red setter

jap gt

hi

i have a 5 month old red setter, great playful dog but recently when i go into her pen to feed/walk her she blocks the door and barks and growls at me when im leaving, now i know its playful to her but i want to deter her as im worried she will get worse and with children around she might end up snapping at them, is it something she will grow out of

seamus

You need to get the dog used to the pen as her space and get her to understand that you will come back. Put the dog in the pen, but stick around. If she's whining and barking, leave her at it. When she calms down or relaxes, go into the pen, give her a few minutes of cuddles, then leave her in the pen again.

Rinse and repeat over and over. Increase the time between you coming in and out of the pen and also go out of sight, but always waiting until she's not barking or whining before going in and giving her cuddles.

Do the opposite too - let her out of the pen for a few minutes at a time for a bit of fun and then bring her back in, praise/cuddle her and leave her there for a while. Avoid dragging her or carrying her into the pen. You go in first and then call the dog in. Make a huge fuss over her when she comes.

This way the dog understands that the pen isn't permanent and that her being there and being quiet makes you happy.

However, if the dog is being left in the pen for long periods (hours) during the day, then it's unlikely that you'll get her to relax in the pen because she will always associate the pen with boredom and being trapped for hours.