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People often ask me why do they need to crate train their dog and isn’t it cruel to lock a dog up in a wire or plastic box? My answer is always, yes, if you are going to use it to punish the dog or leave him or her in there for hours and hours at a time with no exercise or potty breaks. On the other hand, if it is to be used as a safe, comfortable doggy bedroom/den and it is big enough for the dog to stand up, turn around, and stretch out in comfortably, a crate is a useful tool to have at home or when traveling. It should be a place where only pleasant things happen.
Dogs need to feel safe and secure and it is instinctive for them to want to “den.” Denning is a trait left over from when their ancestors slept in small, natural places or holes where they could be safe from larger predators and out of the weather. A crate is a modern-day Den. Your dog’s own private hideaway from it all.
As crates are portable, they are great for use in the car. The crate keeps the dog from getting under your feet or distracting you while driving and will help to make a poor traveler more comfortable while keeping the inside of your car clean.
If you are staying with friends or staying in a motel, hotel or campsite, a crate trained dog is a welcome dog. It also means you can take your dog with you and not have to pay for a sitter or boarding fees.
Dogs who go to the Groomers and have to wait their turn in a crate or while drying will be far less stressed if they are used to and happy being enclosed in a crate or cage. Your dog may one day have to stay overnight at the Veterinary surgery and they will be less anxious if used to a crate or wire cage.
Crates are great for potty training both adult dogs and puppies. I will cover this in another post.
So, how do we get them used to being in a crate or wire cage? Let’s deal with the NEVER’s first.
NEVER ever use the crate as a punishment for bad behavior. You want your dog to love the crate, not hate it!
NEVER force your dog into the crate and close the door or get frustrated with the dog if you feel he is taking too long! It takes time and lots of patience to teach a dog that this is a good thing.
NEVER leave a dog in the crate for long periods of time. They need to come out periodically to go potty, to play, and to exercise. Puppies don’t have bladder control so should never be left in a crate for more than 2 to 3 hours* during the daytime. The last thing you need is a puppy/adult dog learning to pee and poop in the crate!
NEVER leave an unattended dog in a crate with a leash attached. They can get tangled up and hurt or strangle themselves!
NEVER disturb the dog in his crate or allow another dog or a child in his crate, it’s HIS safe place.
*Puppies need to eliminate after waking up, within 20 minutes of eating a meal or drinking, and after a short period of energetic play. Make sure your puppy or adult dog has been out to potty and has had some exercise before crate training or putting them in their crate
Now for the DOs.
ALWAYS leave safe toys and chews in the crate, and a warm blanket to lie on. Place the crate in a low traffic area away from loud TV’s, washing machines, and speakers.
ALWAYS praise your dog when he goes into his crate to rest of his own accord. (Take advantage of this by giving a command as he does it. For example, as he enters the crate you could say “go to bed” followed by “good boy.” Eventually, you will be able to tell him to “go to bed” and he will know what you mean and follow your command.)
Which crate should you use?
This is down to personal choice as both have merit. I prefer the wire, collapsible cages as they are easy to transport, I can see into them, they take less storage space when not in use, and can be set up in a flash. They are not suitable for airplane travel. The hard-sided crates are usually used for air travel but can also be used indoors and in the car.
What size should I get?
This depends on the size of your dog. When purchasing a crate of any type you need to make sure it is big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around, and lie down in comfort with a little extra space for food and water bowls if you are not going to use the type that clip on. This is a general guide. You should always get the right size crate for your dog regardless of the breed as some dogs are larger or smaller than the standard breed size, especially mixed breeds.
Extra Small – 18-22 inches – Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese, Chihuahua, Papillon, and other toy breeds.
Small – 24 inches – Pugs, Miniature Dachshunds, Shih Tsu, Bichon Frise, and other small or miniature breeds.
Medium – 30 inches – French Bulldog, Scottish Terriers, Dachshunds, and other medium breeds.
Intermediate – 36 inches – Bulldogs, Bull Terriers, Beagles, Cattle dogs and other intermediate-sized breeds.
Large – 42 inches – Boxers, Border Collies, Retrievers, Standard Poodle, Labradors, and other large breeds.
Extra Large – 48+ inches – Rottweilers, Akitas, German Shepherds, Huskies, Malamutes, Chow Chow, and other extra large breeds
Some dogs like a cover over the wire type crates. This could be a blanket, a large towel, or a manufactured cover made to fit.
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Crate Training
Before starting the crate training, take the dog for a nice long walk so he will not need to go potty. Do this before every phase of his crate training.
Set up the crate in a quiet area. Sit on the floor by the crate with some treats. Call the dog to you and let him know you have treats. Toss a small treat or two into the crate. Say nothing. Wait until he goes into the crate of his own accord and praise him. He will probably come straight back out after eating the treat. Keep tossing treats into the crate and from now on each time he enters the crate in a pleasant voice say “go to bed” or “in your house” whatever you choose as your command, followed by praise. Do not attempt to close the door yet! Keep repeating this stage until he is happily going in and out. Note: All rewards should be inside the crate, you don’t want to reward coming out of the crate!
Do the same as before, but this time push the door up behind him (not locked) and as he turns around to come back out, and he is calm, give him a treat through the mesh door and then open the door and let him out. Repeat this until he is happy to have the door closed.
Repeat phase 2 but this time lock the door and gradually build up the time before you open the door. Start with 10 seconds, 30 seconds, one minute and gradually build up to 30 minutes. Once you are up to a few minutes you should be able to go sit down within sight and then out of sight of the dog. Once he likes his room you can start leaving stuffed Kongs in there, safe treats and chews, and if you really want him to love it, feed him his dinner in there.
If you have any problems training your dog to love his crate, you are most likely moving too fast. Go back to the previous stage and start over. Slow is the way to go!
Rhiannon West
11/04/2017
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