Fighting through kennels

[kelleyanne1988]

So I'm having a problem with Bear and Gunner all of a sudden trying to what sounds like kill each other though their kennels. They are completely fine everywhere else. But within the past few months they have started trying to fight like seconds after I walk out of their room when they are in their kennels. They stop if they hear or see me. And I can go in there and tell them to stop in an angry voice and they won't do it again. They are on opposite sides of the room, and I have their travel kennels sitting between them, but it's not doing anything. They will not do it while I am in the room. I have sat in there waiting for them to try it but nothing until I walk out. They do not fight anywhere else. They are best friends everywhere else.

Any ideas as to how to stop this? I'm fixing to hang a sheet to completely block their view of each other because they can still see around the travel kennels. I can't think of anything else other than continuing to get onto them when they do it. But it is like clock work everytime I leave the room.

All advice will be taken into consideration and great thought. And I appreciate any advice on this.

[maximoo]

WHY are you putting them in the kennels? And do you mean crates?

[kelleyanne1988]

Yeah that's what I call their crates.

[Fundog]

Have they possibly outgrown their crates? Dogs can get rather snarky if they feel cramped in an uncomfortably small space.

[Mattie]

Sounds like teenage hooligans. Can you give us an update on their normal day please?

[kelleyanne1988]

No they have not outgrown their kennels... They have plenty of room! haha

Normal day:
They wake me up around 730am to go outside and get fed. I normally put them in their kennels and go to school. Come home before work to let them out and play around. (Or if i don't have to work I come home and they stay out of their kennels until bedtime.) We go on a walk every night (if we can - with school sometimes i dont get that chance) Lately we have been going to a friends to have puppy playdates like once a week or so. They are literally completely fine outside their kennels. They are fine in the mornings when they wake up. It is just everytime they go INTO their kennels and I walk out of the room they act up. They don't fight outside. (At least not like that!) They do get in tiffs every now and then, but it's really just one wants to play and the other doesn't and he gets onto him and it stops. But sounds NOTHING like what they sound like in their kennels.

Once they have gotten that huge bicker over with and I get onto them, they are fine. They are completely fine through the night.

[Mattie]

From what you say it looks like they are short on exercise, they should have a walk before you go to school as well, they have been asleep all night and need to get rid of some of their energy. Try getting up at 7am or 6.45am and giving them a short walk before breakfast.

They MUST have a good walk every evening, you have teenage hooligans and you have to meet their needs, at the moment you are not meeting their energy needs. School is important so it is up to you to work round this unless you can get someone to help you walk them, that would make things a lot easier for you.

You say they are fine outside their kennels but each time they do this they are reinforcing this behaviour, they will get worse and it can escalate to when they are outside.

[jakesmom]

Hi Kellyanne

Sounds to me as though they associate the kennels with you going out and leaving them. What do you think?

Is there a reason they have to be kenneled, could they not just have the run of the house or a room at least?

[kelleyanne1988]

Alrighty... I'm gonna work on getting them more walks in.

And they love their kennels... They go in there on their own when we are just hanging around the house. I don't use their kennels for punishment and that's their "safe place". I feed them in there to keep them away from each other while they eat. And I also don't exactly trust them to have the run of the house.

[kelleyanne1988]

Now there are days that I leave them in the backyard if it's a nice dry day and I'm gonna be gone awhile. They play in a small pool and lay in the sun. AND RUNN!!!!!! haha