Dog refuses to use kennel

OU812

Hoping someone can help me out here, my retriever, suddenly (about 6 weeks ago) refused to use his kennel, preferring instead to sit out in the garden, sometimes when it's raining - empty house until the kids come home & I've seen him on the security camera). It could be lashing down & he'll either sit out in it getting soaked or curl up & lie down still exposed.

I cleaned out his kennel, I tried changing his cushion, gave him time with it indoors to get used to it & get his smell on it. I cut back the ivy around it in case it was spooking him, moved it closer to the house, all to no avail.

I let him out into the garden this morning to pee & have a sniff around & he sat staring in the window & is right now curled up under a bush at the end of the garden. I've even seen him curled up right beside the kennel.

Any ideas?

AnneFrank

I don't! Our jack chi sleeps under a bush in the summer, could it be the heat at the moment?

tk123

Could he have been spooked by fireworks etc? My retriever boy won't go on a walk in the evenings atm with fireworks going off and would think twice about even going out in the garden after dark in case he gets a fright. Both of mine are fast asleep inside now where they're happy.

my3cents

I noticed our GSD x Wolf (LOL but he does look the part) was out all night in the rain a week or so back. In the morning when I woke up there was a chicken walking around in the dog run. The chicken had gone to roost in the dog kennel and the stupid dog was to scared to go in :rolleyes:

So I suppose what I'm saying is its not always that easy to work out the weirdness of dogology to know exactly why they do some things.

my3cents

Is it possible you can start to feed him just inside his kennel, start outside and as near as he is comfortable with and move a bit closer each day until he's happy eating inside.

Also any toys you can play with and use them to get him used to going back into the kennel. If you threw a ball into his kennel for one of our dogs that is ball mad there is nothing in the world that would keep him from getting it.

Perhaps someone else can say if thats good or bad dog psychology.

elperello

If he was happy in the kennel before and stopped using it suddenly the evidence points to a bad experience in it.
Could he have been attacked by another dog or maybe a feral cat while he was in it?

Suckit

Any possibility of another creature having got in there?

A few years ago my sister had a similar problem. It turned out that a squirrel had been using the kennel, pure fluke we spotted it because it was there from early evening until very early in the morning and was getting in from under the back of it.

georgewickstaff

Leave him in kitchen in a nice basket. If you want an outdoor animal buy a sheep or a goat.

tk123

Suckit wrote: »

It turned out that a squirrel had been using the kenne.

:pac::pac: thats probably the one thing that would get Bailey in!

georgewickstaff

georgewickstaff wrote: »

Leave him in kitchen in a nice basket. If you want an outdoor animal buy a sheep or a goat.

While I agree with the general sentiment, the Op does imply the dog is only outside while there's no one home until the kids get home from school.

The only problem for me with leaving a dog outside in that circumstance is the possibility of him being stolen. The op says he's watching the dog on a camera, so hes obviously on top of that.

I also worry about them having a safe, dry place to go. Clearly this whole thread is proof of the OPs commitment to that.

So I think maybe your reply is unfounded.

volchitsa

Deleted User wrote: »

While I agree with the general sentiment, the Op does imply the dog is only outside while there's no one home until the kids get home from school.

The only problem for me with leaving a dog outside in that circumstance is the possibility of him being stolen. The op says he's watching the dog on a camera, so hes obviously on top of that.

I also worry about them having a safe, dry place to go. Clearly this whole thread is proof of the OPs commitment to that.

So I think maybe your reply is unfounded.

Yes, our dog likes being outside in the garden when we're not there, not so keen when we're in the house though, but even then she likes to go out to check up from time to time.

I guess it depends on your garden, but when they're alone, I think biggish dogs with plenty of fur are happy enough outside as long as they have decent shelter for whenever they want it. It's a lot less boring than inside the house - she does her rounds, and digs holes for us, which is a bit of a pain. That's the main reason I'd have for keeping her inside, except when the weather is really filthy.

tk123

volchitsa wrote: »

It's a lot less boring than inside the house

Not all dogs need to be on the go all day keeping themselves busy though - some know how to relax and are very content sleeping all day.

The OP's dog is suddenly spooked by the kennel so my guess is that he either had an imposter in the kennel or something frightened him when he was in it. There's one route one of my retrievers won't walk because he got a fright there last year from some fireworks - he was 4 before he was bothered by them.

Pat Mustard

OU812 wrote: »

Hoping someone can help me out here, my retriever, suddenly (about 6 weeks ago) refused to use his kennel, preferring instead to sit out in the garden, sometimes when it's raining - empty house until the kids come home & I've seen him on the security camera). It could be lashing down & he'll either sit out in it getting soaked or curl up & lie down still exposed.

Is he looking in the window in the hope that someone might come out to him? If so, maybe he is bored/lonely. Perhaps longer walks and/or more interaction would help?

jsabina

My dogs as well stay outside when I am at work and are happy about it / happier than being in the house.
They have a whole shed for them with a Sofa bed because they are spoilt dogs!!
I used to leave them inside and watch them with the camera, and noticed they wanted to go outside!
Now I still watch them, they are sleeping, the collie likes to be outside most of the times, sometimes even under the rain.
The bigger dog is always on the sofa, but they go out from time to time to sniff, have a run around and of course do some barking to the postman / birds or other.. but luckily not too much!

To go back on topic.. I never used kennels because I never had luck with them. Any of my dogs never went in their kennel, while they love their shed with sofa and dog beds. I used to spend time with them in it, so maybe that's why..

Blogger50

Leaving aside the inside/outside debate, this happened us with Finn a couple of years ago. Couldn't understand it at all. Anyway, one night I went to let her out for a pee before bed and the neighbours cats flew out of the kennel!.

Threw out all the bedding and scrubbed down the kennel and not a bother since!