more difficult to do this. Another thing you would have the crate between you & him so he could not bite you.

**Karen** · 01-21-2009, 09:44 AM

Why not leave him in his crate? What kind of dog is he? How long have you had him? Is this new behavior?

**Taz_Zoee** · 01-21-2009, 11:05 AM

Move the crate outside with him in it. Not knowing the size of the dog this may or may not be possible. Obviously he feels comfortable in the crate and doesn't want to come out.

**Jcorosco** · 01-21-2009, 11:05 AM

Thanks for the quick responses. Thurston is a lab mix, so he's pretty big. We have had him since we got him from the pound as a puppy. This isn't a new behavior (he's been crabby about it for the past two years or so), but it has gotten much worse in the past few months. I used to be able to scratch his nose a little, then grab his collar and he would come out. Now he growls and snaps...I tried tipping the kennel, but he just laid down. As to the question as to why we just don't leave him in his kennel? Partly because we are sometimes gone 8 or 9 hours, and partly because it doesn't seem to us that he should get to choose. We have two kids (12 and 6) and we need to know that the dog knows that although we love him, we are in charge. Again, we are feeling kind of helpless here and could use any advice you have.

**Jcorosco** · 01-21-2009, 11:07 AM

And about moving the crate out with him in it...that's exactly what I did yesterday, but since he's a big dog...it wasn't easy

I don''t think I could do it every morning.

**Karen** · 01-21-2009, 11:15 AM

Letting him stay in the crate all day would not be "giving in" and letting him "choose." Is he fed in the crate? Could you lure him out with a treat, and positive attention? Try that, it sounds like right now you just get him out of the crate and he goes straight outside for the day. Has anything changed outside to make that a negative thing? Any other recent changes in the household? How do you react when he refuses to come out? Has he been to the vet lately to make sure nothing medical - like the onset of arthritis or something - could be affecting his temperament?