How to encourage dog to go into his kennel?

[FruminousBandersnatch]

12 month old larger breed dog. He was crate trained as a pup but too big for it now. Sleeps inside.

He has a kennel in the garden. It has carpet, a blanket, toys and we throw treats etc in there to encourage use.

I don’t expect him to hang there all the time. But on the odd occasion it rains and we’re out (he’s on his own for three hours at a stretch, tops) he would rather press up mournfully against the sliver of dry by the door than go into his lovely kennel. Why?! How can we encourage him to use it?

[Floralnomad]

It’s because he wants to be inside , it’s very unfair and dangerous to leave him outside when you are out .

[FruminousBandersnatch]

Why is it dangerous and unfair? If he was inside he would be chewing up the house out of boredom.

[steppemum]

If he lives indoors, and sleeps indoors, he will be cold and unfamiliar with living in the garden, and doesn't associate the kennel with his home/bed etc

[Floralnomad]

Dogs get stolen from very secure gardens all of the time .

[Smotheroffive]

At one he is only just out of puppyhood, and as a larger breed, still very immature, and wants to be close to his family, his people. I would never ever risk leaving my ddogs in the garden alone.

This is how dog baiters find their victims for their fighting dogs to practice on, they tape up their mouths so the fighting dog can't get bitten whilst it rips the dog to bits who can't defend itself, and they leave the gate open so it looks like the dog just wandered out.

If you walk your ddog plenty then it should be perfectly happy to be left for increasing amounts of time up to 3 hours.

How often are you leaving it?

Your idea of what's out of the wind and cold and the dogs will be different, you should put the kennel next to the house.

[FruminousBandersnatch]

It’s the height of summer here and very hot inside. If I had to leave him inside with the doors and windows closed he would overheat. Presently, he spends the bulk of his time outside even when the doors are open. And we live rurally, everyone here has dogs outside - farm dogs and pets both. Dog stealing is rare - I haven’t heard of it happening round these parts.

If anyone has any actual suggestions on how to encourage him to use his kennel when it rains I’d be happy to hear them!

[Smotheroffive]

You are so lucky to have that freedom!

You didn't say, so we can't assume you live outside the UK?!? Were we supposed to know that somehow.

[steppemum]

OK, well, perhaps it would ahve been helpful to mention that it is a warm climate and he spends most of his time outside

to be honest, if he was that bothered, he would use it!

[FruminousBandersnatch]

The kennel is right next to the house. He gets left for three hour stretches about four times a week. He has three hours of walking each day. I work from home so am around the bulk of the time. He also has a dog friend who comes around to spend the day two or three days a week, so plenty of rough and tumble and socialisation.

[LeadMeToTheChocolate]

He should be indoors. Restrict him to one room if you think he will chew. If it’s hot leave the ac on/leave him in a room with tiled floor etc etc
Dogs are toddlers that don’t grow up. Don’t leave him outside it’s cruel.

[FruminousBandersnatch]

Sorry, I thought it would be approached more as a hypothetical question on training!

[FruminousBandersnatch]

Air conditioning is not common here. Like I say - when all the doors are open he prefers to stay outside. Why would I shut him inside when he is happier out?

[LeadMeToTheChocolate]

He can’t be that happy if he’s ‘pressed mournfully against the door’. Make your mind up.

[FruminousBandersnatch]

There's no need to be so rude, @LeadMeToTheChocolate.

He's not happy when it rains. But sudden showers happen - I'm not locking him inside on a hot day on the off chance of a downpour. Hence my original question.

[LuluLozenge]

Mumsnet i

[LuluLozenge]

whoops

Mumsnet is full of experts all professing to know exactly what is going on despite having the barest of details. I also think there is a bit of a cultural difference going on. I suspect we're from a similar place and the advice here would be to stick him in a run, which wouldn't go down with suburban English people!

You could try tying him up outside the kennel and leaving him with a bone/chew, while you are close by.

But otherwise I think if he was really unhappy he would go in there. Dogs do a good line in "mournful".

[FruminousBandersnatch]

Ha - yes! Some of the neighbours have their dogs in runs, but it's mostly working dogs, who sleep out all year round and are used to that kind of set up. (Oh and my friend's much-loved dog, who wears PJs in his outside run in the winter!). We're clearly all unfair, cruel and all round horrible.

I think you and another poster are right: if he was that bothered, he go in the kennel.

[BiteyShark]

Is there any way of putting up some shelter so he doesn't get wet when it rains. I suspect the kennel is too isolating so he can't see and hear everything and just wants to be outside irrespective of the weather. Maybe some kind of garden umbrella?

[llangennith]

I had a Cavalier spaniel who was like this. She would rather press herself up against the patio doors than go into her shelter. After a few months I noticed she'd started popping into her kennel for a sleep but she still didn't connect the kennel with keeping her dry.

[steppemum]

it is very unusual to keep a dog outside in UK, unless it is a working farm dog. And it is currently pretty cold overnight, so most of your responses will reflect this.

I have noticed that dogs are not great at associating being under cover with being dry!

I would regularly put something nice in the kennel, that way it is a nice association place. Don't only do it when you leave as that way it has the association of you leaving.
You coudl also try swapping whatever blanket he uses for his 'bed' indoors, with the one in the kennel, and swap them over once a week, that way they both have the association of 'bed'

[Aprilshowersarecomingsoon]

You need to go 'hang out' in the kennel too!!
Share some tasty snacks in there!!
He will associate being in there with good times!!

[NashvilleQueen]

No advice just envious of your sunshine.

[adaline]

Why does he need to stay in the kennel? If dogs are regularly left outside where you live, what's wrong with him just having the run of the garden? A bit of rain isn't going to harm him!

[sillysmiles]

Was just going to say that I never leave mine outside when we are not at home because of the fear or him either getting distracted and wandering of or being stolen. But then I saw your post about you being in sunnier climes!
Will he go into it when you are there? Can you try something that smells of ye (old worn tshirt or something?) and a frozen kong in his kennel everytime you go out. He might eventually start associating it with somewhere not too bad to be.

Also - is there a chance another animal has been in it? Or that tree branches or anything rub off it - making it smell and sound scary?