How
a Crate Can Save Your Sanity
and Your Dog's Life
By Tammy S. Grimes
I'd
never been an advocate of crate training. I'd never really be
a NON advocate either, but I just had no need for them. Both
dogs I got were beyond the puppy stage, and were all but trained
when I brought them into the home. A couple of accidents later,
no big deal, whalla!, instant trained dogs. I could see no reason
for a crate.
Then,
EVERYTHING changed. I brought home my first two adult chained-dog
fosters. They immediately began a contest to see who could mark
the most areas of my living room, kitchen, and dining room, while
I ran screaming behind them pulling my hair out. After about ten
minutes of tear-filled gnashing of teeth, I got the bright idea
to put them in my basement and make a few phone calls. The basement,
luckily in this instance, is a real basementy basement. So even
though they proceeded to continue the contest—mark, defecate,
and leg lift to their hearts content, at least it wasn't in my immediate
living space.
I
spoke to many rescue people, both via e-mail and via phone, and
each and every one of them advised me to get myself a couple of
crates, IMMEDIATELY!
So
bright a.m. next day I was at Walmart picking out my first crates.
And I thank all you rescue experts who gave me the solution
while I still had a few remaining strands of hair.
I
put each doggy in his own crate, just his size, and had some peace
of mind that they were only marking when they got away from me.
I did much reading on the internet on crate training. I learned
that for the crate to be effective, it needed to be used in the
right way.
The
most important thing was to make the crate into a 'den.' And
the way this is accomplished is to help your dog feel secure in
there. The den isn't to be used for punishment, but for containment
when you need it. If you feed your dog in the crate, she will associate
positive feelings with it. If you make it cozy, and provide a couple
of chew toys and rawhides, it will add to her feelings of security
and safety. The dog stays in the crate when you really need a break,
when you are not home, and at night to begin with. As time goes
on, more and more freedom is given as the dog because housebroken
and trained.
So
the crates became my lifesaver! As there were two dogs, I took
turns letting them out. I leashed them to me when they were in the
house so that they couldn't get close enough to anything to give
it a 'honey coat'. And, as they did not want to mark in their 'den',
they quickly learned the only place to mark and lift their legs
was outside. And it only took a couple of weeks as opposed
to what I thought could be the next century!
What
started out as a horrendous situation quickly became bearable, even
fun, and I was able to develop relationships with the dogs instead
of constantly worrying if they were marking and where and how.
I'm
now convinced that the crate can absolutely save a dog's life. How?
If a caretaker will grow enough to bring his dog into the home,
he needs a way for it to be a bearable situation. Any dog peeing
and pooping all over the house is not bearable for very long.
But if the crate is used, it will save the guardian's sanity and
the dogs life because he will be contained and will not have the
run of the house until he is sufficiently trained to make it feasible.
If a caretaker becomes too stressed he or she will give up and take
the dog to the shelter, or get rid of the problem in another way.
And hence the dog may very well end up dead. Or worse, back out
on the end of the chain.
And
so I advise anyone who has made the admirable decision to bring
Scruffy into the home or is fostering a chained dog, PLEASE get
yourself a crate! We will be happy to provide one for you if
you need help. E-mail or call us today for any other information
or to find out how to get a crate to train your dog.
And
remember, once Scruffy is trained, give her more and more chances
to be out of the crate when you aren't home. She needs opportunities
to show you she can be without you, in the house, safe, warm, and
sound. And be there waiting for you when you get home!
—Tammy
S. Grimes, founder, Dogs Deserve Better
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