Can dogs be attached to their cage?

Hello, My dog is now 1 and we decided she was ready to be left out of her cage at all times.

We used to put our dog up at night in her cage and when we left the house. We did this to help potty train her and keep her from chewing stuff up. I am a stay home mom so she was mostly only sleeping in her cage. We felt she was ready to stay out so we put her cage up about a week ago.

She has seemed depressed and seemed to developed an issue? We are not sure is it is nervousness? She will be laying there and poop nuggets just fall out her butt?

Sounds strange I know but it is happening. Thanks for taking your time to read my question. I hope you know the answer!





Hi
It definitely sounds to me as though your dog is feeling a bit insecure and anxious right now. If the only change you can think of is that she no longer has access to her crate, then chances are good that it's what is causing the problem.

Many people think that crate training a puppy or dog is unkind and a punishment, but on the contrary most dogs actually like being in their crates because it gives them a feeling of security and safety.

If there's an open crate in a living area at all times, often you'll find that your dog will go in there to take a nap, or hide out when things get a bit crazy around the house, or there are visitors and so on.

I'd suggest re-introducing the crate and seeing if your dog feels better. Although she doesn't actually need to sleep there, she probably likes to and the sudden unavailability of her 'safe place' is making her upset. It might take a few weeks for her to re-adjust, but I would guess that once she realizes things are back to normal she'll start to act more like her normal self.

If she doesn't improve, or gets worse, or shows any signs of illness though I'd recommend having her checked out by your veterinarian to make sure all is well.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!