Cage - Dog goes crazy when put in cage or knows its going in?

Dog goes crazy when put in cage or knows its going in?

Everytime we leave our house we put both our dogs in seperate cages in the same room. Our lab goes off the deep end when put in his cage and gets so aggresive he tries to attack us. Today he bit my fiance and I am on my last nerve. We went to the vet and got behavioral training tips and the dog is even on some type of pill for anxiety. But still if he knows we are leaving and putting him in the cage he goes crazy its scary. Tried leaving him out of the cage but he chewed up the whole room. What do i do? I really do not want to get rid of him but he is endangering people now

Public Comments

try putting things inside the cage that he/she will like (ie: food, treats, toys, blankets, an electric blanket on a low setting, a clock that ticks to mimic a mothers heart beating, radio next to cage.) and leave the door open while your still home and when he/she starts to see the cage as a place it likes to be it wont be such a problem to get the dog in the cage later because it wont see the cage as a punishment. I'm guessing you can't put the dog outside, but if you can just do that.
It has been my experience that Vets rarely have a clue when it comes to behavioral issues....I'd contact a local trainer and see what they have to say...aggression is the most unwanted trait a dog can have....many forms of aggression can be stopped...and some times it isn't pretty, but it beats the other option...
My dog is the same way! She runs and hides under the bed when she knows she is about to go into the cage. What I did, was buy "special" treats, like the chewy, meaty kind, and now she goes in with no problem! Try this...and good luck to you, because I know how you feel!
Your dog doesn't want to be put in a cage and I'm sure you don't either. During the day, when you're just sitting around the house, put your dog in the cage. When he acts up, spray him in the face with a water bottle filled with a vinegar/ water solution. Hopefully, he will eventually calm down. After he has, give him a treat or take him out.
Try caging him before you actually look like you are leaving, maybe even before you start to get ready to leave the house.Then he may not get so hyped up. Being aggresive like you have explained is rather scarry. If this doesn't work would it be possible to just leave him outdoors possibly on a chain if you are not going to be gone for a long time?
let the dog put you in a cage see how you like it that's cruel it's just not cricket
Start off by throwing treats in his cage and make a game of having him go get them. Then leave the cage open and put toys in there allowing him to enter and leave the cage as he chooses. Eventually he will see that it is a safe place to be.
What kind of cage are you using? That could be a big factor. Also, are you giving your dogs toys to occupy them while your gone? When we first got our dog, we just had a wire cage so she could see everything. She didn't like it at all and even though she's a big Border Collie Huskie cross, she would manage to escape the cage. Even after we wired it shut. So, we went out and bought one of those big plastic transportation cases for her. They can only see out the front and a little on the sides. We put a nice pillow and blanket in there for her along with toys and water. It didn't take her long to calm down.
Let's see, the dog does not listen to you, he disrespects you and he bites your fiance... Get the dog out of the house first. Then see if you can find someone qualified to look at the dog and maybe help you become a better handler. The dog is clearly presenting a danger to both of you in the house the way it is. If a trainer is not an option you are willing to consider, put him down before he does something that YOU will later regret. Good luck to you.
Make the cage a positive place to be. Start feeding him on a schedule, and give him his food in his crate. Shut the door behind him while he eats, and open it back up and let him out when he's done. Give him tasty treats in his cage, such as a stuffed Kong or a knuckle bone. Make it so he gets these special treats ONLY when he's in the crate, never when he's out. Also.. have your dog sleep in the crate at nights, if you don't already. Put him in his crate with a yummy treat while you're home, so he learns that going in his crate doesn't always mean you're going to leave. And certainly, make sure he doesn't have separation anxiety. If you've ever used the crate as a form of punishment, then that could be influencing him to see the crate as a bad place to be. You want him to learn that good things happen when he's in his crate. I would highly recommend finding yourself a dog behaviorist that specializes in positive methods to get their advice and help. If all else fails, the dog should not come before your family members.
My dog had severe seperation anxiety too - although she never showed aggression toward me or my family, she certainly had a meltdown everytime I tried to crate her. I sought the assistance of Ed Frawley at http://www.leerburg.com -- initially I was appauld at his advice, HOWEVER it worked like a charm within two weeks - he was spot on. Here's the deal - you need to crate your dog 24/7 until he learns to get past the ghosts in his head. When you're home, the dog is crated -- same room as you, but crated -- door closed. Just like you would do when you're leaving the house. Find a treat that is exclusive to the crate -- we use dried liver squares. When you say crate and the dog goes in (either on his own or you put him in), give him praise and a crate treat. When you notice that he's in the crate and not going bezerk, give him praise and a crate treat. KEEP THE DOG IN THE CRATE. He'll see you come and go out of that main room back and forth... and soon he'll realize that out of sight is not gone forever and he will learn to relax. Of course he'll need to be let out to relieve himself, and that is when you have interaction with the dog -- OUTSIDE the house. When you're in the house, the dog is in the crate until he learns to stop being stupid (Ed's words). It took two weeks of this 24/7 crating for my dog to get past her ghosts. I hope this helped. I also highly suggest you look into your dog's diet -- our trainer said a lot of behavioral issues stem from poor diet. You should be feeding a holistic food like Canidae, Artemis, Innova or Wellness. Lastly, check with a vet -- if this is a sudden case of aggression out of nowhere, it could be due to illness or injury. Check out Ed's site... he's very firm, but very insightful. http://www.leerburg.com Good luck!