You WANT to be in the doghouse!
AKA The crate is NOT a jailhouse
so don’t hate the crate
All too often I hear from clients:
“I don’t need to keep my dog in a cage 24-7! That’s just cruel!” Yes, yes, that WOULD be cruel and LIVING in a crate is not the goal.
“I put him in there when he just won’t listen to me, but he doesn’t like it!” OK, so we’ve helped your dog associate the crate with punishment and confinement. I wouldn’t choose to go in either!
“My dog doesn’t NEED a crate.” I get it. Crates can be big and bulky and not fit in with our home decor and maybe you like your dog snuggling with you on the couch and be your best pillow sharer all night. That’s FINE! (ahem…I do that, too, but it’s more that Luna shares her couch and pillows with ME!) But I’ll still argue that training to a crate offers so many benefits beyond just a place to sleep.
So, let’s if I can offer an argument (and some practical steps) for turning your “hate for the crate” into “rejoicing for relaxation”!
The Main Argument for Crate Training:
Your dog is sleeping anyway! Help them feel safe!
You might as well help your dog with their natural instincts to feel safe with a cozy den whenever they are not being actively supervised.
Sure, you’re cute, lazy dog sleeps sprawled out, half on/half off their bed, legs in the air like they just don’t care! They’ll NEVER fit in a crate! Well, you may need a little help training your dog to sleep like a dog again, but if they are THAT relaxed while sleeping, they’ll find a perfect position INSIDE the crate as well.
But there are other valid reasons to crate train your dog.
Ease Anxiety: Many people think of the crate as a prison. In fact, most dogs, when properly trained to a crate, have LESS anxiety, fear and stress. That’s because they have a place to go where they do not have to make any decisions and can just relax. Think of yourself after a long, stressful day of trying to figure out life. Does sitting in a hot tub sound like torture? Does crawling in to a comfy bed or onto the couch under a big blanket sound like punishment? Does closing the door to your room to stop the household sound for a while sound like the worst idea on the planet? Your dog can learn to LOVE their crate as their own personal retreat spot.
End Free-Roam Chaos - When your dog is allowed to free-roam the house (ie no active supervision) they have a lot of opportunities to make poor choices based on impulse. And you may not like those choices but they sure are fun for your dog! Think ripping up a pillow, getting into the garbage, drinking from the toilet, scratching or eating through your door, chasing the cat. Those are all REALLY fun things for a dog, but can cost YOU a lot of time and money in cleaning and vet bills. Crate training so they have a place to hang out and NOT make impulse decisions can save you a lot of time, money and frustration.
Vet Visits and Kennels: If you ever have that emergency vet visit in which your dog needs to stay overnight, or you find your family and friends are not freeing their weekends to care for your dog while you go out of town and you need to find a board facility, your dog will do MUCH better if they have been crate trained.
Evacuation: I am on a local Animal Rescue team and in our area, our biggest threat are fires. I grew up in earthquake territory. I have a client who just survived a flood. A friend in the northern states is currently without power, under 4 feet of snow and needs to find a place to stay with her two dogs. So many of us face emergency situations and are forced to evacuate. The most common thing I hear at Animal Rescue is “I thought I had a place to go…no where takes animals and my family can’t help this time.” Then we have dogs facing an already stressful situation, who have never seen a kennel or crate, attempt to live in a confined but have no skills to cope with it! Calm, crate trained dogs do better in an evacuation situation (and are often allowed past the hotel front desk in an emergency).
Advanced Training: Many advanced training seminars and classes (agility, advanced obedience, Casa Luna Canines Country Obstacle Course, Water Dogs, Search and Rescue, Dock Diving, etc) require your dog to be in a crate or small run when they are not on the course. And they are required to be calm and quiet while waiting their turn. The ONLY way to achieve that is through crate training.
Behavior Training: Crate Training is an essential part of helping to eliminate or prevent separation anxiety related behaviors; stopping the “follow you everywhere” to pester you for attention; it can build patience and impulse control; it helps your dog to unwind from high adrenaline states (drain the emotional bucket); stop practicing, or never start, other bad behaviors.
What the crate is NOT:
It is not used for punishment. Never force your dog or puppy into the crate when you are angry. They should be learning it’s a calm time out spot, but not a place of punishment.
It is not used for long-term confinement. Most dogs and puppies can learn to be okay for an 8 hour period, but should not be 8 hours upon 8 hours with only a quick potty break.
It is not a small confinement. Dogs MUST be able to fully lay down, stand up, turn around and have access to water if they are in the crate for longer than a few hours.
How DO I train my dog for the crate?
We’ll go into more detail on other crate training courses and posts but here are ways to get you started.
The crate is the BEST place! Dogs think in terms of “best value”. Start by making the crate the best place to be in your home. This means ONLY good things happen in the crate and in the crate is where the good things happen! Feed in the crate, toss treats in the crate, give long lasting chew toys in the crate and ONLY in the crate.
Leave the door open. If you’re at the beginning of crate training, remove the door or tie it open so it doesn’t accidentally slam shut and scare your dog.
Train to parts of the crate. If your dog is scared of the crate, start with the small parts. Remove the sliding plastic tray of a wire crate or the top of a hard sided crate and train “place” to the tray or bottom, away from the rest of the crate. Once your dog is used to the pieces, start moving it closer to the rest of the crate. Go slowly. For some dogs this will take a few days or a week, some may adapt in one session. Let your dog tell you if they are uncomfortable.
Play games in and out of the crate. The dog goes in and is IMMEDIATELY released. Keep it fun and easy, almost like they are not allowed in the crate for a long time. Keeping them OUT of the crate actually makes some dogs want to be IN the crate more.
Crate = great. Out = pout. Just an easy way to remember that all good things happen in the crate and when they are out of the crate, you can act boring and pouty and simply ignore your dog for a moment. Back in the crate, excited and toss in some treats. Out…BORING!
Try some of this today. Then keep your eyes out for more posts on crate and bed training tips, or join our newsletter below.
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