minesadouble
Well-Known Member
We have a 13 month old Vizsla. He's never been left alone for any great length of time. He is probably crated 2-4 times a week for anywhere between 30 mins - 2 hours max.
If he's being left alone we never give any conscious sign we are going out (no coats on/lights off type behaviour) but he always seems to know and makes a point of leaving the living room (where his crate is). We then have to carry him to his crate as he refuses to come to us. If put on the floor outside his crate he will walk in of his own accord. He doesn't seem distressed but though he will eat 'special' treats when left, for example cooked meat, he will not touch a tripe chew which he would normally eat immediately, he will wait until someone returns, bring it out of his crate, then eat it.
He seems totally calm when his humans return - just sitting or lying with a normal (for him!) expression. Not scratching or crying:barking.
He will quite often go and lie in his open crate when everyone is in the same room as him.
I'm not sure whether he has a problem with being crated or simply with being left alone (my feeling is it is the latter) but I feel really bad when carrying him to the crate as he blatantly doesn't want to go in. The fact that he will not eat a tripe chew makes me concerned that he is stressed when we are gone, even though he looks calm when we leave and calm upon our return.
Is there anything I can do to make him love his crate more or is the issue totally down to separation? Is there any chance he will 'grow out' of this? Though I know there's not a major problem I would far rather he went happily into his crate rather than under duress.
If he's being left alone we never give any conscious sign we are going out (no coats on/lights off type behaviour) but he always seems to know and makes a point of leaving the living room (where his crate is). We then have to carry him to his crate as he refuses to come to us. If put on the floor outside his crate he will walk in of his own accord. He doesn't seem distressed but though he will eat 'special' treats when left, for example cooked meat, he will not touch a tripe chew which he would normally eat immediately, he will wait until someone returns, bring it out of his crate, then eat it.
He seems totally calm when his humans return - just sitting or lying with a normal (for him!) expression. Not scratching or crying:barking.
He will quite often go and lie in his open crate when everyone is in the same room as him.
I'm not sure whether he has a problem with being crated or simply with being left alone (my feeling is it is the latter) but I feel really bad when carrying him to the crate as he blatantly doesn't want to go in. The fact that he will not eat a tripe chew makes me concerned that he is stressed when we are gone, even though he looks calm when we leave and calm upon our return.
Is there anything I can do to make him love his crate more or is the issue totally down to separation? Is there any chance he will 'grow out' of this? Though I know there's not a major problem I would far rather he went happily into his crate rather than under duress.
