Okay, I have two theories on what's going on here so I need some outside opinions.
Lately whenever I put Payton in his crate - which means I tell him "go crate" and he enthusiastically runs to the crate, opens the door with his nose, jumps in and spins around to look at me like =D =D SEE WHAT I DID? - if I do not immediately leave the house, or at least the room, he... throws a tantrum, I guess we can call it. He barks and screams and claws at the door, spins in circles, barks, screams. Earlier today he even grabbed his stuffed dinosaur mid-bark and kept barking with it in his mouth; that sort of thing I normally relate to frustration out of him.
I don't think he hates his crate. He goes in it quite happily, he is happy to even hang out and nap in there with the door open (or just stand in there with the door open while staring at me going "Look I got in my crate. Look what I did. do you see that I got in my crate? Am I a good boy?")
My first instinct is to just play more Crate Games with him and see if it is some kind of "I really don't care to settle in my crate" reaction. Oddly enough, if I crate him then leave the house - or the room, like if I were fixing dinner and didn't want him underfoot - then come back and don't let him out right away, he will relax in the crate quietly and just wait to be let out.
My other theory is that he's guarding the crate. When I was leaving for work before my mom was, and when she was off work after her surgery, Payton and Auggie would be crated. If Georgie was loose and went into the room and went near Payton's crate, he would apparently start this tantrum up. That is part of what makes me wonder if it's guarding. But THAT doesn't make sense either, because if I come home after work and sit down by the crate for twenty minutes without letting him out, he's not flipping out THEN trying to make me leave...
This evening I was going to go shopping, put the dogs in the crate, then remembered I wanted to print a coupon out. So I went back in the room to print the coupon and he started throwing his fit. So I went a la Crate Games and left the room... waited until he stopped barking, came back in, he started barking again, left. This went on for at least a minute before I started worrying he was guarding his crate and by LEAVING when he would bark I was reinforcing it. So now I'm not sure what my plan of action should be.
And before anybody asks, yes, he absolutely does need to still be crated. Also, everybody is crated - Auggie is crated because of his persistent bladder problems, he may pee on the floor if left out and unattended with nobody to let him outside (he won't pee in the crate.) So it's not like he is jealous because HE gets crated before I leave and Auggie is loose, before anybody suggests that idea. It does not seem to matter if I reward them for getting in their crates or if I don't reward them for getting in their crates - he throws a tantrum either way.
Thoughts?
Lately whenever I put Payton in his crate - which means I tell him "go crate" and he enthusiastically runs to the crate, opens the door with his nose, jumps in and spins around to look at me like =D =D SEE WHAT I DID? - if I do not immediately leave the house, or at least the room, he... throws a tantrum, I guess we can call it. He barks and screams and claws at the door, spins in circles, barks, screams. Earlier today he even grabbed his stuffed dinosaur mid-bark and kept barking with it in his mouth; that sort of thing I normally relate to frustration out of him.
I don't think he hates his crate. He goes in it quite happily, he is happy to even hang out and nap in there with the door open (or just stand in there with the door open while staring at me going "Look I got in my crate. Look what I did. do you see that I got in my crate? Am I a good boy?")
My first instinct is to just play more Crate Games with him and see if it is some kind of "I really don't care to settle in my crate" reaction. Oddly enough, if I crate him then leave the house - or the room, like if I were fixing dinner and didn't want him underfoot - then come back and don't let him out right away, he will relax in the crate quietly and just wait to be let out.
My other theory is that he's guarding the crate. When I was leaving for work before my mom was, and when she was off work after her surgery, Payton and Auggie would be crated. If Georgie was loose and went into the room and went near Payton's crate, he would apparently start this tantrum up. That is part of what makes me wonder if it's guarding. But THAT doesn't make sense either, because if I come home after work and sit down by the crate for twenty minutes without letting him out, he's not flipping out THEN trying to make me leave...
This evening I was going to go shopping, put the dogs in the crate, then remembered I wanted to print a coupon out. So I went back in the room to print the coupon and he started throwing his fit. So I went a la Crate Games and left the room... waited until he stopped barking, came back in, he started barking again, left. This went on for at least a minute before I started worrying he was guarding his crate and by LEAVING when he would bark I was reinforcing it. So now I'm not sure what my plan of action should be.
And before anybody asks, yes, he absolutely does need to still be crated. Also, everybody is crated - Auggie is crated because of his persistent bladder problems, he may pee on the floor if left out and unattended with nobody to let him outside (he won't pee in the crate.) So it's not like he is jealous because HE gets crated before I leave and Auggie is loose, before anybody suggests that idea. It does not seem to matter if I reward them for getting in their crates or if I don't reward them for getting in their crates - he throws a tantrum either way.
Thoughts?