crawling naills in kennell at nite?

hollycallan

Just wondering does anyone else have this " when I put my lab dog out at nite she goes straight into her kennel BUT about 1-2 hrs later you'll hear her scrating her nails on the floor of her wooden kennel which is really loud and often wakes me up....note she hates any bedding put on floor of kennel, she just drags it out into the garden...Just wondering why she does this?????????????

fits

She does this because she is distressed...

I'm quite sure she doesnt hate the bedding either, its another symptom of her distress at being locked up on her own, away from her family.

Personally I wouldnt continue to lock her into her kennel outside as it is obviously distressing for her. Try a new approach.

You could perhaps try *gentle introduction* of a crate in the kitchen for her to sleep in. i.e dont throw her into it and lock her up for a few hours the first time you use it. Start feeding her in it, put some toys and treats and blankets in there. Let her come and go as she pleases until she realises it is a comfy safe place to be. Then close the door for small periods of time and gradually increase until she is sleeping in it overnight, safe and comfy, and out of harms way. Theres lots of info online about introducing a dog to a crate, and it is used a lot in cases of separation anxiety which is essentially what your dog has I think.

hollycallan

We dont lock her into her kennell she has her roam of the back garden and either sleeps in kennel or her basket and she doesnt seem to make a sound when she is in her basket....odd.....like is is sharpening her nails.....

lightening

My Old English Sheepdog does this! He often does it at night in the floor right in front of me when I am watching TV or reading. I thought it was some primevil "bedding" instinct, a bit like the turning around a few times before lying down (to flatten the bedding). He does it for ages and then flops down with a contented sigh. My other dog (gun dog too) used to drag his bedding out of the kennel all the time. He just grew out of it...

fits

hollycallan wrote:

We dont lock her into her kennell she has her roam of the back garden and either sleeps in kennel or her basket and she doesnt seem to make a sound when she is in her basket....odd.....like is is sharpening her nails.....

sorry, I must have misinterpreted you. I thought she was scratching at the door as if to get out...

Perhaps she is dreaming and her feet are scratching the kennel floor or wall as she 'runs'.

corkimp

At my parents hin Cork - our dogs do that. Molly - approx 9 bearded collie cross type dog goes mental at night - scratching the box like she's digging for gold. My sisters dog - kesh - a gsd is starting to do it too. Probably just a comfort thing i guess. My gsd esri EATS the inside of her box! Literally - the supports on the inside of the box are nearly chewed away - she is teething so we hope it stops soon. the joys of dogs.:)