Crate Training

"Crates" can be airline carriers, pens or wire cages. As long as they are sturdy, provide ventilation, and are appropriate for the size of your dog they can be a great training tool. However the impact of using crates to raise puppies or solve behavior problems is overshadowed by the fact that crates will fix everything simply by restricting the dog's ability to cause trouble. Using a crate to baby-sit your dog or lock the dog away from family activity is no way to solve problems. Frequent confinement makes most behavior problems worse. For the whole story on crates, read on.

MYTH: "SMALL ENCLOSED SPACES ARE COMFORTING TO A PUPPY BECAUSE WILD DOGS LIVE IN DENS" Wild puppies under 4 weeks old live inside their mother's den. A den entrance is only several inches high and the den may be only a foot tall inside. After the first month of life, mom might go out to hunt but she will leave a young adult with the puppies in the den. So, though it is true that a small enclosed den is natural and reassuring to a puppy, it is also true that the puppies are rarely left ALONE in there. They are also free to leave the den at any time with constant supervision. In addition, breeders usually allow mother dogs to whelp in an open pen. Purebred domestic puppies are not accustomed to small, close confinement of a wild dog's den.

You can use a crate to keep a puppy safe while you are not supervising him but the puppy has to be introduced to being alone gradually to avoid panic. You also cannot lock up a young puppy for hours on end. Puppies are usually brought into a home when they are 8-12 weeks old. At this time they are naturally curious and very motivated to explore and learn about their environment. Their brains are just not wired to wait quietly all day in a box and then sleep 8 hours at night, too. You cannot use a crate to babysit your puppy while you work all day.

MYTH: "A CRATE WILL HOUSE TRAIN THE PUPPY" Puppies learn at about 6-8 weeks of age not to soil their mother's bed or den. Mom gives them a stare or a rumbling growl if they try to eliminate near her and they scurry away. Puppies in the wild can move a away and eliminate any time they like. They don't have sufficient control over their urge to eliminate to wait more than a minute or two since they only need to wait long enough to move out of mom's range.

You can use a crate to teach a puppy elimination control by gradually increasing the time a puppy spends in the crate so that the puppy can always expect to be let out soon. He will want to keep his own bed clean and will whine and pace before eliminating. If you are attentive to this, you can carry the puppy outside quickly when he gets active. Rewarding your puppy when he eliminates outside will help him understand what you want him to do. If you leave the puppy in the crate for hours, or if the puppy was raised in a cage, he won't know that he can keep his bed clean and the crate will not be a useful house training aid. If you don't take the puppy to the appropriate place to eliminate and reward him, he won't know what he is waiting for.

Using a crate successfully

To introduce the crate to your dog or puppy, feed him only in the crate for a few days. Keep the crate, with door open, in the kitchen during the day and your bedroom at night. These are areas of family activity in which the dog or puppy feels most secure.

Have your puppy spend the night in the crate in your room. She'll see you are asleep and she will copy you by sleeping, too. For the puppy's first night, you can put the crate near your bed and put your hand through the bars to soothe the puppy to sleep. Don't let her out or attend to her crying. Your hand through the bars will give her something to snuggle up to while she watches you sleep. If the puppy rustles around during the night, take her outside quickly to eliminate--no play or attention, just back to the crate, so she learns the night time routine. Take her out BEFORE she cries so she does not learn to cry to get out.

During the day, the puppy should find food and toys in the crate. Once she enters the crate easily, start to latch the door during the day. Stay nearby so you can unlatch the door before the puppy tries to paw the door or whines to get out. You want to avoid 2 things. One is scratching/whining to get out and the other is the feeling that he or she can't get out. Gradually increase time in crate (5 minutes then 15 minutes then 10 minutes) while you are home, sometimes with food in the crate, sometimes with toys. Notice that the time in the crate does not get consistently LONGER. You have to mix shorter time periods or puppy will see that it gets worse each time. You don't have to stay in the room but you can't let the puppy out if she is trying to get out or the puppy will learn to struggle against the crate. Wait for an opportune, quiet moment. Reward the quiet by allowing the puppy to come out. Don't add additional praise. Just open the crate.

When you want to leave the puppy in the crate because you can't supervise her directly, be sure she is fed and has eliminated so she won't be uncomfortable. You can use the crate for a couple of hours at a time. If you include a blanket for comfort use a chew safe type. It's a good idea to remove any collar or tags so they don't get caught on the crate. If you will be gone all day, you can put the OPEN crate in a laundry room for the day. Be sure to puppy proof. Hire a dog walker to come mid day. Puppies under 6-8 months old should not be left alone for a full work day without attention.

You will be doing your dog a big favor by having her accustomed to a crate. You can take the crate when you travel so she feels at home and your hosts will welcome her. She will be more comfortable at a veterinary hospital or at a kennel because she is used to staying in a confined space when necessary. If you ever have to move or take her on a plane, she won't panic. It'll be old hat. If you have a show dog, crate training is a must.

Alternatives to crating

For housetraining or to leave a dog alone all day, an alternative to a crate is to have a safe fence and a dog door. You may want to fence a small portion of the yard adjacent to the dog door at first so the puppy learns to eliminate in one part of the yard. Be sure to lock your gates so that service people or passersby cannot let your dog escape the yard when you are not home to supervise. You can close off a part of the house so that the dog has access through the dog door to a puppy proofed part of the house. Be sure a neighbor is looking out for the puppy in case of crying, escape or threat of theft. If you walk your dog in your neighborhood you will meet other dog owners that may share your dog care concerns. See if you can share your dogs or at least the dog walking responsibilities or back yard supervision to make life easier on you and your pets.

Animal boarding kennels now offer day care for puppies or for dogs whose owners work long hours. Prices range from $5.00 per day to over $20.00. Some day facilities offer obedience training and outdoor activities, too. It's expensive but allows people who work all day to adopt a puppy. The puppy will only need this type of care until she is 6-8 months old depending on the breed.

For training while you are home, some folks elect to use a tie down instead of a crate. A tie down is simply a leash that is too short to tangle, anchored to the floor or wall in your home. Attach your dog to the tie down with in reach of his comfortable bed. Introduce the tie down in the same manner as a crate. Food and toys should be within reach. The puppy should not be released for whining or struggling against the tie down and all good behavior should be rewarded. Gradually build up to longer periods of time spent confined until your puppy is comfortable with this restraint. Remember, a tie down can only be used when a dog has direct supervision.