barking in kennel

deerhunter270

Well-Known Member
As explained in previous posts I have a cocker pup who I want to kennel when I am at work,the problem is she does not want to be left alone.She is now getting destructive and i really need her outside when I am working.I have tried all previous advice but my question now is if I bought her a pal who was already living in a kennel would she be happy and stop the barking when left outside as she was not alone or would she just continue to bark.Or would I be better spending the money putting her into a gundog trainer

deerhunter270
 
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I would crate her first. Get her used to the crate. then introduce her to the kennel Feed her in the kennel. door open. Get her used to the kennel as her space. Make sure she has her space/your space. If you allow her free access to you you will get seperation distress. This leads to boredom and chewing. Also remember her gums will be worked due to teething. Make sure she has something that she is allowed to chew. We use rope type toys, Cockers can be yappy.
Crate her first thiough. You go out, crate her with a treat. Soon she will go into the crate for the treat.
Be patient and best of luck,
Jim
 
Getting a pal for your pup can have advantages but also disadvantages. I have an older spaniel that I put young dogs in with. He is very calm in kennel and very importantly will tolerate young pups/dogs. I have another spaniel who would not tolerate this. I use the older dog just to a point where the young dog has settled in his kennel and then gradually leave him longer and longer on his own as I do wish him to bond with this older dog. It can be very tempting to have two young dogs/pups together as they will play and keep each other company but the problems can arise when they are more interested in each other than you are difficult to overcome.

Being left alone in a kennel can be very stressful on a young dog and so he barks for your attention. He must learn two things. That his kennel is a safe place where you leave him for a while but will be coming back for him and that barking achieves nothing. This takes time, patience and a routine.

Take him out in the morning for his exercise. Home, feed him in his kennel give him a bone or toy to amuse himself (to me a bone is better as I have yet to see a dog toy that does not need a human to make it into a play thing) and leave him. Sit about in your garden/do some garden work so he knows you are there but occasionally go into the house for longer and longer periods so that you are out of sight. If he starts to bark, the second he does so "quiet" no need to shout just mean it. If he stops fine but if he does not stop and this is where some may disagree with me, I put on the angry man act rush over to the kennel repeating the word "quiet" and if needs be rattle the kennel door. Most go "oh sh!t" and run into the safety of their sleeping box. Peace will reign for a period but before he gets the courage to bark again go to him open the kennel door and let him out praising him but not over the top. Take him out for a short walk, back home and straight back into kennel. Keep repeating so that he learns quiet is good - barking is not good.

He will not fall out with you over showing him your displeasure. If his kennel is a warm, clean home he will quickly associate it with good things. Food, a safe place to sleep etc and will be quite happy to live there.

This needs you to train him to keep quiet in his kennel. Providing a kennel and leaving him in the hope he will stay quiet will not work.
 
Every Lab I've ever had has been cured of this by using water bombs! Fill a couple of ballons with water and wait out of site of the kennel until the dog starts barking or howling. When it's in full cry, rush round the corner and launch the bomb at the mesh of the kennel whilst at the same time shouting shut-up or quiet. Make sure the dog gets wet. Harsh but very effective and the worst lab I had was cured with 5 bombs. The least it took was two.

Then I got a GWP! This technique did not work. In the end I got an electric anti-bark collar which zapped him, mildly at first, everytime he made a loud noise. This worked a treat. It cured him in a day and a half. I left it on for two months. Its been off now for 6 months and he does not bark or howl in the kennel.
 
I used a water hose on my lab but he was a good bit older(although i don't know how old ur pup is). I would say a bit harsh for a pup and it sounds more like separation anexity than anything else. I would say gaz and jimbo's ideas are a better bet, u want to build up its confidence in the kennel not shatter it. Antler esp fallow can be good for dogs to chew lasts a bit longer than bones. Also either a radio left on quietly may help. Another trick can be to tie something nosey/rattley to kennel door or somewhere (although not to rattle in the wind) and attach a piece off string to it, run the string into ur house,when he makes a noise jist give it a wee pull hopefully it will take his mind off howling/barking. U now get anti bark things that emitt a sound/ultra sonic when it barks which puts dogs off barking, sort off similar principle to the door chain thing.
good luck
 
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