Brittany goes limp when given "kennel" command

rlrobinhood · Post by **rlrobinhood** » Tue May 13, 2014 9:04 pm

Hi all,

I've got a 5-month old Brittany. Really haven't worked him beyond simple obedience in the yard and home. Only commands I've really worked on with him so far is "whoa" at feeding time and "kennel" whenever we put him in the kennel. Great puppy and has been real good at his commands until this week. Now, when I give him the "kennel" command, he lays on the ground and is a limp biscuit. I can actually see him thinking, "I don't want to go in there, so I'm going to make it difficult on you". I still put him in the kennel after giving him the command, but he is literally limp as a wet noodle. Not fight or struggle, just limp....

Any suggestions?

CDN_Cocker · Post by **CDN_Cocker** » Wed May 14, 2014 7:25 am

Just keep putting him in. He'll cave before you do.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Wed May 14, 2014 8:10 am

If you can when you have to put him in the kennel ..first give him the opportunity to go in on Jo's own accord this is one of the only places where I will toss in a small milk bone so once the dog is in they have something. But when I have one that doesn't want to kennel then I will turn them around and put them in rear end first if they want to be limp I will tilt the crate up and pour them in then gently brjnv the crate flat.

PistolEd · Post by **PistolEd** » Wed May 14, 2014 2:31 pm

I laughed out loud because our pooch occasionally does the same thing. It always makes me grin because the look he gives me is just adorable. So I give him a vigorous belly rub and a snap of the fingers. He usually gets up and goes in after that. I'm sure every dog is different, but a little extra attention seems to be what mine is looking for.

Brazosvalleyvizslas · Post by **Brazosvalleyvizslas** » Wed May 14, 2014 10:07 pm

Feed the dog in the crate. Make it enjoyable for short periods at first and never let it be punishment. It can take some time but it should become a safe haven for the dog.

Fran Seagren · Post by **Fran Seagren** » Thu May 15, 2014 12:27 am

Made me laugh, too. Our almost 2 yr old Brittany "Seven" sometimes does the same thing at night when it's time to go in his crate. All the dogs lay on, or next to our bed while we're watching TV at night. When it's time to "go to bed", sometimes Seven goes deaf and limp. The other dogs jump off the bed just fine (except Robert, my red setter, who's bed IS on our bed). Many times we have to either pick Seven up or drag him off the bed. When we're dragging him, he reminds me of protesters when police are trying to move them out of an area! Limp. Too funny. Once Seven is off, he gets into his crate just fine. The crate is in our bedroom too, so it's not like he's being banned to another room with the rest of the pack somewhere else!

MikeB · Post by **MikeB** » Thu May 15, 2014 10:46 am

If your using a crate then I agree with using high value food treats with the command kennel. Stuffed Kong toy works well too. If it's a outdoor kennel run a good meaty bone or stuffed Kong can get most dogs the motivation to enter the kennel. Always praise them when they do the correct action. With an outdoor kennel run you can try walking the dog in using a leash.

Bluesky2012 · Post by **Bluesky2012** » Thu May 15, 2014 12:01 pm

My pointer sulks like a little girl when you give the kennel command. It's so bad if you mention the word kennel in the house he starts sulking even if it's just in conversation. We refer to it as the "k place" in conversation

rlrobinhood · Post by **rlrobinhood** » Thu May 15, 2014 9:06 pm

Fran Seagren wrote:Made me laugh, too. Our almost 2 yr old Brittany "Seven" sometimes does the same thing at night when it's time to go in his crate. All the dogs lay on, or next to our bed while we're watching TV at night. When it's time to "go to bed", sometimes Seven goes deaf and limp. The other dogs jump off the bed just fine (except Robert, my red setter, who's bed IS on our bed). Many times we have to either pick Seven up or drag him off the bed. When we're dragging him, he reminds me of protesters when police are trying to move them out of an area! Limp. Too funny. Once Seven is off, he gets into his crate just fine. The crate is in our bedroom too, so it's not like he's being banned to another room with the rest of the pack somewhere else!

Exactly what mine does. Thanks all. I'll just keep on keeping on and using treats. See ya.

NLsetter · Post by **NLsetter** » Sun May 18, 2014 7:52 pm

Brazosvalleyvizslas wrote:Feed the dog in the crate. Make it enjoyable for short periods at first and never let it be punishment. It can take some time but it should become a safe haven for the dog.

Exactly this. I feed mine every meal in crate and as soon as he see's me washing his dishes and getting his food ready he takes off and jumps in the crate.

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