Dog refuses to go into kennel...

sophiemai

Hey all, really hoping someone can help with this - any suggestions welcome! We have a 3yr old boxer cross, we've had her for about 18months and she's really well behaved but the last 2 weeks she refuses to go into her kennel at night. She will go halfway in and then come back out as if there's something in there(there isn't, we've checked!) and just sit on the ground beside it. We've tried just leaving her blanket in there and hoping she'll just go in but we've watched her from upstairs and she pulls the blanket out and sleeps on the ground outside. Nothing has changed about her routine so we can't work out whats wrong...the only thing we can think of is that if a cat or something was in the kennel and left it's scent behind, that could be why she won't stay in there??

peasant

It could simply be too hot for her in there after a long sunny day.

sophiemai

Hey peasant, I don't think that's it because she doesn't normally go out until around midnight when my husband goes to work so it should be cool enough and we didn't ever have this with her last summer. It's really weird because it came out of nowhere, it's been every night for about 2 weeks - last night she pulled the blanket out and slept on the wet ground, it had been raining for most of yesterday and wouldn't have been that warm...

luckat

Hmm. Maybe something attacked her in the kennel when you were asleep? Or maybe she's watching for something - foxes?

sophiemai

We live in an estate, never seen any foxes around but suppose something could have freaked her out...any suggestions on how to fix it?

luckat

You could try moving the kennel - facing it a different way, for instance. And maybe wash it inside - there may be bugs?

kerrysgold

Why can't she just live in the house with you?

sophiemai

We've swept out the kennel and my husband was planning on powerhosing it today but I don't know if he will with the weather being so bad...
As regards her living in the house, we decided when we got her that she would sleep outside and she's been happy enough with that until recently...she's inside all day and all evening though

granturismo

Has someone let her stay in overnight recently?

Or when neither of you are working does she stay in the house longer than midnight?

If there is nothing wrong with the kennel then perhaps she's trying emotional blackmail to get back into the house? Although if she's not whining or barking then probably not the case.

sophiemai

hey granturismo, she hasn't stayed in at night for months. we let her sleep inside for one night when we moved house about 6 months ago but it was just because she was not familiar with the house/garden. shes not making any noise to get in so doesn't seem to be an attention seeking thing, shes not barking or whining and she doesn't pull the blankets out until after we've locked up and turned the lights off, really confused by it all!!

miss no stars

my dog used to sleep in a workshop (perfectly safe!!) we have at the end of our garden and then all of a sudden one night he refused to go back in. He wouldn't even go in during daytime either, just stood outside looking in with tail wagging. Never worked it out but eventually he got over whatever issue he had with it and decided he'd go back in. Could be just a phase.. It was around the 18 month mark too... Is there a shed your dog can move to in the mean time?

They can be a bit like kids at times, I guess, going through little phases.

kkmick

I have a similar problem to you,but my 8 month labrador puppy will go into her kennel no problem but wont go in when its raining, she sleeps inside in a crate and is inside most of the time with the back door open so she can come and go when we're in the house and only outside when we have to leave the house(not often as theres usually someone here), but she doesnt seem to know to get in out of the rain i've tried treats and her blanket but she just pulls it out too and sleeps in the rain
anybody have any ideas?

muletide

Hi,

We had the same problem so we started to put her food at the back of the kennel at meal times. Do Not allow her to eat outside it. Eventually she will get used to it

It worked a treat for us

Good Luck

Mr. Presentable

There may be something stinky under it

kkmick

muletide wrote: »

Hi,

We had the same problem so we started to put her food at the back of the kennel at meal times. Do Not allow her to eat outside it. Eventually she will get used to it

It worked a treat for us

Good Luck

Thanks i'll give it a go

luckat

Perhaps an exorcist?

kerrysgold

sophiemai wrote: »

We've swept out the kennel and my husband was planning on powerhosing it today but I don't know if he will with the weather being so bad...
As regards her living in the house, we decided when we got her that she would sleep outside and she's been happy enough with that until recently...she's inside all day and all evening though

whats the point in putting her outside to sleep so if she's OK in the house?

Intothesea

Hello there. Maybe your pup was cornered
in her kennel one night, and is wary as
Luckat says (this would disappear after a
while I think). If she has being growing (0
- 18 months) for the duration of kennel-sleeping,
maybe she's suddenly concluded that it's too
small for her? If the kennel is big enough that
space couldn't be a complaint, and the problem
persists I would open up another entryway to
the side/back of the kennel, colder, but
probably a lot more agreeable to a gentle dog
worried about escape. HTH

muletide

Another trick we used was to cut a piece of old carpet to the size of the kennel floor.

Bring this into her inside bed and let her lie on it for a few days, then take it out and tack it down to the floor of the kennel this will give it a familiar scent and stop her pulling it out

Leeby

kerrysgold wrote: »

whats the point in putting her outside to sleep so if she's OK in the house?

She's probably okay in the house when she's supervised, maybe they don't want to leave her alone in the house when they're sleeping in case she misbehaves. Doesn't matter anyway, the OP has said the dog is to sleep in the kennel and that's that, no need for all the questions!

houndsoflove

You could try putting something into her kennel that you have worn all day like a t-shirt or top etc this way your scent will be on it and she might go in and sleep on top of it.

sophiemai

hey all, sorry for not answering any earlier. we powerhosed the kennel inside and out and problem solved!! she's as happy as larry in there now and we've no problems getting her in each night. thanks for all the suggestions

granturismo

Good to hear that the problem has been solved.