[Starvt]

Raffi has developed this annoying habit.
When I let him out of his crate (in the morning or when coming home) he shriek-barks and leaps around like a fool, totally wound up.
He goes into his crate just fine, he stays in his crate fine (although since covid he did have to get used to being left alone sometimes). If we were out, he starts his shriek-barking when we pull up to the house, but stops when I come upstairs. He will wait when I open the crate door until I give him the signal to come out, but it's a very tense and ready to explode kind of waiting.
He usually needs to go outside at this point, and again he will wait at the outside door until I give the signal. Then he shoots through the doorway with several very loud barks.
So clearly he is able to exhibit impulse control but it does not seem to be extending to mental control!
Any tips for helping this? Or is it just his personality?

 

[Michigan Gal]

Is there a reason Raffi has to be in the crate? If he is not destructive and is housebroken, can he be given more freedom?

 

[Starvt]

He is still pretty young, 11 months old. When I do leave him out of the crate he jumps up at the window when I come home. Plus I have multiple animals so crating is safer.
In any case I'm a strong believer in teaching good crating behaviour, and he does not seem stressed out at all being in it, just excited when he is about to get out.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Something I've stopped doing is asking for a waaaaaaaait with suspense building, unless we're playing.

For mundane things, like waiting at the door or exiting her pen, I used to do it because it was something I did with my last dog with no issue. But I found it was getting Peggy a little too wound up.

I spent a few days clicking and treating at the door if she waited at the threshold, and now I don't say or do anything at all. I open the door and she automatically waits, but it's not that ready-to-spring! sort of wait. It's calm and voluntary. I then release her with equal calm.

Maybe Raffi's just anticipating that release because you've repeated the un-crating routine so many times and now he can't contain himself. Totally normal for smart dogs, as they are sooo good at knowing what's next. And teenage dogs, as we know, are masters of doing everything a little too enthusiastically.

I'd probably mix up the sequence a bit: Putter around the house for a few minutes before letting him out of the crate; refill his water bowl after he comes out of the crate, rather than heading straight to the door; walk him on a leash after confinement, rather than letting him loose into the backyard... That sort of thing.

 

[Starvt]

Something I've stopped doing is asking for a waaaaaaaait with suspense building, unless we're playing.

For mundane things, like waiting at the door or exiting her pen, I used to do it because it was something I did with my last dog with no issue. But I found it was getting Peggy a little too wound up.

I spent a few days clicking and treating at the door if she waited at the threshold, and now I don't say or do anything at all. I open the door and she automatically waits, but it's not that ready-to-spring! sort of wait. It's calm and voluntary. I then release her with equal calm.

Maybe Raffi's just anticipating that release because you've repeated the un-crating routine so many times and now he can't contain himself. Totally normal for smart dogs, as they are sooo good at knowing what's next. And teenage dogs, as we know, are masters of doing everything a little too enthusiastically.

I'd probably mix up the sequence a bit: Putter around the house for a few minutes before letting him out of the crate; refill his water bowl after he comes out of the crate, rather than heading straight to the door; walk him on a leash after confinement, rather than letting him loose into the backyard... That sort of thing.

Good points and ideas.
Yeah I have always done this with my previous dogs, no issues, but none of them were quite so liable to try to think a step ahead of me the way Raffi does. The joys and trials of poodles!