CRATE TRAINING

With much thought and consideration, I have decided to discuss the importance of crate training for my first official article for GANA .  There are so many tools that are available for training dogs and certainly one of the most useful tools is the portable crate.   I will talk about the different crate options, including the different sizes that are available to us and how it can be helpful while training your dog.  So many owners can experience problems such as separation anxiety and potty training.  Using the crate during the conditioning process can significantly aid in getting these behaviors under control.

Let us first look at what training is, and how the crate can be helpful while caring for and working with your dog.  Simply put, training is the conditioning and/or learning process.   It is important to be able to train in a safe environment and without distraction.  One of the first objectives when starting the process is to not only have the ability to control the dog, but also to have the ability to control the dog’s environment.  I define “control” as the ability to guide, direct, or manage.  Specifically, we want to guide, direct, and manage the dog’s behavior.

In the beginning, I always train my dog in a specific environment where I am able to set the parameters.   While training a tiger, for example, it is obvious for the majority of people to see the importance of controlling the environment.  Of course, we would not want the tiger to have the ability to harm himself or others.  This is exactly the same concept for our dogs.  Controlling the environment does not allow the dog to be harmed and it also protects the surrounding areas as well.  It sets the stage for our dogs to learn the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. 

By introducing a crate to the training environment, it gives my dog a safe haven and a safe environment to be confined in.  Barbara Randall, a close friend of mine and excellent trainer in her own right, told me many years ago “the crate should be something the dog “gets” to do, not something it “has” to do”.  I could not agree with her more!  Barbara has trained over 20,000 dogs in her career as a professional dog handler and trainer.  What she means by this is that the crate should be a “home within a home” - a place of solace for the dog.   This is similar to the natural den that other Canidae families create for themselves in the wild, like wolves, foxes and coyotes.  The crate teaches a dog not to be so dependant on their owners company which helps to control separation anxiety when the owner is not present. 

Before I go into detail on how to train and condition a dog to accept the crate, I would like first to cover a few good situations where the crate can be useful.  First, dogs should never be allowed to ride in the front seat of a car.  Any accident could send a dog flying into the dashboard. Also, airbags can present danger to a dog riding up front. On long trips, I secure my dog’s crate by using cargo straps. Since I have already conditioned my dog to her crate, my dog has no problem getting into the crate and she appears to be comfortable for the ride.  I too am more comfortable knowing that she will travel safely confined inside.  I don’t have to worry about my dog getting loose or jumping out of the car when I stop to get gas and open the doors.  Having the crate secured in the car lets me also roll all the windows down when the car is moving.  I do not have to worry about my dog jumping out of the windows or getting struck by another car while she puts her head out the window.

Other examples where I have found the crate to be useful is when I have had to introduce new dogs to each other in a new environment.  The crate allowed me to do this safely.  Also, the crate has been useful when friends have come over that are fearful of dogs or have allergies or aversions to dogs.  It allowed me to make my home friendly to my guests and I had no worries about my dog since she is already comfortable and conditioned to her crate.

In addition, so many parents have asked me what to do at dinner time. The dog has already learned to beg from the children and steal their food at the table.  The answer at this point is obvious and simple.  Crate the dog until dinner is over and the table has been completely cleared.  In other words, don’t give the dog the opportunity to beg.  Control the environment.

Another very common problem is when a puppy is in the “chewing stage”.  The crate is a perfect way to control this.   It does not allow the dog to chew on inappropriate objects that not only destroys the home, but also can be a dangerous to the dog if it ingests the wrong thing.  By crating the dog when you do not have the time to supervise, you can offer the puppy an appropriate chew toy.   By doing this, you know that both the puppy and your home are safe.  All the while, the puppy is learning what is appropriate to chew on and what is not.  By controlling the environment, it does not allow the puppy the opportunity to chew on inappropriate objects.

Also, I have many clients whose home is woven with a series of baby gates or closed doors which are used to confine their dog.  In many instances, a crate would suffice.  Crates can be useful while traveling in hotel rooms, or visiting the vets office, and can be useful during the dogs’ regular grooming appointment.  The list can go on and on.  Overall, I have found that dogs that have been taught to be in a confined area tend to adjust much quicker and better than those dogs that have not been exposed. Dogs that have learned early on in life that the crate is a safe place, will often times retreat to their “domain” all on their own throughout the day.

Of course, there are many ways to confine a dog’s movement and there are many ways to control the environment.  A leash, tether, kennel run, x-pen, etc., to name a few.  However, crate training should always be on the top of the list when beginning the training process. 

I firmly believe dogs view their world as either “safe” or “dangerous”.  I often think of “safe” as meaning “comfortable” and “dangerous” (at times) can be defined as “uncomfortable”.  When introducing and teaching a dog about the crate, we must also keep in mind what associations that are being developed with the dog about the crate.  Therefore, the crate must always have a pleasant and comfortable association attached to it.  I never force a dog to enter a crate, and I never use the crate as banishment from other stimulus that is comfortable to the dog.  I am always aware to not build uncomfortable, aversive, and harmful associations pertaining to the crate.  If approached correctly, in time your dog will learn that getting into the crate can be comforting and it can also become a self-reinforcing behavior.   

What I am trying to convey to you is that the crate is not a mean, selfish or angry act.  As I explained above, there are many times where confining the dog is actually for the dogs benefit. In my opinion, crate training simply is what any responsible pet owner must teach their dog.  Owners can then better control their dog in the home as well as in strange and new environments. 

The steps to teaching your dog to accept the crate are simple.  I started by exposing my dog to the crate the day she came home from the breeder.   I made my mind up early on that she was going to have a comfortable and safe environment in which to grow up in.   I designated an area in my basement specifically for my dog when I was unable to supervise her.  An unsupervised puppy can be a hazard not only to itself, but also to the objects in your home.

I began by setting up an area that was four foot wide by ten feet long.  I put her crate inside this area.  When she was in this “kennel area” she always had toys or some form of stimulus to keep her company when people were not present.  I did take her out of the kennel area as many as ten times a day to pee, get a drink, play, or train.  I would often times leave a radio or TV on for her as an audible stimulus.  However, at night time, all activity stopped - including the audible ambient sounds.  At night, she would sleep in the crate.  Once she went into the crate at bedtime, she was never let out or disturbed until the morning.   Then she was immediately let out to “go potty”.  

In addition, I also learned early on to never leave water with a puppy in the kennel because it is inevitable that they will make a mess.  However, I did make sure that she was offered more than enough supply of water throughout the day.  I would supervise her when she was offered the water, and then would remove the bowl when she was finished.  This also helped me monitor when and how much she was drinking so I could then be sure to take her outside to pee.  

Also, I never left the puppy with its collar on when she was unattended.  It is too easy for them to get hung up on something and they can potentially inadvertently hang themselves.  Surprisingly, this has happened more times than one can imagine.  I personally know people that this has happened to and it was so tragic for them to lose their puppy.  You can never be too overly cautious.  By putting the collar on and off many times a day, it also will give you another opportunity to bond with her and also to reinforce proper behavior.

As I said above, I believe it is important to expose your dog early on to the crate.  It is important to always have the crate around the dog, not just in its kennel area.  Sometimes I would take the door and the top of the crate off during the day and let the puppy play in it.  I would take the crate into the yard and let the puppy fetch a little treat in it when she went in on her own.   I would throw toys into the crate for her to play with.  Sometimes I would hand feed her dinner to her in the crate.  In other words, I never made the crate a scary place to be.  I never grabbed the dog and threw her it into the crate.  She learned and became conditioned to going into the crate on her own and was comfortable doing it.  It was “safe”.

When I picked up my new puppy “Cassidy”, I brought a blanket so I could rub it on her mother and siblings to have the scent of them.  At night, I put that blanket in her crate so she could be “reunited” with her siblings and mother once again.  The crate is a good, safe, and comfortable place for the puppy to go.  I also would reinforce any attempt or approach to the crate by the puppy. In the beginning, you may lure them in with food. You may gently corral the pup by using your hands and gently guide them into the crate. Always be sure to follow it quickly with a “goodie” such as a bone or healthy treat.   

Once the puppy gets a little older, you can begin to build a verbal cue or stimulus with the act of going to or into the crate.  I simply say “house.”  Using these techniques, it took only a few days for my puppy to learn to go to her “house” and she would always find a “treat”. 

Once your puppy has begun to get conditioned to the crate, you should begin to teach the puppy to be in the crate with the door closed.  At the start, quickly close the door for 5 seconds and immediately open the door and allow the puppy to leave the crate. These sessions should be kept short - about 3-5 minutes to start. Be sure not to make the act of exiting the crate as exciting or reinforcing as the act of entering the crate.  Remember, we want the dog to learn that the crate is a place where good things will happen.  If the dog is confined to the kennel area during the day, leave the crate in the kennel area but be sure to remove the door so the puppy has free access to go in and out.  You may be surprised to see how quickly the puppy goes into the kennel to sleep. Provide the puppy with a warm blanket or towel to sleep on.

A crate should be big enough for your dog to stand and lie down comfortably on its side.  Do not put a puppy in a crate that is too large or large enough for a big full grown dog. They will quickly learn to relieve themselves in the back of the crate.  A confined puppy will try not to soil its sleeping environment as easily.  So, place the puppy in a comfortable but not overly roomy crate.  I will be covering potty training in another article in detail. For now just remember puppies pee often and need to relieve themselves.  Teach them from the beginning the appropriate place to go, and don’t give them the opportunity to go in the inappropriate places.  They will begin to learn the right habits quickly.

John Herriott, a very knowledgeable liberty horse trainer, mentored me early on in my career and he said to me once that “there are so many tools available to you when you train - you can use some of them, part of them, or all of them”.  I have always kept this in mind.  The crate to me is one indispensable tool.  I will always recommend to everyone to use this “tool” throughout their dog’s entire life.