not in the doghouse

[darkoshi]

Up until this week, Zorro has been sleeping in a relatively small plastic crate. Even though she outgrew the crate quite a while ago, she still manages to squeeze inside and curl up in there. In the daytime, we'd put the crate on the porch, and at night in the garage.

Yesterday, the dog house that I had ordered arrived, so I assembled it up on the porch where we normally put the crate. I put Zorro's freshly washed blanket inside (in retrospect, washing it might have been to my disadvantage). Zorro had no desire to go inside the doghouse. I tried enticing her by putting treats inside... she won't go any further than sticking her head inside. She won't step inside in order to reach anything in the back. So then I took half of the roof off. (In the beginning, she wouldn't go in the crate until I took the top of it off.) She still didn't go inside the house. Then I put the crate inside the doghouse. She still didn't go inside. I left her outside last night, because it wasn't very cold. She curled up on the porch rug, and didn't go in the dog house.

Today I put a rug in the dog house. She still refuses to go inside. I even sat down inside the house myself, and she just looked at me curiously. When I pick her up and put her inside, she turns around and gets out as soon as I let go of her. I put her food bowl in the far end of the dog house for most of the day, and she didn't go in to touch it. Now I moved it closer to the opening, so she doesn't have to step inside. Not sure if she ate anything yet.

I'm sure she'll go inside eventually. I just wonder why she is afraid of it.

Comments

[fayanora.livejournal.com]

Because it's unfamiliar. Maybe you should try putting the crate in the doghouse.

[darkoshi]

I did try putting the crate inside; she didn't go in. But at least she ate her food last night, with the foodbowl right inside the opening.

[ninox.livejournal.com]

Much patience required. I am sure she will adapt.