Greyhound suddenly freaking out when approaching crate.

[sourcemav]

So this is a huge bummer.  I've been walking my neighbors grey for months now.  We get along, no issues, super friendly.  The ONLY thing that is different and coincides with this new behavior is that the neighbor's boyfriend and his dog weren't there this past weekend and he often will take her and his dog out together.  Anyways, normally when I enter the apartment I will announce so the grey knows I'm here.  I'll approach the crate and she will get up, sometimes slowly, sometimes quick and all excited.  I then go to the latches, unlock, and she barrels out into my arms.  Then we go outside for a little walk.  Because the boyfriend was gone for the week, she asked my to walk the grey this past fri and sat.  So Friday I go in to the apartment.  She is not getting up at all, seems to not want to go outside, but I approach and reach for the latches.  She immediately starts growling HARD.  I backed off because it was obviously startling.  Tried again and her ears went back, snarling more, barking, pretty intense too.  This was repeated both Saturday when I tried and today.  I tried coaxing her up with a treat? To get her excited and wanting to go out maybe.  Didn't work.  I go for the latches with my hand and she freaks out.  Really aggressive snarling and growling.  The owner says she is maybe just being difficult, doesn't want to go outside.  Maybe doesn't see me as the alpha?? I don't want to respond to the grey with anger or aggression obviously, but I do not think it would be wise to try and open the crate when she is in that state.  I feel it's a warning to have me back off.   So, why is this suddenly happening and happening every time the past three times I've tried to walk her?  How can it be remedied or is this a thing now?  I have to admit it is pretty scary to see her act like this.  Thank you for any advice.    

[sourcemav]

I should also add, nothing like this has ever happened since I began walking her.  I've also seen her in between these incidents, like outside with her owner, and she comes right up to me for all the pets.  It's like night and day.  

[Time4ANap]

If the dog is hurting or not feeling well, this could be a reaction to that.  The owner should probably have a vet check if there's no other incident or occurrence they know of that precipitated this. 

A growl is a warning so you definitely read that right.  The dog is not comfortable with some aspect of the situation, or has some pain or something medical going on. Doesn't sound like it's anyhting you are doing. 

[sourcemav]

I should not attempt to open the crate when the dog is freaking out and in this...intense state right?  The owner thinks if I can just get the crate open she will be ok, but I don't know if thats a smart move.  

[macoduck]

If the owner hasn't seen this side of her dog, film it on your phone.

Have you tried sitting nearby but not looking directly at her? Perhaps toss some small treats like pieces of hotdogs of chicken since they are "high value".

[sourcemav]

I tried the treat method today and the snarling bad mood persisted.  She wouldn't let me get close to the crate latches without losing it. 

[sourcemav]

Oh and also turning away from her and ignoring her when she growls. Maybe I will try the sitting approach.  

[HeyRunDog]

3 hours ago, sourcemav said:

Oh and also turning away from her and ignoring her when she growls. Maybe I will try the sitting approach.  

Take a book, sit near the crate but not so close that she growls and turned away so you are not looking directly at her and read her a story. After a bit get up and leave, don't touch the crate. Each time sit a little closer until she accepts that you aren't a threat.

[NeylasMom]

Has she had anyone else new come to take the dog our recently? Does she have food items in the crate that she didn't previously have? Has the owner changed anything else about their routine?

If not, a sudden change in behavior like this, my first step would be a vet check. Not sure how old she is, but pain could definitely cause this change. The fact that previously she has sometimes been excited and some times not could indicate a problem has been building. 

Otherwise, it's possible there's trigger stacking from the change in routine. Or maybe having the boyfriend's dog around made her feel safer.

Bottom line, I agree that you should not open the crate. She is asking you to give her space, so that's the best thing you can do until the owner figures out what's going on. 

 

[NeylasMom]

On 10/20/2021 at 1:48 AM, HeyRunDog said:

Take a book, sit near the crate but not so close that she growls and turned away so you are not looking directly at her and read her a story. After a bit get up and leave, don't touch the crate. Each time sit a little closer until she accepts that you aren't a threat.

What you're describing is desensitization without the counter-conditioning piece. Would be much better to do CC&D as a behavior mod plan, but this isn't the OP's dog. The owner needs to sort out what's going on and if medical issues are ruled out and the behavior persists, seek the help of a professional. 

[sourcemav]

On 10/22/2021 at 9:51 PM, NeylasMom said:

Has she had anyone else new come to take the dog our recently? Does she have food items in the crate that she didn't previously have? Has the owner changed anything else about their routine?

If not, a sudden change in behavior like this, my first step would be a vet check. Not sure how old she is, but pain could definitely cause this change. The fact that previously she has sometimes been excited and some times not could indicate a problem has been building. 

Otherwise, it's possible there's trigger stacking from the change in routine. Or maybe having the boyfriend's dog around made her feel safer.

Bottom line, I agree that you should not open the crate. She is asking you to give her space, so that's the best thing you can do until the owner figures out what's going on. 

 

The only thing that is different is the boyfriend not being there for that particular week.  It will be interesting to see now that he is back how she will be when I try and walk her wed.  

[sourcemav]

So in general, if the dog is aggressively barking, snarling, and growling, ears back, is it a smart idea to open the crate or should I back off and stop interacting with her when she is at that point?  The owner suggests just opening the crate and lifting it a bit and kinda dumping her out.  She thinks the dog will be A-ok once out of the crate.  Your thoughts?

[NeylasMom]

5 minutes ago, sourcemav said:

So in general, if the dog is aggressively barking, snarling, and growling, ears back, is it a smart idea to open the crate or should I back off and stop interacting with her when she is at that point?  The owner suggests just opening the crate and lifting it a bit and kinda dumping her out.  She thinks the dog will be A-ok once out of the crate.  Your thoughts?

And what happens if she's not okay when you do that? Now you're alone with a loose aggressive dog. Not to mention that the dog is communicating in every way she knows how that she doesn't want you to approach. If you persist, her next option is biting. So even if it goes okay for a time or two, it may not the next time. 

It really sounds to me like the dog would prefer not to have the walks.