Why was Ziggy refusing to leave his crate in the morning?
The motto is: if what you’re doing now isn’t working, do ‘Something Completely Different’.
For the past few months Ziggy, the 18-month old Springer/Cocker/Poodle, refuses to get up in the morning.
Ziggy won’t come out of his crate.
He only uses his crate at night time and goes in happily when asked. He will wait by the open crate door for them to get up and give the ‘Beddybies’ cue before going in.
Then they give him a little fuss goodnight, shut the crate door and leave him.
But….
Ziggy won’t get up in the morning.
Ziggy refuses to leave his crate.
They spend the next three hours or so trying to get him up to go out to toilet, for a walk and his breakfast. Some days they both need to go out to work.
Here is a short video: Ziggy.
He just lies there. It’s a tribute to the first-time dog owners’ refusal to use force with Ziggy that they have never tried to drag him out which could result in encouraging aggression.
They entice him, show him his lead and his food. They do all they can apart from one thing. Simply leaving the crate door open and leaving him to it!
Some days the couple both work. Fearing he will need to toilet, they have resorted to getting in a dog walker to take him out at about 11am. She had to come again later to try again.
The dog walker only got him out by bringing her own dog with her!
They have tried everything – or so they think
They have already tried putting the crate in a different place. They have tried ditching the crate altogether and leaving him a bed.
He then wouldn’t get out of the bed! He guarded the bed so they stopped that. They hadn’t realised with the crate that an element guarding is involved. He’s quiet – and very still.
It’s not so much that he doesn’t want to be out of the crate as that he doesn’t want to abandon it.
Here is the do ‘Something Completely Different‘ plan.
At bedtime they will call ‘Beddybies’ as usual when they are ready to go to bed. Sometimes he wants to go early; now he will either have to take himself in or wait.
When before they would have shut the crate door, they will leave it ajar. To be different, they won’t put their hands in to fuss him but drop a bit of food instead.
In the morning they will come down and ignore Ziggy in the crate.
They will prepare his food and put it where it usually goes. They may sit in the garden for a coffee. They will start their daily routine. They will take absolutely no notice of Ziggy.
I would put my money on his coming out – if not already out during the night.
Ziggy loves action company and a fuss.
In the crate = ignored.
Out of the crate = company, breakfast and action.
I was right! The next morning: “We sent Ziggy to bed when we went to bed and left crate door ajar. We forgot to shut the door to kitchen/utility room so at 5.30am we were lovingly awaken by a fluff ball jumping onto the bed! I promptly told him to go down stairs and he happily ran to living room and curled up on sofa. An hour later I made coffee and joined him on sofa for cuddle”.
Tonight they will remember to shut the door. Let’s see what happens.
The next day: So this morning we went down around 8am (remembered to leave kitchen door shut this time!). Matt ignored Ziggy. As he went into the room Ziggy got up and sat by back door and went straight out for wee!! What a result!!! Then the rest of morning pottered about and he randomly took himself back to crate ( as we didn’t shut it) but as ignored him he quickly came out and didn’t bother with it again.
if your dog is playing you up, you need an objective view. Book an online session. Then we can together concoct a cunning plan!
