Panting is a normal expression in both humans and animals. You may notice your dog panting after a walk, during playtime, or when the weather is hot. However, you don’t expect dogs to pant when they are inactive. So why does your dog pant in his crate?
Your dog could be panting because he is anxious or has an underlying medical condition. It could also be that the crate is hot, and your pet is trying to cool himself down. It is important to pinpoint the cause of this weird behavior to help fix it.
In this article, we will provide you with reasons why your dog pants in the crate. You will also get to learn how to help your dog when he starts panting in his crate. Let’s get to the bottom of this!
Seven Reasons Your Dog Pants in Their Crate
It is important to pay close attention to your dog’s behavior after putting him in his crate. This will make it easier to detect what may be responsible for any sick behavior that he may express. Here are seven reasons your dog may pant in his crate:
Stress and Anxiety
If you are still crate training your pooch, then he probably gets anxious when placed in the crate. Dogs in this category express signs of anxiety and stress, like panting, crying, or drooling. It is not unusual to see dogs going crazy in the crate– ramming into the crate, biting at the bars, and acting destructively. Note that crate training is particularly hard for dogs who suffer from separation anxiety.
High Temperature
Heat is one major predisposing factor to stress and lethargy in dogs. Once the temperature within the crate or even the room becomes hot for dogs, they will begin to pant to cool down. Additional symptoms such as vomiting and disoriented behavior can be indicators that your dog is extremely hot. At this point, you need to take quick measures in sorting out the situation.
Feelings of pain
Whenever dogs are in pain, they can communicate their feelings through several means, including panting. Pain could be caused by several things, including injury and illness. Your dog could be suffering from joint disease, or something about the crate could be making him uncomfortable. If you suspect that your dog is in pain, take him out of the crate and inspect him and the crate environment.
Illness
Panting is one of the primary signs of an illness in dogs. When you notice your dog panting in its crate, it may be indicative of an illness. Look out for other symptoms like loss of appetite, lethargy, or vomiting to confirm the presence of an illness. Once you notice odd behaviors in your dog, ensure that you contact your vet immediately.
Discomfort
If staying in the crate is uncomfortable for your dog, he could decide to communicate this discomfort via panting. For example, if your dog feels a desperate need to use the bathroom, he could begin to give signs such as panting. To prevent a case like this, always put your pet’s potty into consideration when putting your dog into the crate. Another reason for panting is if your pet has outgrown his crate.
Thirst
Thirst is another major factor that dogs communicate by panting. Some dogs may refuse water served in bowls in their crates. Pay close attention to your dog to find out when he is thirsty, and make sure you give him enough water. Dehydration is not a pleasant condition, and you should prevent it at all costs.
Nausea
This is the last reason you should consider after you have been able to rule out other possible reasons. Nausea could be a result of your dog eating something that is not fit for its stomach. A nauseous feeling could trigger panting and lip-licking in dogs.
Six Ways to Help Your Dog’s Crate Panting
Discovering why your dog is panting is only the first step to helping your dog. You will need to also help your dog stop panting each time you put him in his crate. We give some helpful tips below.
Keeping the right temperature in the crate
Take necessary measures to regulate the temperature within the crate at the best possible level. Also, ensure that the temperature in the room is well-regulated. A high crate temperature can cause your dog to have a fever.
Provide enough water to your dog
If you suspect that your dog is panting as a result of thirst, give your dog water. Subsequently, ensure that you provide as much water as your dog needs. For dogs that do not receive water in bowls when kept in the crate, you can bring them out and give them water.
Work on reducing your dog’s anxiety
Dogs that pant in their crate due to anxiety will need to be trained to adapt to staying within the crate. Consider spending time with your dog while he is in the crate. You can keep the crate beside you at night or even sit by it during the day. This will help reduce their anxiety, and they will become more comfortable in the crate with more frequent practice.
Giving more attention to your dog
We recommend creating more time for your pet to reduce panting in the crate, especially if the panting is due to anxiety. You can consider taking your dog out for a walk to help them enjoy more time with you and catch some fresh air. Also, take some time to inspect your dog’s body while looking out for any injuries, which may also be causes of panting.
Change your pet’s diet
We have already established that a nauseous feeling from the wrong type of diet can cause panting in dogs. Dogs will easily feel weak from poor feeding, too, and panting can result from low energy. You should work on your dog’s diet if you discover that diet is the reason for the panting. You can also talk to your vet for diet recommendations in this case.
Reach out to your vet
If, after making all necessary adjustments, you are still unable to stop your dog panting in his crate, get him checked by a vet. His panting might be a result of medical issues.
Conclusion
Panting is not normal behavior in dogs if it cannot be traced to any prolonged physical exertion such as running or playing. When a dog pants in his crate, it is usually a sign that there Is something wrong and that you need to pay close attention. Also, in trying to train your dog to adapt to staying within the crate, make sure you do not force them. You will get better results if the method you decide on is pleasant enough both for you and for your pet.
