My Dog Is Afraid of His Cage

A new dog will not immediately take to his crate or cage. Acclimating your pet to his new home is key to making him comfortable, and leaving him safe when you have to leave the house. The main thing you want to avoid is making your dog feel as though he is being placed in his crate as punishment. This will only lead to increased stress for him, and more problems for you when he resists being placed in his cage. Follow these tips for helping a dog afraid of his cage.

  1. Timing

    • Do not attempt to get your dog in his cage when you need him in his cage. I know this sounds counter intuitive, but you do not want to wait until you are 10 minutes late for work to try to get Fido into his cage. Work with him when you have some free time. Leave the door open, but place treats inside his cage. Only feed him treats this way. If he wants a treat, he knows where to look.

    Open Door Policy

    • You do not want your dog to feel as though he will be locked in his cage the moment he steps inside. This is reinforcing a behavior of avoiding going into the cage. Maintain an open-door policy for your dog while you are at home. Leave his cage door open, and make the cage floor as comfortable as possible. Place his favorite treats and toys inside. If he wants to play, or enjoy a snack, he will have to step inside. This reinforces a positive outcome for him when he goes into his cage.

    Temporary Isolation

    • If you decide it is time for your dog to go in his cage, and he goes in and whines and whimpers, leave the room. Do not yell at him, and do not ever hit the sides of the cage. Simply leaving the room indicates to him that howling and whining is not going to get him what he wants. Return to the room when he has calmed down. Remain in the room for a time, and if he remains calm, let him out. This reinforces that proper cage etiquette is what leads to being let out to play.

    Minimize Time in the Cage

    • Your dog is a social creature, and wants to be out and playing with you. Minimize the time you make your dog spend in his cage. He should be able to remain in his cage when necessary, but a dog caged up all day is going to develop anxiety regardless of how well-behaved he is.