Sabriel and the crate.

LunaBrown · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:36 am Post subject: Sabriel and the crate.

I've posted before looking for advice on our foster Sabriel and the crate, but I still need help - she is not getting any better, and with my husband for some reason she is getting worse!

Sabriel is an awesome happy go lucky dog, until it's time to get her to 'kennel up' - she will run to the bed or the couch and turn on her back and snarl and whine, a temper tantrum of sorts.

I am able to just walk over and pick her up and place her feet on the ground and she will usually walk in her crate for me. I then give her a million good girls and a treat and we're good to go.

With my husband, he is the one that has to crate her every morning for the work day since he leaves last. I do not think Sabriel's attitude has improved - I believe it's worsened when it comes to him. He e-mailed me this morning and he's pretty upset because when he picked her up this morning she bit him.... Evil or Very Mad

I do not want to give up on this dog, but it's been nearly 5 weeks now with very little change. We've tried to feed her in there and she will just plain refuse to eat when we do that... I've even gone and gotten a plastic crate instead of the wire one we had to see if that would help...

I'm just at my wits end because hubby is very frustrated with this dog....

I do not think we will be able to adopt her out unless this issue gets fixed... Confused

Phoenix1705 · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:55 am Post subject:

Oh that stinks! Crate training isn't always easy, especially when they are older. I am sure you have tried the whole getting her in there a few minutes at a time while you are home, trying to make it fun, the treats, etc. I am not sure what else you can try. Is this the last problem you are having with her? Maybe a family will want to adopt her that won't need to kennel her, like someone is home all the time, or they have a room they can put her in that she can't damage. Smile

Keep us posted!

DukesMom · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:57 am Post subject:

Did she nip at him or actually bite and draw blood? Do you know anything about her history? Was she around men? Have you noticed her acting funny around other men or is it just your husband?

LunaBrown · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:12 am Post subject:

She is fine around all men we've come across - we took her to a NAVHDA training night last week, and this past weekend and she did great with all the people she met - men, women, teenagers, children. She's fine with my husband all the time, except crating time.

Once we get her in the crate she's absolutely fine.... She hasn't drawn blood, but she is definitely not kidding when she's doing it... it's been enough to scare one family away completely.

She came with 3 issues - being 'handled' (bath, ears, nails), the crate and under-socialization. Her previous owner, a soft spoken gal, established absolutely zero dominance over this dog... We've been working on her being handled, we can now pick her up and hold her, trim nails, etc. without issue, and with Luna's help we've been able to intro her to other dogs and she's doing much better... I don't think she'll be good around small dogs though.... which just leaves us with the crate.

kamfam · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:32 am Post subject:

Gosh, I wish I had advice for you.

What is she like in the crate once she's in there? do you see her on the web cam?

LunaBrown · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:44 am Post subject:

kamfam · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:50 am Post subject:

So, she only gives your husband a hard time with the crate (or always)? Do you think she sees him as submissive to her?

This seems strangely similar to our issues with Bo - except it was with children. And in no particular situations, either.

LunaBrown · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:58 am Post subject:

kamfam · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:10 am Post subject:

Maybe she's afraid of him? I'm wondering if she's acting defensively because she's scared. Do you know if there was any abuse in her past? Maybe the soft-spoken gal's BF or something???????

LunaBrown · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:22 am Post subject:

weimdawgs · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:40 am Post subject:

I think she is just trying to get her way with him. You have made tremendous progress with her is 5 weeks. Five weeks is not a long time at all. There is a difference between a "bite" and a snap or nip to get their way. That is how she is communicating her displeasure. She can't say to him "I don't want to go to my crate" so she snaps/nips. She is fine once she is in there, so it's not an SA issue or anything like that. She just does not want to go and is being defiant. She has learned that she will not get her way with you....now it is just a matter of him letting her know she is not going to get her way with him either.

I can't even tell you how many times Jake bit John...not bad bites but he did break the skin a few times. He was just so used to getting his way by intimidation with his previous owner and he thought it would work with us too.

We knew what Jake was doing...being a brat, but he is a big boy and can be very intimidating. We also knew that if he was actually trying to do real damage, he certainly could.

Mindy, Miss Sabriel is just being a brat. Don't give up on her, you are doing a great thing for her. Tell hubby not to give up on her either. You two may be her last chance. And she will need a strong and dog savvy owner.

Keep up the good work.

Give both the girls a hug for me...when they are behaving Laughing

OtherDawg · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:06 am Post subject: Getting her way

I don't ever recall letting her get her way with me at all. That's what confuses me. I'm going to say it has to do with me being a man, and her not being used to that. It was that whole thing for like 4 days she would kennel for me, and then she just stopped and I don't know what I did different. I would like to talk her into her kennel every time, but I don't know if I have the kind of time for that especially in the mornings before I go to work. I don't want to have to handle her every time she has to go in her kennel, but that's the only way I can get her in. I don't argue with her, I just try and do what Mindy does and pick her up, and place her infront of her kennel so she will go in, which she does. I don't usually raise my voice or make gestures or anything, just ask her calmly to kennel up, and that's when the "fun" starts.

DukesMom · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:18 pm Post subject:

Do you give her treats when she goes in the crate? My dogs always get a treat when they go in. It might really really simplify things (if she is food driven it should work). My dogs get all excited to go in their crates cause they know it's treat time. Gracie runs in as fast as she can when I grab the treats. Duke can be a bit stubborn about it at times, but all I have to do usually is say "good boy Dukie" and he'll go right in. Every once in a while he runs from me and I calmly walk over to him and point to the crate with a very stern voice and say "crate up" and he will go right in.