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Won't Come Out Of Crate


Guest Alex1989

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Guest Alex1989

I adopted a greyhound 4 weeks ago and have recently encountered a problem. At first my greyhound would go in her crate and whenever i got her leash she would come running out and ready to go outside. She has now started to not come out of her crate. a couple weeks ago she would not come out all day i tried pulling her out but she layed there until her crate was literally sliding along the floor and I gave up. I pet her a lot and encouraged her tried treats and nothing worked eventually I just ahd to lift her out and then she was happy and wagging her tail and came outside. Now eveytime i want her to come out i have to almsot lift her out again. If i close her crate she will come on the couch and walk around the house and lay on her bed in living room but if the crate is open it is the only place she will go and will nto come out voluntarily. Should I be shutting her out of her crate when I'm home or just leave the door open and let her go in it?

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Where do you live? Is it really cold out right now?

 

Kili drives me nuts because now that it is super cold out, when I open her crate first thing in the morning she takes about 30 seconds to a minute to decide to come out (normally she jumps right out) because she does not want to go for our morning walk. It has recently gotten SO cold out that even I have decided to forgo our walks. -30C before the windchill... when nose hairs are sticking and exposed skin is painful within seconds... too cold for the hounds to be out even with coats on!

 

Anyway, part of it might be the colder weather if she is perhaps suspecting that she might have to go out in it. And then of course she's just so new and she might be overwhelmed in general.

Kristie and the Apex Agility Greyhounds: Kili (ATChC AgMCh Lakilanni Where Eagles Fly RN IP MSCDC MTRDC ExS Bronze ExJ Bronze ) and Kenna (Lakilanni Kiss The Sky RN MADC MJDC AGDC AGEx AGExJ). Waiting at the Bridge: Retired racer Summit (Bbf Dropout) May 5, 2005-Jan 30, 2019

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She might just consider her crate her safe space. When do you put her in her crate? Is she crated only when you're not home? When you're home - is her crate door open and she chooses to be in there with an open door?

 

What's your daily routine?

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Guest Alex1989

I always leave it open when ever me or my wife is home. I take her for a walk before I leave for work and then my wife or a friend takes her mid day outside. I take her for another walk ususally after work around 5 and then out again before bed and she sleeps in her crate. It is cold out but she has been doing this even when it was +5 outside. I first thought she just feels safe in her crate and so I just left her alone but she didn't come out the entire day, went in for bed the day before and didn't come out the whole next day. At this point i thought it was bad for her health to not go to the bathroom for that long (24hrs) so I had to force her out and as soon as she was standing outside of her crate she was all happy. She gladly goes outside once she is out of her crate even in -25 temperatures it is just getting out of the crate that is the problem. Thanks for the help.

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I've read this a couple of times and my first thought, and now second, is when you're home, close the crate door so she can't hunker down in it. You say she's happy when she's not in it so I can't see any reason to offer it to her. Is there a reason you use a crate at all? Does she need to be crated when you're not home? Does she need to be crated at night? Many of us stopped using a crate entirely within a few days after adoption.

 

Someone said after 4 weeks she's not used to anything, but my little experience with my one Greyhound would speak differently. Each day they learn something new, starting where their food and water are to the door you go out to go potty to the words/tone of voice, "I love you." If she wasn't used to anything, she'd be peeing & pooing in the house and crying/whining all the time.

Edited by Feisty49
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Hmmm... Thanks for the additional info. That helps a lot.

 

I think she's getting too attached to that crate. You're right - she NEEDS to get out of it. Close the door and don't let her in it when you're home. I've had foster greys that considered the crate their "safe spot" that they'd go to if they got nervous - but they never stayed there long. We do "open crate" for a lot of new fosters - some just like that idea that they can go to their spot when they need to - but many of them never used it. Even the ones that did - quit going there after a week or so.

 

Your girl is something different. She's developed a weird attachment that you need to break (just like some greys start chewing or peeing in the house or other bad behaviors after "the honeymoon" month is over). This is not a huge deal - just a bump in the road. Get her out of the crate when you're home - put a leash on her and pull her out if other means don't work. Close the door - and make it a happy time (sounds like she'll be happy anyway).

 

If you've been crating her when you're gone - I'd continue that. Don't take away everything at once or you could cause other problems - like SA.

 

When she becomes comfortable being out of crate when you're home, consider loosing the crate at night, then when you're gone.

 

It's a baby's pacifier. It's got to go - but do it in stages.

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Will she come out for treats? My Finn will go ANYWHERE for a milkbone! Will she come out for her food? When it's been particularly cold at night sometimes Finn doens't want to go out for his last potty - then he'll just go lay in his crate and wants to stay there. I coax him out with a milkbone and then take him out. Then he gets another treat when he comes in for being such a good boy to go out in the cold.

Edited by Tam234
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your dog sounds exactly like my first greyhound emily. the crate was placed in the living room. she did not want to get out of her crate. i started to think that there was something wrong with her. she was sociable with people once out of the crate, no problems on walks and no problems at our massive thanksgiving dinner(16 people which was 24 days after she was adopted)- she roached on my welsh terrier's small dog bed. but she used to hunker down and i had to leash her when she was in the crate and offer her a treat to get out. once i started clicker training a new dog blossomed. she needed a job!! emily raced 168 races, was 4.5 yrs old and was a working girl. she just needed to focus on something tangible. this dog in a crate went from a blob to therapy dog/canine good citizen in 2 months. i would say a total of 4 months for her total transformation. she loved working in obedience and at nursing homes. i did start her training about 4 or 5 weeks after she was adopted. i hope you have as much success as i did.

 

btw, i always kept the crate around. it was her safe place. even though our home in small we knew she loved it, why take it away.

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Guest Greyt_dog_lover

Us humans need to get over the stigma that crates are bad. Obviously your hound enjoys the crate, so why on earth would you take it away from her? She has had everything else she is used to taken away, why take this away too? Clepto, I believe, has the best advise to enroll in obedience classes and give your girl a "job" to do. Remember, her entire life has been regulated and scheduled, get her back on a schedule and give her something to do and you may be very surprised at your little girl.

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Guest Alex1989

Thanks everyone for the help. We kept her out of her crate over the weekend when we were home and now we just leave the door open and I havent made her go in to sleep. I haven't been gone for a whole day yet but left for a few hours when she was not in her crate and she was fine. Now that she didn't sleep in her crate a few days she rarely ever goes in it any more and we always leave the door open. So far so good! she does like treats but she will only eat one when laying down once she figures out what a treat is and is a little more relaxed I am going to try and clicker train her as well. Thanks!

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Good news!

 

I don't think any of us think crates are bad, but obviously it was causing a problem for Alex1989's household when her hound refused to come out for something as basic as going potty. And obviously her hound is as happy out of the crate as in because she was just fine being alone in the house and not being crated.

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Just try to remember you have only had her for 4 weeks and it takes them a while to adjust to these changes. Their way of life before they are adopted is VERY different. Just give her time and space and she'll come around. She'll also learn what treats are.

 

Mom to Melly and Dani

Greyhound Bridge Angels - Jessie, Brittne, Buddy,

Red, Chica, Ford and Dodge.

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Us humans need to get over the stigma that crates are bad. Obviously your hound enjoys the crate, so why on earth would you take it away from her? She has had everything else she is used to taken away, why take this away too? Clepto, I believe, has the best advise to enroll in obedience classes and give your girl a "job" to do. Remember, her entire life has been regulated and scheduled, get her back on a schedule and give her something to do and you may be very surprised at your little girl.

Who said crates are bad? Certainly not me. I believe in appropriate use of crates - just as I believe in many training methods and devices.

 

What I think is "bad" is a dog clinging to a security blanket to the point it doesn't want out - when it can be comfortably transitioned out of it to lead a fuller life when it is happy interacting with its family.

 

My DD loved her pacifier - but I took it away from her, by gradual means, when the time was appropriate. Just because she "enjoyed" it - didn't mean that I should allow her to cling to it forever.

 

We can agree to disagree on this point. But I am happy that the OP's dog has happily transitioned to having the option to go in the crate whenever she wants - but has gotten over the compulsion to live her life there.

Agree with Greyt_dog_lover..We humans are so funny..lol

I agree that living in a crate may be all that these dogs have known. I disagree with the idea that we shouldn't strive to make their worlds bigger.

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  • 10 years later...

Hello everyone! Just looking for help! 
 

everyday I go to work which is a 12hr shift my dog won’t come out her cage for my girlfriend even tho she opens the cage and puts food in her bowl she won’t come out till I’m home! Not for food water or to use the toilet, not to play or even see what’s going on! It’s causing huge strain on my partner and I have no idea how to sort this ! Please if anybody knows anything 

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Does she need to be crated? Has she shown destructive behavior while you are away from home? You could set up cameras around your home to see if she is calm or upset in your absence

How long have you had her?  Have you spoken with your adoption group? Is she known to be a spook (extremely shy)?

Does she behave differently around your girlfriend when you are there with her? Could it be that your girlfriend has some frustration (maybe because she is in a hurry) that your dog is sensing? I don't mean yelling, I mean giving off a vibe.

Have your girlfriend open the kennel door and walk away or go sit down and relax within view of your greyhound.

How often do you feed her and at what times? The kennel is her safe space and she shouldn't be forced out.

 

Freshy (Droopys Fresh), NoAh the podenco orito, Howie the portuguese podengo maneto
Angels: Rita the podenco maneta, Lila, the podenco, Mr X aka Denali, Lulu the podenco andaluz, Hada the podenco maneta, Georgie Girl (UMR Cordella),  Charlie the iggy,  Mazy (CBR Crazy Girl), Potato, my mystery ibizan girl, Allen (M's Pretty Boy), Percy (Fast But True), Mikey (Doray's Patuti), Pudge le mutt, Tessa the iggy, Possum (Apostle), Gracie (Dusty Lady), Harold (Slatex Harold), "Cousin" Simon our step-iggy, Little Dude the iggy ,Bandit (Bb Blue Jay), Niña the galgo, Wally (Allen Hogg), Thane (Pog Mo Thoine), Oliver (JJ Special Agent), Comet, & Rosie our original mutt.

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