Crate Training is Important for Your Dog's Health and Safety

One of the biggest decisions that a new dog owner faces is what to do with the dog while you are sleeping or while you are out. Some dogs do a great job of behaving during these times, and others have some definite trouble. As a new dog owner I figured our dog would lie down and go to sleep on the new doggie bed we had purchased for her. Boy was I wrong! She wandered around, getting into garbage cans, chewing on everything in sight, and making a lot of noise! A friend’s dog chewed up his new bed comforter while he was at work. Some dogs just can’t be left out unsupervised. So, what do you do with these energetic puppies? The answer may be crate training.
Crate training is teaching your dog to go willingly into its crate or cage, and to behave in there during the night or while you are out. It has been said that putting a dog into a crate is cruel and unfair. This does not have to be the case. Done properly, crate training can be great for you and your dog. Everyone needs a place to call their own, and dogs are no different. Once we crate trained our dog, she spends much of her quiet time in her crate voluntarily. It is her special place. Leaving your dog out unsupervised can be destructive and harmful to your dog. Your dog could get into any number of things that could hurt him. Keeping him in a safe place while you are away is a much better option. Crates provide security and safety for your dog, help prevent damage from chewing and elimination, make travelling with your dog much easier, and help improve the relationship between dog and owner by cutting down on discipline problems. As long as your dog has been given plenty of exercise and an opportunity to eliminate before going into his crate, then crate time is neither cruel nor unfair.
Your first step is to purchase a crate. There are a couple of different kinds to consider. There are actual crates and there are cages. To decide which one is right for you, you need to think about a couple of things. First, you need to consider the size of your dog now and in the future. If you have a puppy, he is going to grow. You want to try to get a crate or a cage that will accommodate his future size so you don’t have to purchase another one as he grows. You want a crate or cage that is large enough for your dog to stand in and turn around. In general, cages are larger than crates, so if your dog is large now or will be large in the future, you may want to consider a cage. Second, you need to consider how your crate will be used. Will your crate only be used at your home, or do you plan on travelling with the dog in the crate? If you are only using your crate at home, then either a crate or a cage will work. However, if you plan on using your crate to travel with your dog, whether in the car or on a plane, then you will need a crate, not a cage. The third thing to consider is cost. In general, the cages cost more than the crates. This is probably because they are made of metal instead of plastic. But the cages tend to be more durable as well, since the dog can actually chew on the plastic crate. The final thing to consider is that very small dogs may do well in a playpen and that very active dogs may do better outside in a dog run.
Now that you have chosen a crate, you need to consider where you are going to put it. Dogs are very social animals and don’t like to be put in an isolated area. Your dog will be much more open to being in the crate if it is placed in an area where your family spends a lot of time, such as the family room. I know they aren’t the most decorative things, but I am sure you can find a spot where it is out of the way but still allows the dog to feel like part of the family. Remember that you want your dog to go willingly into the crate, so you want the crate to be a pleasant experience. Some dogs do whine or cry when left alone in their crate. If this problem doesn’t go away after a couple of weeks you may want to consider leaving a radio or TV on while you are out to “keep the dog company.” This can get costly if you are leaving the dog daily while you are at work though, so it should only be used as a last resort if you can’t find another way to keep the dog from whining. You will want to place some of the dog’s favorite toys in the crate so that he isn’t bored.
Training puppies to use a crate can be very simple. You should start by introducing the puppy to the crate as early in the day as possible. This will give him a whole day to get used to it before nightfall. Put a few treats, toys, or some food into the crate to motivate the puppy to enter on his own. If you give him a little while he will probably venture in there on his own out of curiosity. If he does, tell him he is a good dog. The first time you confine the puppy to the crate should be after a period of exercise and elimination, when he is ready for a nap. Put your puppy in the crate with a toy and a treat and close the door. Leave the room but stay close by so you can hear the puppy. I can almost guarantee you that the puppy will start to cry, whimper, bark, or howl after a couple of minutes. This is perfectly normal. This is probably the first time he has been separated from the family, and he will be a little distressed. Never let him out when he cries or whines just ignore him. When the crying has stopped, you can let him out. If the crying doesn’t stop on its own after 15 minutes, you may need to correct your puppy lightly. You don’t want to correct him harshly because he will be frightened which can cause him to dislike his new crate. You should try to correct your puppy without being seen by him so that he doesn’t learn to associate the correction with your presence. Try using something that makes a loud noise, such as shaking a soda can containing a couple of coins. Most times this will disrupt the barking or crying. You can also try a small squirt of water from a squirt gun. We just used our voices from another room and told our dog no in a firm voice. Obviously, you will need to do this several times for the puppy to learn his lesson. With a puppy, it is best to try to stay home for a few days while crate training so that the puppy gets used to the crate and you can observe his reactions. You don’t want to introduce him to the crate and then leave him locked in it for several hours on the first or second occasion. Remember, you want the crate to be a positive experience, so take the time to help your puppy adjust. Each new time you put him in, put in a treat and a toy, lock the door, and leave the room. After a couple of weeks the puppy should be happily going into his crate when told to do so and the crying should have stopped.
Training older dogs to use a crate is very similar to training a puppy, except for the initial introduction to a crate. You will want to set up your older dog’s crate in his feeding area, at least for a couple of days. Leave the crate door open and place a couple of treats and toys in the crate. Your dog will probably wander in on his own, since his feeding area is a comfortable area for him. Let him wander in and out for a couple of days with the door open. Once your dog is entering into his crate freely, it is time to close the door. Again, close the door and leave the room, but remain close by. You may need to correct his vocalizations just like you do with a puppy. Gradually increase the amount of time you require your dog to stay in the crate quietly. Some dogs may adapt better to the crate if you place it in their sleeping area and allow them to sleep in it at night. Again, dogs like to have a place of their own.
Once your dog is used to the crate, you can try travelling with your dog. Try short trips first, keeping in mind that many dogs get motion sick. Let your dog accompany you to the store or the park, anywhere that will be a positive experience for your dog. That way your dog will come to enjoy travelling and will probably overcome most of that motion sickness. Once your dog is used to short trips, you can go for longer trips and eventually consider flying.
Crate training can be a positive thing for you and your pet. One word of caution, never use your dog’s crate as a punishment location. If you lock the dog in the crate because he chewed up your new shoes, he is going to view the crate as a negative place and will not want to be in there. Always make the crate a positive place for your dog. Then you can leave the house knowing that your dog is happy, safe and secure in his crate.