Ever wondered why Fido turns fierce when it's crate time? This episode is your key to understanding and transforming crate aggression into crate affection! Your host, Will Bangura, peels back the layers of this canine conundrum, ensuring safety first with a step-by-step guide on positive muzzle conditioning. Learn how to create a strong, favorable relationship between your dog and their wire basket muzzle, setting the stage for a stress-free training journey.
Join me as we embark upon a training adventure, designed to help your dog fall in love with their crate. We'll start from a comfortable distance, rewarding your pup as we inch closer, and teaching them that the crate isn't a place of confinement, but a personal paradise. The focus is on patience and positive reinforcement, observing your dog's signals and pacing the training at their comfort level. By the end of this episode, you'll have the tools to make crate training feel like a fun game, where the prize is a happy, relaxed pooch that sees their crate as a happy haven. Dog Training Today with Will Bangura
If you need professional help please visit my Dog Behaviorist website.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
There's a strange phenomenon that many of you have
not experienced with your dog,but some of you have, and
perhaps it's really got youscratching your head wondering
how do I address that.
And that's the whole issue ofcrate aggression A dog that is
(00:23):
aggressive when they're in thecrate, and this could manifest
in different ways.
It could be that the dog isviewing that space as a resource
that it's guarding.
It could also be associatedwith negative experiences.
(00:45):
In some cases a dog doesn'tmind going in the crate and
having the crate door opened andclosed, but it's aggressive
anytime somebody walks by, andthis could be crate aggression
when people walk by.
It could be crate aggressionwhen other dogs or other animals
(01:07):
walk by, or it could be both,and in some cases a dog has no
problem going in and out of thecrate.
And the dog may have no problemwith somebody walking by the
crate.
Their trigger could besomething as specific as they're
(01:31):
fine, except when you go toclose the crate door, and then,
as you go to close the cratedoor, the dog starts to become
aggressive.
We're going to cover crateaggression.
All of that in 60 seconds.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Raised by wolves with canine DNA and is blood.
Having trained more than 24,000vets, helping you and your fur
babies thrive, Live in studiowith Will Bangura answering your
pet behavior and trainingquestions.
Ladies and gentlemen, pleasewelcome your host and favorite
pet behavior expert, WillBangura.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Would you like to go on?
Wookiees, beep, beep, beep,beep, beep.
Good day, dog lovers.
Hey, I'm Will Bangura.
Thanks for joining me foranother quick tip.
We're going to be talking allabout crate aggression Now.
(02:40):
Some of you are seeing this onmy Phoenix dog training YouTube
channel.
Some of you are just listeningto the dog training today
podcast.
Wherever you get your podcast,whether that be Apple podcast,
spotify, stitcher, buzzsprout,there's a dozen or more
(03:02):
different platforms that you cango to.
Anyway, like I said in theopener, I want to talk about
crate aggression and, as Istarted to say, crate aggression
can manifest itself indifferent ways.
It could be that the dog isfine going in and out the crate.
(03:22):
The dog might be fine with youopening and closing the crate
door, but once it's closed andyou walk away, maybe anybody
could be another person, couldbe you, maybe another pet in the
household walks by that crateand the dog starts displaying
(03:44):
aggressive behavior, maybebarking, maybe growling, maybe
showing its teeth, maybe evenbiting at the crate door.
There are some dogs that theproblem isn't somebody moving or
walking or standing near thecrate.
(04:04):
It could be just closing thecrate door.
So let's talk about a few waysthat we can begin the process of
modifying this behavior.
Now, the first thing that weneed to do is make sure that
we're addressing safety and,because there's aggression,
(04:28):
somebody can get hurt.
So the first thing that youwant to do is make sure that, if
you need to hire a professionalbecause aggression can be very,
very dangerous and I don'tencourage you to try this
without the help of hiring aprofessional Find yourself a
(04:52):
certified behaviorist, or findyourself a certified dog
behavior consultant, somebodythat specializes in aggression,
like myself.
Now, let's assume that theproblem that we have is one
where, any time somebody comesclose to the crate or walks by
(05:19):
the crate, the dog becomesaggressive.
Maybe they're growling, maybethey're lunging, barking,
snapping, showing their teeth.
The first thing that you wantto begin to evaluate is whether
or not, when the dog is in thecrate and when the dog starts
(05:46):
displaying aggression, are yousafe.
Because if you can't guaranteethat you're 100% safe, the first
step is going to be to dopositive muzzle conditioning.
Now, no dog likes a muzzle justthrown on them.
(06:06):
So I recommend, first of all,that you get a well-fitting wire
basket muzzle.
That's something that they canbreathe in very well.
They can pant, you can puttreats through the muzzle.
I'm not talking about one ofthose mesh type muzzles that
(06:26):
have Velcro.
I'm talking about a basketmuzzle, a basket muzzle that has
multiple straps.
But the first thing that I'mgoing to do is I'm going to set
that muzzle on the floor and I'mgoing to put a trail of high
(06:47):
value food rewards leading up tothat muzzle and maybe even a
couple in that muzzle, and I'mgoing to bring the dog out and
what I'm hoping for is the dog'sgoing to start eating all the
little treats and just make itsway down that trail to the
muzzle and little by little, I'mgoing to have less of a trail
(07:10):
and more of the treats insidethe muzzle.
Now the muzzle's on the ground,I just want to create a positive
association with the muzzle.
Creating a positive associationwith that muzzle using high
value food rewards.
There's no pressure to actuallyhave the dog put their snout in
(07:33):
it right now.
There's no pressure to have youput it on the dog or buckle it
Right now.
We just want the dog to showinterest, explore the muzzle,
and we're pairing high valuefood rewards with that and I'm
going to do that every day forabout three or four days and
(07:56):
then what I like to do next is Ilike to take some clear packing
tape and I like to put sometape on the inside of that
basket muzzle.
And then I take a shmere ofpeanut butter or Braunschweiger
liver sausage something reallyyummy you can even make your own
(08:16):
food paste if you want to andshmere that on the inside of
that muzzle.
But I don't want to get themuzzle dirty.
So I put a little piece ofclear packing tape so that if
I'm shmereing something it's onthe packing tape and not getting
the muzzle dirty.
And then I'm going to hold thatmuzzle out and what I'm hoping
(08:39):
for is that the dog is going tostick its snout in there and
start licking and eating theyummy food paste that I've got
inside that muzzle.
And I'm going to do that forseveral days, making sure that
this is a positive experiencefor the dog.
If at any point the dog isshowing any kind of hesitation,
(09:00):
back up a little bit.
You're moving too quick, toofast.
Go back to the previous step.
Spend more time there beforeyou move forward.
Once I've got the dog wanting tostick its snout in the muzzle,
I'm going to start labeling thatbehavior muzzle.
Then I'm going to pull it awayfrom the dog.
(09:22):
Dog's going to stick its snoutin there as it does.
I go muzzle dog's lick, lick,lick, lick, lick.
Remember there's a shmere ofpeanut butter or some food paste
in there?
I'm not going to let the dogjust keep going lick, lick, lick
, lick, lick.
I'm going to let it have acouple licks, pull that muzzle
away to try to get it to put itssnout back in that muzzle again
(09:43):
, over and over and over.
I want to do that about 20times in a row.
After I've done that for severaldays, then what I'm going to do
next is I'm going to actuallyrepeat those same steps, but
next I'm going to take thebuckles, the straps, and buckle
(10:04):
the muzzle, and I'm going tounbuckle it immediately and take
it off.
Put it on buckle, take it off,put it on buckle, take it off,
put it on buckle, take it off.
Each time I'm presenting themuzzle to the dog again in front
of its snout, hoping that it'sgoing to put its snout in there
(10:27):
and start eating the yummy stuffthat's in there.
Now, once I can get the strapsbuckled up, now it's about,
little by little, gradually,systematically, adding more
duration to how long the dogwears the muzzle and make sure
that whenever the dog's wearingthe muzzle, whatever is
(10:52):
happening around the dog ispositive, because a lot of dogs,
their experience with themuzzle is negative.
Maybe the first time they had amuzzle on, they went to the vet
and they were really, reallyscared.
And now here comes the muzzlewhich makes them even more
fearful.
Or perhaps not just then, butmaybe grooming.
(11:17):
Maybe you've got a dog that hassome touch sensitivity, doesn't
like its toes touched, doesn'tlike to be brushed, and maybe
that experience, that negativegrooming experience, is tied to
a muzzle.
So we want to make sure thatwe're spending enough time
creating positive associationswith the muzzle so that we can
(11:39):
be safe.
Okay, now the next thing that wewant to do is create positive
associations with that crate,without closing the crate door
and without having anybody walkpast it, and this is easy to do.
(12:02):
I just have a handful of highvalue food rewards cooked
chicken, little pieces of hotdog cheese, whatever your dog
loves the most.
Listen, when you find that foodreward that your dog loves the
most, I want you to think aboutthat as currency.
Now, if I'm asking you to dosomething that you might not be
(12:25):
thrilled about and I say, hey,listen, if you do this I'll give
you a buck.
Or I say, hey, if you do thisI'll give you $500, which are
you most motivated by?
It's no different with foodrewards.
Okay, think about a piece ofkibble being very low value
currency and a piece of chickenor a piece of hot dog or cheese
(12:48):
as being very expensive currency, like $100 bill.
So the greater the value, themore you're going to be able to
associate something positivewith the crate, and the greater
the value, the more motivatedthe dog's going to be.
So the first thing that I'mgoing to do is I'm going to
(13:13):
start throwing treats near thecrate, letting the dog eat those
treats, and, as the dogs eatingthe treats that I'm throwing by
the crate, I might, every timeit grabs one, go kennel, grabs
another treat, kennel.
Throw another treat.
(13:34):
Grabs it kennel.
I throw another treat by thekennel or crate and the dog
grabs that treat and I go kennelAgain.
There's a couple of things.
I'm creating a positiveassociation with high value food
rewards being near the kenneland I am also using the
commander Q that I'm going touse along with that high value
(13:58):
food reward so that the Qercommand starts to get
conditioned positively right nowand initially, where I'm
throwing high value food rewardsnear the crate, then what I'm
going to do is start throwingthem in the crate from a
distance, making the dog go inthere, and I'll throw a treat in
(14:20):
there and as the dog is goingin there to get the treat, but
before it actually grabs it withits mouth, I'm going to say
kennel, and then the dog grabsthe treat and most likely it
comes out and if it does, I'mgoing to throw another treat in
there.
Now there are going to be timesas I'm doing this.
(14:41):
Sometimes I'm going to throw inone, sometimes the dog goes in
there for one and I'm going tothrow in a second one while it's
in there and I'm going to throwin a third one while it's in
there, throw in a fourth one,and I'm going to vary that when
I'm tossing treats in the crate.
Sometimes it's three, sometimesit's one, sometimes it's four,
sometimes it's one, sometimesit's two, sometimes it's two,
(15:03):
sometimes it's two.
You get the idea so that thedog doesn't necessarily know.
Hey, after I get my food reward, we're done.
I'm trying to avoid what'scalled one and done, where the
dog checks out, loses interestand thinks that whatever it is
(15:25):
that we're trying to do isfinished as soon as it gets that
one food reward.
It just allows us to be able tokeep more focused attention
from the dog.
Then, if the dog getsconditioned, one and done what
do I mean by one and done?
Well, for example, a lot offolks have taught their dog how
to sit on cue or command, andusually the way it's done is, as
(15:48):
soon as that rear end hits theground, they give them.
They give them one food rewardand everything's done.
So the dogs get conditioned.
Hey, you asked me to dosomething, I do it.
You give me a food reward andboom, I'm gone.
I check out.
Oh, too bad, if you wanted meto do something else because
we've conditioned one and doneso.
(16:10):
I'm trying to get that.
I'm trying to get thatconditioning to extinguish by
creating a different pattern.
Now, little by little, I'm goingto continue this process over
(16:31):
days or weeks, tossing treats inthe crate.
But initially, when I'm tossingthem in the crate and, by the
way, the door is wide open,remember, the dog keeps going in
there to get them Little bylittle, I'm going to start
getting closer and closer andcloser to the crate.
Okay Now, let's assume thatthis is a dog that we can get in
(16:56):
the crate.
But as soon as we grab the doorto close it, the dog becomes
aggressive, growling, lunging,barking, trying to even bite at
the crate door.
Well, one of the things thatI'm going to proactively do if
my dog doesn't know it, I'mgoing to teach a place command,
or a command where I give thecue go to your place or go to
(17:18):
your bed, go to your spot, go toyour mat.
And I've worked on heavydistraction training so I've got
a really reliable stay and I'vegeneralized that to lots of
different locations and at adistance.
I'm going to ask the dog to goto its bed or place or mat
(17:41):
whatever we're calling it orspot, and then when the dog is
on their place or their mat,they will be looking directly at
the crate, but at a distance.
Okay Now, I'm going to start byhaving a helper that is going
(18:08):
to just be feeding treats to thedog, but I'm going to start to
with the dog at a distance, onits place.
I'm going to start movingtowards the crate and have my
helper begin to feed.
I'm going to then stop short ofgoing all the way to the crate
(18:29):
and as soon as I stop, feedingstops.
And then I'm going to take acouple more steps and as soon as
I start moving towards thecrate, feeding starts.
I'm not going to go all the wayto the crate again, I'm going
to stop short when I stopfeeding stops.
So the first thing I'm going todo here in this phase I'm
(18:50):
starting to create positiveassociations with those high
value food rewards, with me justmoving towards the crate.
And again, I'm starting at adistance.
The dog's not in the crate.
The dog is facing the crate ata distance, on its mat or place
or bed, and we've done our duediligence, we've done our
(19:12):
training to make sure that, hey,we've got a reliable stay,
because the dog cannot becommitted to staying on its bed
or place or spot and beingaggressive with the crate at the
same time as I'm approaching it.
Now I'm going to gradually andsystematically start doing that
(19:36):
approach from different angles.
We're going to startgeneralizing this and doing it
in different locations inside,outside, bedroom, living room,
kitchen, you name it all overthe place.
I am going to be doing thisover a period of days, over a
(19:56):
period of weeks.
I need to condition a verystrong emotional response.
That's positive.
And I'm not talking about listenwhen I say conditioning.
It's repetition, repetition,repetition, repetition,
repetition, where the dog has anautomatic reflex.
Hey, have you ever played aninstrument?
(20:16):
Or maybe you learned how todrive a stick shift?
In the beginning it was brutaland you really had to think
about everything that's involvedin playing an instrument.
You really had to think abouteverything that's involved in
driving a stick shift.
But as you continued topractice over and over and over,
you got to the point where itbecame muscle memory, where you
(20:38):
did not have to consciouslythink about the process of
driving a stick shift, or youdid not have to consciously
think about the process ofplaying this instrument.
At some point, after enoughrepetition, it becomes a
conditioned reflex.
Not only do we need the outwardbehavior to be a physical
(21:02):
reflex for the dog, but it needsto create a conditioned
emotional response that's alsoreflexive or conditioned.
Now, gradually, systematically,I am going to move the dog's bed
or place mat whatever I have iton, closer and closer and
(21:25):
closer to that crate.
But what if, as we're gettingcloser, it starts to create some
anxiety with the dog?
Well, the only way you're goingto know.
That is through understandingcanine body language.
Dogs have a very sophisticatedlanguage with their body
(21:49):
language and gestures that cantell us everything that we need
to know about what they'refeeling, what kind of emotional
state that they're in.
Are they completely relaxed orare they starting to have even
mild stress?
If we start to see bodylanguage in the dog, that the
(22:09):
dog is displaying some stresssignals what that means.
That's feedback to us.
That's telling us hey, listen,we are trying to progress too
quickly, too soon.
The dog's not ready for that.
We need to dial it back alittle bit, take a few steps
back and spend more time at thestep where the dog's comfortable
(22:33):
and really condition that.
Little by little, we're going toget that dog on its better spot
closer and closer to the crate.
As we start to approach thatcrate and somebody else is
feeding the dog, then the nextthing that I'm going to do is I
(23:00):
am going to take that dog on itsbetter place and place that
better place next to the crate,but a little bit back.
So let's say I've got a cratethat's four feet in length.
I might put the dog back fourfeet so that the dog's on its
(23:23):
better place next to the crate,but it's actually just behind
the crate.
Why?
Because, again, what was thedog's trigger?
Somebody walking up to thecrate and closing the door.
Now we haven't even bothered todeal with the door yet.
We're just working on what arethe cues, what happens before
(23:49):
the trigger, because those arethe things that build up to the
trigger and we need to createpositive associations with the
steps that occur before the doggets aggressive.
So, with the dog slightlybehind the crate and to the side
(24:10):
on its better place, we'regoing to do the same thing.
We are going to startapproaching that crate and
somebody else is going to beginto feed the dog as we're moving
towards the crate.
Then we stop short of gettingthere, feeding stops.
Then we start moving towardsthe crate.
Again, the dog gets fed whilewe're moving towards the crate.
(24:31):
Then we stop short of the crate, feeding stops.
The whole idea here is tocreate a positive association in
the dog's mind that hey, mymovement towards that crate is
what creates the high value foodreward.
So the dog begins over time towant me to move towards the
(24:53):
crate because it brings aboutreally great things.
I get high value food rewards.
Now, little by little.
My next steps are going to be tobring the dog forward, because
I want to get to the point wherethe dog's bed is right next to
(25:17):
the crate and I'm approachingthe crate.
And again, every time Iapproach, the dog's getting fed.
When I stop, we stop feeding,so that it's my movement towards
that crate that brings aboutthe high value food rewards.
And when the dog understandsthat, when the light bulb goes
(25:38):
on, the dog starts wanting me tomove towards the crate.
But we have not even gotten tothe point yet of me reaching
towards that crate door ortouching the crate door or even
closing the crate door slightly,and that's the trigger for the
dog.
Now I am going to begin theprocess of reaching towards the
(26:04):
crate door, but when I do that,we are going to back up to the
first step in this process.
What does that mean?
That means that remember thatsafe distance away from the
crate that the dog was on itsbetter place.
We are going all the way backthere with the dog.
(26:32):
But now I'm beginning, insteadof moving towards a crate, which
I can do at this point, the dogloves me moving towards a crate
, but now I'm going to startmoving my hand towards the door,
just like when I was movingtowards the crate and we were
feeding the dog, and then, whenI stopped moving towards the
crate, we stopped feeding.
(26:52):
We're going to do the samething with my hand movement
towards that crate door andinitially I'm just going to move
it a little bit Feed, feed,feed and stop More feeding.
Feed, feed, feed, feed, feed,feed, feed, feed, feed, feed.
Stop no more feeding.
Feed, feed, feed, feed, feed.
So again I've got a helperstanding next to the dog who's
(27:14):
at a distance from the crate.
I'm moving my hand towards thecrate in tiny little increments
and we're feeding the dog everytime my hand starts to move
towards that crate.
And I'm going to do this for10-minute exercises every single
day, when I can move my handall the way to the crate and I
(27:39):
can touch it.
Now my criteria is going tochange as to when the dog gets
the food reward.
Now the dog gets the foodreward right before I touch the
crate.
So I'm reaching, reaching,reaching, reaching, food reward
touch, reaching, reaching,reaching, reaching, food reward
(27:59):
touch.
Now some of you are saying waita minute, will.
Why are you rewarding beforethe touch?
We want to desensitize andcounter, condition the actual
touching of the crate door.
Well, remember, we're creatingpositive associations with what
happens prior to the trigger.
(28:19):
Then we'll move into thetrigger.
So the next step after that,again, I might spend a few weeks
just reaching towards the door.
Then my next step is my criteriais going to change, where I
don't reward the dog until Itouch the crate, but when I
touch the crate door.
But when I do, it's for a briefsecond.
(28:41):
So feed, hand away, touch,touch away, touch, touch away,
touch, touch away.
Touch feed, touch feed, touchfeed.
Duration of my touch is supershort.
Dogs at a distance keeping thatvery short duration of touch.
Gradually, systematically, I'mgoing to bring the dog closer
(29:06):
and closer and closer.
The dog's facing the crate onits bed.
I've got a helper feeding thedog.
When my finger touches thatcrate door, as I move the dog
closer and closer again, theduration stays very brief.
(29:26):
Then what I'm going to do iswhat I did before when it was
the approach I'm going to takethe dog next next to the crate,
but a little bit behind it, andI am going to start that same
(29:47):
process all over again, reachingtowards it, then eventually
touching it for a brief secondOnce I've got the dog thrilled
about my brief second touch.
I'm going to pull the dog backagain because I'm going to
change my criteria again.
This time I'm going to hold onto it a little longer.
(30:09):
I'm going to start addingduration to how long I hold it
and the entire time there'stouch by my hand on that crate
door.
The dog is being fed at adistance by my helper.
Little by little, gradually,systematically, we're going to
bring the dog closer and closerand closer and closer and then
(30:32):
bring the dog behind the crateto the side and little by little
then bring that place cot, thatbed, that mat, that spot right
next to the crate.
Okay, and I'm touching it,touching that crate door, I'm
(30:53):
adding duration.
Once I've got that, we're goingto back the dog up again to a
safe distance.
Now we're going to work onmovement of that crate.
I'm going to touch it, give ita little movement.
The dog gets fed on themovement.
I stop moving it.
No more feeding.
I touch it, move it a littlebit.
(31:14):
Feed, feed, feed, feed, feed,feed.
Stop moving it.
No more feeding.
Start moving it.
Feed, feed, feed, feed, feed,feed, feed, feed, feed, feed,
feed, feed, feed, feed, feed,feed.
Stop moving it.
No more feeding and the dog'sat a distance.
My helper is feeding the dog.
Same thing, little by little,gradually, systematically, I'm
going to bring that dog closerand closer and closer.
(31:36):
Eventually put the dog behindthe crate to the side on its
better mat.
Remember, if it's committed tostaying on that mat, it can't be
going after me at the same time.
Now, at this point, we've doneweeks of counter conditioning
and desensitization.
Okay, the next step is going tobe having the dog not on place
(32:05):
but just standing stationary ata distance where it could move
if it wants to, and start thisprocess all over again.
And, little by little, withoutthe dog on its bed spot or place
, we're going to move the dogcloser and closer and closer.
Then we're going to go behindthe crate, by the side.
Then we're going to bring thedog right next to the crate.
Then the next thing we're goingto do is we're going to have
(32:31):
the dog go in the crate, comeout of the crate, go to a safe
distance.
I'm going to move the cratedoor.
We're going to feed Dog, goesin the crate.
We're not touching or movingthat door.
The dog comes out, goes to thesafe distance.
I'm moving the crate door.
While I'm moving the crate door, the dog's getting fed.
Then what I'm going to do isget the dog in the crate and I'm
(32:57):
going to make the slightestmovement of my hand towards the
crate door and we are feeding.
Just that little bit ofmovement.
I'm not touching the crate door, I'm just moving an inch or two
towards it.
The dog's in the crate Door isopen, wide open.
(33:21):
If the dog starts to show stress, even slightly, you need to
dial it back, rewind a littlebit, go to a step that's a
little further back that you hadsuccess with, stay there a
little while longer, because youprobably don't have muscle
memory, you don't haveconditioning, you don't have a
(33:43):
conditioned reflex, and this iscritical.
So what we're doing is we'retaking this problem and we're
putting it into little tinyslices and creating positive
associations with that.
Eventually we get to the pointwhere the dog's in the crate we
(34:05):
can reach all the way towardsthe crate door.
The door's wide open and wegive it a brief touch and there
the criteria changes again.
The reward is the touch, thenit becomes longer duration, then
it becomes a little shortmovement, then it becomes more
(34:26):
movement, but very gradually,very systematically, very slowly
, we are going through thisprocess and the most important
thing is to have patience and toreally read your dog's body
language Every little, tiny stepof the way.
(34:47):
We wanna create the greatestexperience for your dog,
something that it willabsolutely love, and your dog
starts thinking about this as agame that it can play.
Well, there you have it, folks.
Hey, make sure that you checkout my website at
phoenixdogtrainingcom ordogbehavioristcom as well.
(35:10):
I've got lots of articles upthere.
Be sure to subscribe, not onlyto this YouTube channel and hit
that like button, but pleasesubscribe and leave us a five
star review on our podcast.
I'm Addy here, everybody.
There's a strange phenomenon that many of you have
not experienced with your dog,but some of you have, and
perhaps it's really got youscratching your head wondering
how do I address that.
And that's the whole issue ofcrate aggression A dog that is
(00:23):
aggressive when they're in thecrate, and this could manifest
in different ways.
It could be that the dog isviewing that space as a resource
that it's guarding.
It could also be associatedwith negative experiences.
(00:45):
In some cases a dog doesn'tmind going in the crate and
having the crate door opened andclosed, but it's aggressive
anytime somebody walks by, andthis could be crate aggression
when people walk by.
It could be crate aggressionwhen other dogs or other animals
(01:07):
walk by, or it could be both,and in some cases a dog has no
problem going in and out of thecrate.
And the dog may have no problemwith somebody walking by the
crate.
Their trigger could besomething as specific as they're
(01:31):
fine, except when you go toclose the crate door, and then,
as you go to close the cratedoor, the dog starts to become
aggressive.
We're going to cover crateaggression.
All of that in 60 seconds.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Raised by wolves with canine DNA and is blood.
Having trained more than 24,000vets, helping you and your fur
babies thrive, Live in studiowith Will Bangura answering your
pet behavior and trainingquestions.
Ladies and gentlemen, pleasewelcome your host and favorite
pet behavior expert, WillBangura.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Would you like to go on?
Wookiees, beep, beep, beep,beep, beep.
Good day, dog lovers.
Hey, I'm Will Bangura.
Thanks for joining me foranother quick tip.
We're going to be talking allabout crate aggression Now.
(02:40):
Some of you are seeing this onmy Phoenix dog training YouTube
channel.
Some of you are just listeningto the dog training today
podcast.
Wherever you get your podcast,whether that be Apple podcast,
spotify, stitcher, buzzsprout,there's a dozen or more
(03:02):
different platforms that you cango to.
Anyway, like I said in theopener, I want to talk about
crate aggression and, as Istarted to say, crate aggression
can manifest itself indifferent ways.
It could be that the dog isfine going in and out the crate.
(03:22):
The dog might be fine with youopening and closing the crate
door, but once it's closed andyou walk away, maybe anybody
could be another person, couldbe you, maybe another pet in the
household walks by that crateand the dog starts displaying
(03:44):
aggressive behavior, maybebarking, maybe growling, maybe
showing its teeth, maybe evenbiting at the crate door.
There are some dogs that theproblem isn't somebody moving or
walking or standing near thecrate.
(04:04):
It could be just closing thecrate door.
So let's talk about a few waysthat we can begin the process of
modifying this behavior.
Now, the first thing that weneed to do is make sure that
we're addressing safety and,because there's aggression,
(04:28):
somebody can get hurt.
So the first thing that youwant to do is make sure that, if
you need to hire a professionalbecause aggression can be very,
very dangerous and I don'tencourage you to try this
without the help of hiring aprofessional Find yourself a
(04:52):
certified behaviorist, or findyourself a certified dog
behavior consultant, somebodythat specializes in aggression,
like myself.
Now, let's assume that theproblem that we have is one
where, any time somebody comesclose to the crate or walks by
(05:19):
the crate, the dog becomesaggressive.
Maybe they're growling, maybethey're lunging, barking,
snapping, showing their teeth.
The first thing that you wantto begin to evaluate is whether
or not, when the dog is in thecrate and when the dog starts
(05:46):
displaying aggression, are yousafe.
Because if you can't guaranteethat you're 100% safe, the first
step is going to be to dopositive muzzle conditioning.
Now, no dog likes a muzzle justthrown on them.
(06:06):
So I recommend, first of all,that you get a well-fitting wire
basket muzzle.
That's something that they canbreathe in very well.
They can pant, you can puttreats through the muzzle.
I'm not talking about one ofthose mesh type muzzles that
(06:26):
have Velcro.
I'm talking about a basketmuzzle, a basket muzzle that has
multiple straps.
But the first thing that I'mgoing to do is I'm going to set
that muzzle on the floor and I'mgoing to put a trail of high
(06:47):
value food rewards leading up tothat muzzle and maybe even a
couple in that muzzle, and I'mgoing to bring the dog out and
what I'm hoping for is the dog'sgoing to start eating all the
little treats and just make itsway down that trail to the
muzzle and little by little, I'mgoing to have less of a trail
(07:10):
and more of the treats insidethe muzzle.
Now the muzzle's on the ground,I just want to create a positive
association with the muzzle.
Creating a positive associationwith that muzzle using high
value food rewards.
There's no pressure to actuallyhave the dog put their snout in
(07:33):
it right now.
There's no pressure to have youput it on the dog or buckle it
Right now.
We just want the dog to showinterest, explore the muzzle,
and we're pairing high valuefood rewards with that and I'm
going to do that every day forabout three or four days and
(07:56):
then what I like to do next is Ilike to take some clear packing
tape and I like to put sometape on the inside of that
basket muzzle.
And then I take a shmere ofpeanut butter or Braunschweiger
liver sausage something reallyyummy you can even make your own
(08:16):
food paste if you want to andshmere that on the inside of
that muzzle.
But I don't want to get themuzzle dirty.
So I put a little piece ofclear packing tape so that if
I'm shmereing something it's onthe packing tape and not getting
the muzzle dirty.
And then I'm going to hold thatmuzzle out and what I'm hoping
(08:39):
for is that the dog is going tostick its snout in there and
start licking and eating theyummy food paste that I've got
inside that muzzle.
And I'm going to do that forseveral days, making sure that
this is a positive experiencefor the dog.
If at any point the dog isshowing any kind of hesitation,
(09:00):
back up a little bit.
You're moving too quick, toofast.
Go back to the previous step.
Spend more time there beforeyou move forward.
Once I've got the dog wanting tostick its snout in the muzzle,
I'm going to start labeling thatbehavior muzzle.
Then I'm going to pull it awayfrom the dog.
(09:22):
Dog's going to stick its snoutin there as it does.
I go muzzle dog's lick, lick,lick, lick, lick.
Remember there's a shmere ofpeanut butter or some food paste
in there?
I'm not going to let the dogjust keep going lick, lick, lick
, lick, lick.
I'm going to let it have acouple licks, pull that muzzle
away to try to get it to put itssnout back in that muzzle again
(09:43):
, over and over and over.
I want to do that about 20times in a row.
After I've done that for severaldays, then what I'm going to do
next is I'm going to actuallyrepeat those same steps, but
next I'm going to take thebuckles, the straps, and buckle
(10:04):
the muzzle, and I'm going tounbuckle it immediately and take
it off.
Put it on buckle, take it off,put it on buckle, take it off,
put it on buckle, take it off.
Each time I'm presenting themuzzle to the dog again in front
of its snout, hoping that it'sgoing to put its snout in there
(10:27):
and start eating the yummy stuffthat's in there.
Now, once I can get the strapsbuckled up, now it's about,
little by little, gradually,systematically, adding more
duration to how long the dogwears the muzzle and make sure
that whenever the dog's wearingthe muzzle, whatever is
(10:52):
happening around the dog ispositive, because a lot of dogs,
their experience with themuzzle is negative.
Maybe the first time they had amuzzle on, they went to the vet
and they were really, reallyscared.
And now here comes the muzzlewhich makes them even more
fearful.
Or perhaps not just then, butmaybe grooming.
(11:17):
Maybe you've got a dog that hassome touch sensitivity, doesn't
like its toes touched, doesn'tlike to be brushed, and maybe
that experience, that negativegrooming experience, is tied to
a muzzle.
So we want to make sure thatwe're spending enough time
creating positive associationswith the muzzle so that we can
(11:39):
be safe.
Okay, now the next thing that wewant to do is create positive
associations with that crate,without closing the crate door
and without having anybody walkpast it, and this is easy to do.
(12:02):
I just have a handful of highvalue food rewards cooked
chicken, little pieces of hotdog cheese, whatever your dog
loves the most.
Listen, when you find that foodreward that your dog loves the
most, I want you to think aboutthat as currency.
Now, if I'm asking you to dosomething that you might not be
(12:25):
thrilled about and I say, hey,listen, if you do this I'll give
you a buck.
Or I say, hey, if you do thisI'll give you $500, which are
you most motivated by?
It's no different with foodrewards.
Okay, think about a piece ofkibble being very low value
currency and a piece of chickenor a piece of hot dog or cheese
(12:48):
as being very expensive currency, like $100 bill.
So the greater the value, themore you're going to be able to
associate something positivewith the crate, and the greater
the value, the more motivatedthe dog's going to be.
So the first thing that I'mgoing to do is I'm going to
(13:13):
start throwing treats near thecrate, letting the dog eat those
treats, and, as the dogs eatingthe treats that I'm throwing by
the crate, I might, every timeit grabs one, go kennel, grabs
another treat, kennel.
Throw another treat.
(13:34):
Grabs it kennel.
I throw another treat by thekennel or crate and the dog
grabs that treat and I go kennelAgain.
There's a couple of things.
I'm creating a positiveassociation with high value food
rewards being near the kenneland I am also using the
commander Q that I'm going touse along with that high value
(13:58):
food reward so that the Qercommand starts to get
conditioned positively right nowand initially, where I'm
throwing high value food rewardsnear the crate, then what I'm
going to do is start throwingthem in the crate from a
distance, making the dog go inthere, and I'll throw a treat in
(14:20):
there and as the dog is goingin there to get the treat, but
before it actually grabs it withits mouth, I'm going to say
kennel, and then the dog grabsthe treat and most likely it
comes out and if it does, I'mgoing to throw another treat in
there.
Now there are going to be timesas I'm doing this.
(14:41):
Sometimes I'm going to throw inone, sometimes the dog goes in
there for one and I'm going tothrow in a second one while it's
in there and I'm going to throwin a third one while it's in
there, throw in a fourth one,and I'm going to vary that when
I'm tossing treats in the crate.
Sometimes it's three, sometimesit's one, sometimes it's four,
sometimes it's one, sometimesit's two, sometimes it's two,
(15:03):
sometimes it's two.
You get the idea so that thedog doesn't necessarily know.
Hey, after I get my food reward, we're done.
I'm trying to avoid what'scalled one and done, where the
dog checks out, loses interestand thinks that whatever it is
(15:25):
that we're trying to do isfinished as soon as it gets that
one food reward.
It just allows us to be able tokeep more focused attention
from the dog.
Then, if the dog getsconditioned, one and done what
do I mean by one and done?
Well, for example, a lot offolks have taught their dog how
to sit on cue or command, andusually the way it's done is, as
(15:48):
soon as that rear end hits theground, they give them.
They give them one food rewardand everything's done.
So the dogs get conditioned.
Hey, you asked me to dosomething, I do it.
You give me a food reward andboom, I'm gone.
I check out.
Oh, too bad, if you wanted meto do something else because
we've conditioned one and doneso.
(16:10):
I'm trying to get that.
I'm trying to get thatconditioning to extinguish by
creating a different pattern.
Now, little by little, I'm goingto continue this process over
(16:31):
days or weeks, tossing treats inthe crate.
But initially, when I'm tossingthem in the crate and, by the
way, the door is wide open,remember, the dog keeps going in
there to get them Little bylittle, I'm going to start
getting closer and closer andcloser to the crate.
Okay Now, let's assume thatthis is a dog that we can get in
(16:56):
the crate.
But as soon as we grab the doorto close it, the dog becomes
aggressive, growling, lunging,barking, trying to even bite at
the crate door.
Well, one of the things thatI'm going to proactively do if
my dog doesn't know it, I'mgoing to teach a place command,
or a command where I give thecue go to your place or go to
(17:18):
your bed, go to your spot, go toyour mat.
And I've worked on heavydistraction training so I've got
a really reliable stay and I'vegeneralized that to lots of
different locations and at adistance.
I'm going to ask the dog to goto its bed or place or mat
(17:41):
whatever we're calling it orspot, and then when the dog is
on their place or their mat,they will be looking directly at
the crate, but at a distance.
Okay Now, I'm going to start byhaving a helper that is going
(18:08):
to just be feeding treats to thedog, but I'm going to start to
with the dog at a distance, onits place.
I'm going to start movingtowards the crate and have my
helper begin to feed.
I'm going to then stop short ofgoing all the way to the crate
(18:29):
and as soon as I stop, feedingstops.
And then I'm going to take acouple more steps and as soon as
I start moving towards thecrate, feeding starts.
I'm not going to go all the wayto the crate again, I'm going
to stop short when I stopfeeding stops.
So the first thing I'm going todo here in this phase I'm
(18:50):
starting to create positiveassociations with those high
value food rewards, with me justmoving towards the crate.
And again, I'm starting at adistance.
The dog's not in the crate.
The dog is facing the crate ata distance, on its mat or place
or bed, and we've done our duediligence, we've done our
(19:12):
training to make sure that, hey,we've got a reliable stay,
because the dog cannot becommitted to staying on its bed
or place or spot and beingaggressive with the crate at the
same time as I'm approaching it.
Now I'm going to gradually andsystematically start doing that
(19:36):
approach from different angles.
We're going to startgeneralizing this and doing it
in different locations inside,outside, bedroom, living room,
kitchen, you name it all overthe place.
I am going to be doing thisover a period of days, over a
(19:56):
period of weeks.
I need to condition a verystrong emotional response.
That's positive.
And I'm not talking about listenwhen I say conditioning.
It's repetition, repetition,repetition, repetition,
repetition, where the dog has anautomatic reflex.
Hey, have you ever played aninstrument?
(20:16):
Or maybe you learned how todrive a stick shift?
In the beginning it was brutaland you really had to think
about everything that's involvedin playing an instrument.
You really had to think abouteverything that's involved in
driving a stick shift.
But as you continued topractice over and over and over,
you got to the point where itbecame muscle memory, where you
(20:38):
did not have to consciouslythink about the process of
driving a stick shift, or youdid not have to consciously
think about the process ofplaying this instrument.
At some point, after enoughrepetition, it becomes a
conditioned reflex.
Not only do we need the outwardbehavior to be a physical
(21:02):
reflex for the dog, but it needsto create a conditioned
emotional response that's alsoreflexive or conditioned.
Now, gradually, systematically,I am going to move the dog's bed
or place mat whatever I have iton, closer and closer and
(21:25):
closer to that crate.
But what if, as we're gettingcloser, it starts to create some
anxiety with the dog?
Well, the only way you're goingto know.
That is through understandingcanine body language.
Dogs have a very sophisticatedlanguage with their body
(21:49):
language and gestures that cantell us everything that we need
to know about what they'refeeling, what kind of emotional
state that they're in.
Are they completely relaxed orare they starting to have even
mild stress?
If we start to see bodylanguage in the dog, that the
(22:09):
dog is displaying some stresssignals what that means.
That's feedback to us.
That's telling us hey, listen,we are trying to progress too
quickly, too soon.
The dog's not ready for that.
We need to dial it back alittle bit, take a few steps
back and spend more time at thestep where the dog's comfortable
(22:33):
and really condition that.
Little by little, we're going toget that dog on its better spot
closer and closer to the crate.
As we start to approach thatcrate and somebody else is
feeding the dog, then the nextthing that I'm going to do is I
(23:00):
am going to take that dog on itsbetter place and place that
better place next to the crate,but a little bit back.
So let's say I've got a cratethat's four feet in length.
I might put the dog back fourfeet so that the dog's on its
(23:23):
better place next to the crate,but it's actually just behind
the crate.
Why?
Because, again, what was thedog's trigger?
Somebody walking up to thecrate and closing the door.
Now we haven't even bothered todeal with the door yet.
We're just working on what arethe cues, what happens before
(23:49):
the trigger, because those arethe things that build up to the
trigger and we need to createpositive associations with the
steps that occur before the doggets aggressive.
So, with the dog slightlybehind the crate and to the side
(24:10):
on its better place, we'regoing to do the same thing.
We are going to startapproaching that crate and
somebody else is going to beginto feed the dog as we're moving
towards the crate.
Then we stop short of gettingthere, feeding stops.
Then we start moving towardsthe crate.
Again, the dog gets fed whilewe're moving towards the crate.
(24:31):
Then we stop short of the crate, feeding stops.
The whole idea here is tocreate a positive association in
the dog's mind that hey, mymovement towards that crate is
what creates the high value foodreward.
So the dog begins over time towant me to move towards the
(24:53):
crate because it brings aboutreally great things.
I get high value food rewards.
Now, little by little.
My next steps are going to be tobring the dog forward, because
I want to get to the point wherethe dog's bed is right next to
(25:17):
the crate and I'm approachingthe crate.
And again, every time Iapproach, the dog's getting fed.
When I stop, we stop feeding,so that it's my movement towards
that crate that brings aboutthe high value food rewards.
And when the dog understandsthat, when the light bulb goes
(25:38):
on, the dog starts wanting me tomove towards the crate.
But we have not even gotten tothe point yet of me reaching
towards that crate door ortouching the crate door or even
closing the crate door slightly,and that's the trigger for the
dog.
Now I am going to begin theprocess of reaching towards the
(26:04):
crate door, but when I do that,we are going to back up to the
first step in this process.
What does that mean?
That means that remember thatsafe distance away from the
crate that the dog was on itsbetter place.
We are going all the way backthere with the dog.
(26:32):
But now I'm beginning, insteadof moving towards a crate, which
I can do at this point, the dogloves me moving towards a crate
, but now I'm going to startmoving my hand towards the door,
just like when I was movingtowards the crate and we were
feeding the dog, and then, whenI stopped moving towards the
crate, we stopped feeding.
(26:52):
We're going to do the samething with my hand movement
towards that crate door andinitially I'm just going to move
it a little bit Feed, feed,feed and stop More feeding.
Feed, feed, feed, feed, feed,feed, feed, feed, feed, feed.
Stop no more feeding.
Feed, feed, feed, feed, feed.
So again I've got a helperstanding next to the dog who's
(27:14):
at a distance from the crate.
I'm moving my hand towards thecrate in tiny little increments
and we're feeding the dog everytime my hand starts to move
towards that crate.
And I'm going to do this for10-minute exercises every single
day, when I can move my handall the way to the crate and I
(27:39):
can touch it.
Now my criteria is going tochange as to when the dog gets
the food reward.
Now the dog gets the foodreward right before I touch the
crate.
So I'm reaching, reaching,reaching, reaching, food reward
touch, reaching, reaching,reaching, reaching, food reward
(27:59):
touch.
Now some of you are saying waita minute, will.
Why are you rewarding beforethe touch?
We want to desensitize andcounter, condition the actual
touching of the crate door.
Well, remember, we're creatingpositive associations with what
happens prior to the trigger.
(28:19):
Then we'll move into thetrigger.
So the next step after that,again, I might spend a few weeks
just reaching towards the door.
Then my next step is my criteriais going to change, where I
don't reward the dog until Itouch the crate, but when I
touch the crate door.
But when I do, it's for a briefsecond.
(28:41):
So feed, hand away, touch,touch away, touch, touch away,
touch, touch away.
Touch feed, touch feed, touchfeed.
Duration of my touch is supershort.
Dogs at a distance keeping thatvery short duration of touch.
Gradually, systematically, I'mgoing to bring the dog closer
(29:06):
and closer and closer.
The dog's facing the crate onits bed.
I've got a helper feeding thedog.
When my finger touches thatcrate door, as I move the dog
closer and closer again, theduration stays very brief.
(29:26):
Then what I'm going to do iswhat I did before when it was
the approach I'm going to takethe dog next next to the crate,
but a little bit behind it, andI am going to start that same
(29:47):
process all over again, reachingtowards it, then eventually
touching it for a brief secondOnce I've got the dog thrilled
about my brief second touch.
I'm going to pull the dog backagain because I'm going to
change my criteria again.
This time I'm going to hold onto it a little longer.
(30:09):
I'm going to start addingduration to how long I hold it
and the entire time there'stouch by my hand on that crate
door.
The dog is being fed at adistance by my helper.
Little by little, gradually,systematically, we're going to
bring the dog closer and closerand closer and closer and then
(30:32):
bring the dog behind the crateto the side and little by little
then bring that place cot, thatbed, that mat, that spot right
next to the crate.
Okay, and I'm touching it,touching that crate door, I'm
(30:53):
adding duration.
Once I've got that, we're goingto back the dog up again to a
safe distance.
Now we're going to work onmovement of that crate.
I'm going to touch it, give ita little movement.
The dog gets fed on themovement.
I stop moving it.
No more feeding.
I touch it, move it a littlebit.
(31:14):
Feed, feed, feed, feed, feed,feed.
Stop moving it.
No more feeding.
Start moving it.
Feed, feed, feed, feed, feed,feed, feed, feed, feed, feed,
feed, feed, feed, feed, feed,feed.
Stop moving it.
No more feeding and the dog'sat a distance.
My helper is feeding the dog.
Same thing, little by little,gradually, systematically, I'm
going to bring that dog closerand closer and closer.
(31:36):
Eventually put the dog behindthe crate to the side on its
better mat.
Remember, if it's committed tostaying on that mat, it can't be
going after me at the same time.
Now, at this point, we've doneweeks of counter conditioning
and desensitization.
Okay, the next step is going tobe having the dog not on place
(32:05):
but just standing stationary ata distance where it could move
if it wants to, and start thisprocess all over again.
And, little by little, withoutthe dog on its bed spot or place
, we're going to move the dogcloser and closer and closer.
Then we're going to go behindthe crate, by the side.
Then we're going to bring thedog right next to the crate.
Then the next thing we're goingto do is we're going to have
(32:31):
the dog go in the crate, comeout of the crate, go to a safe
distance.
I'm going to move the cratedoor.
We're going to feed Dog, goesin the crate.
We're not touching or movingthat door.
The dog comes out, goes to thesafe distance.
I'm moving the crate door.
While I'm moving the crate door, the dog's getting fed.
Then what I'm going to do isget the dog in the crate and I'm
(32:57):
going to make the slightestmovement of my hand towards the
crate door and we are feeding.
Just that little bit ofmovement.
I'm not touching the crate door, I'm just moving an inch or two
towards it.
The dog's in the crate Door isopen, wide open.
(33:21):
If the dog starts to show stress, even slightly, you need to
dial it back, rewind a littlebit, go to a step that's a
little further back that you hadsuccess with, stay there a
little while longer, because youprobably don't have muscle
memory, you don't haveconditioning, you don't have a
(33:43):
conditioned reflex, and this iscritical.
So what we're doing is we'retaking this problem and we're
putting it into little tinyslices and creating positive
associations with that.
Eventually we get to the pointwhere the dog's in the crate we
(34:05):
can reach all the way towardsthe crate door.
The door's wide open and wegive it a brief touch and there
the criteria changes again.
The reward is the touch, thenit becomes longer duration, then
it becomes a little shortmovement, then it becomes more
(34:26):
movement, but very gradually,very systematically, very slowly
, we are going through thisprocess and the most important
thing is to have patience and toreally read your dog's body
language Every little, tiny stepof the way.
(34:47):
We wanna create the greatestexperience for your dog,
something that it willabsolutely love, and your dog
starts thinking about this as agame that it can play.
Well, there you have it, folks.
Hey, make sure that you checkout my website at
phoenixdogtrainingcom ordogbehavioristcom as well.
(35:10):
I've got lots of articles upthere.
Be sure to subscribe, not onlyto this YouTube channel and hit
that like button, but pleasesubscribe and leave us a five
star review on our podcast.
I'm Addy here, everybody.
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