Aggressive when putting him in his crate. We need advice!!!

[esdmedic7079]

My wife and I have a 5yo male not fixed bulldog that we have suddenly been having issues with crating. Ever since day 1, He has loved his crate. Anytime we get ready to leave the house, he would run to his crate and wait for his treat. Then all of a sudden beginning in January, he began turning aggressive towards us when we tried to put him up. He will still run to his crate when we say the word, but as he is getting in his crate, he will begin growling and barking at us. And it's not a playful bark either. It seems to be an aggressive nature and also has been getting worse. We can't put him up now without him doing it. We normally only lock him up when we are leaving the house. Any other time he is out of the crate with everyone. We cover the crate every time he is in it. And it's not something about the crate he doesn't like because we will find him in there at random times taking naps when we are home. We are not sure if it is something to do with the door being shut or what. He has also begun doing the same thing occasionally when my wife goes to let him out of the crate, growling and barking aggressively. He has never actually physically done anything to us or anyone else, but we are afraid that one day it may happen. She is ready to get rid of him before anything major happens, but I am wanting to try anything to fix the situation before we have to resort to that. Any help or advice would be appreciated. We are desperate!!!

 

[ModernFemme]

This has been happening to us when Remi turned 1 - but his bark is more of a temper tantrum. I'm curious what the veterans have to say as well. I've tagged a few people who might be able to help...

 

[Vicaroo1000]

I wonder, are you waiting until he is calm/submissive before shutting the door? Or he goes in and the door goes closed. Try waiting as long as it takes until he settles in and see if that helps. Don't give him the treat until he's calm/submissive. And the humans have to be calm/assertive of course!

 

[gunnyboy]

Ya know these bullys are hard to figure out sometimes, Like Sarge and Loulou, all you have to say is who wants to go for a ride and they are shaking their butts and are excited to go, they loved to ride.
fot the last month when you say who wants to go for a ride they still get excited like before but they wont get in the van ? I have to coax them in with a treat. Go figure.

 

[esdmedic7079]

I wonder, are you waiting until he is calm/submissive before shutting the door? Or he goes in and the door goes closed. Try waiting as long as it takes until he settles in and see if that helps. Don't give him the treat until he's calm/submissive. And the humans have to be calm/assertive of course!

We tried that a while back but it did not help. He would calm down and we would get him to sit, but then as we would close the door or try and give him a treat, he would not take it and would become upset again.

 

[MamaAndi]

Did his crate get moved or anything that would make it seem like it was "off" to him? Anything "scary" nearby that got moved? Some bulldogs have an absolute hissy fit when things get moved. My dogs bark at lawn chairs that get knocked over in the wind. Lol Just a thought.

 

[LariP]

Something is definitely triggering the change. Sounds like if he did calm down when you waited that you were on to something and you just need to continue not giving the treat until he relaxes.

And the suggestion that something might be moved is a good one too. They can be so OCD about things.

HRH has patterns and can tell time and if we are "off schedule" she makes it clear she is not pleased. I even see signs of that developing in our puppy too.

 

[Vicaroo1000]

We tried that a while back but it did not help. He would calm down and we would get him to sit, but then as we would close the door or try and give him a treat, he would not take it and would become upset again.

Getting him to just sit isn't calm. There's a switch you can see/feel in the dog's when you have waited long enough. Humans are typically impatient folks. Waiting for the dog to "click off" does take time and patience. For Bo and Bea, I also call it "giving up" LOL. There's a battle of wills going on -- energy wise -- and, as the pack leader, I have to be the "winner". Example: There's a part in our walk everyday where Bea has to traverse over about a foot and a half of beauty bark to get to the grass. A month ago, she decided that she wasn't going to walk on the beauty bark anymore. When I let her chose her path, she'll walk up the street to a strip of asphalt and cross over into the grass. Yesterday it was super hot and in an effort to get them into the shady grass faster, I insisted that she walk across that small strip of beauty bark. She refused. She stopped and wouldn't go forward. She pulled her head to the left (away from the park) and then tried to go up the street. FOR LIFE FIVE MINUTES! OK. Maybe it wasn't that long -- three minutes? --- but she was NOT giving in. Well, neither was I. And this was a leadership ritual by this time....who was going to win? "This way" is something I say (to encourage) all the time (she doesn't know what I'm saying but I say it anyway). I stood still, not affording her any room forward and I waited. And I waited. Every so often, I would tug gently on the leash and say "this way" but mostly I just stood quiet - calm and assertive! Eventually, I saw her "click off" (and accept my direction) and she then trotted over the beauty bark onto the grass.

So you're thinking, what a hassle. Why not just let her walk on the asphalt right? Sure. I could do that -- and have -- that's the easy way but I'm not practicing leadership rituals when I cave in to every whim. This very "caving" thing is precisely why Bo pulls on the lead when we get to the beauty bark strip --- because he cannot wait to hit that grass! LOL And I have let him do it. (My bad. Or I should say, "My CREATION") We are working on that!
[MENTION=3756]MamaAndi[/MENTION] makes a good point about environment. The neighbor's patio umbrella is going to swoop down and EAT them for the first few days after she puts it up. LOL

Perhaps you can try waiting longer? Waiting for him to "click" off and truly relax (give in) to the exercise? THEN treat. If you haven't been waiting long enough and then treating, you are kind of rewarding him for being "upset".....