The
Ultimate Goal in Using a Crate
By Joan Sinden
Every
year thousands of dogs and puppies are mistreated, abused, abandoned,
or returned to shelters and breeders because of behavioural problems
that owners felt they were unable to deal with. Crate training
is a relatively easy way to solve many of the typical early problems
that many new dog owners may have – problems like going to
the washroom inside, and destructive behaviour are reduced to zero
when a crate is properly used. Isn’t that great news? A
crate is also your best friend when you’re introducing a dog
who’s lived outdoors for most of his life to the indoors,
or when you are housetraining an adult dog.
You
may think that putting that pair of soulful eyes you fell in love
with into a cage only big enough for them to stand up and turn around
in is torture for them, but read on:
“When
a wolf is getting ready to have puppies she finds an uprooted
tree or embankment and starts to dig a tunnel beneath its shelter.
When the tunnel is long enough, she widens the end of it into
a hole. When the hole is large enough to let her move right in
and turn around once tightly, it becomes no longer a hole but
a den. The tunnel to the den is just large enough to admit her,
just large enough to allow her to crouch in the opening and protect
the interior from outside animals. Too small to admit any animals
larger than herself - therefore safe from dangerous predators
like bears and cougars. The den at the end of the tunnel is fairly
dark. This is where the pups are born and where they grow and
open their eyes to darkness; and the first light they know is
the light coming down the tunnel to beckon them outward when they’ve
developed to the adventurous stage. Every wolf ever born was probably
whelped in a den. And every dog has a kind of genetic memory of
such a place. So a brilliant mind dreamed up the crate to make
dogs feel at home while being safely restrained.” (Dogs in
Canada Annual 1980 p 11).
Dogs
tend not to soil where they sleep, so housetraining becomes easier;
they have a place where they feel perfectly safe; you have a place
you feel they are perfectly safe; they aren’t starting any
bad habits (ie jumping up on the dining table so they can bark out
the window – speaking from personal experience here!) while
you aren’t around; and it spares them the isolation of being
relegated to the basement, backyard, or garage when friends come
over. I say this because it’s important when you’re crate
training that your new four-legged-child spend time in the crate
while you’re at home. It is an excellent way to confine the
dog without isolating him. That’s really important, because
dogs are pack animals. You should treat a crate the same way you’d
treat a play-pen for a human child. You wouldn’t leave a 3
month old baby alone for even a minute, would you? And that way
the puppy/adult dog learns that he gets to come out really soon,
since last time he was only in there for a second! So use the crate
when you’re home but you can’t keep your eyes focused
completely on your new lifetime companion – that way he can’t
make any mistakes, and he’s also learning that the crate isn’t
a punishment but a nice safe time-out spot and a place for him to
rest and have a snooze while you do your chores or have company.
And
please never use his den/refuge AS a punishment. Never catch
that precious bundle of teeth chewing your $400 parka that fell
off its hanger and yell at him and then throw him into the crate
saying “that’ll show you!!!” (not speaking from personal
experience – goes without saying).
There’s
many reasons why crate training can help puppies and dogs of any
age. If you ever have to transport him on a plane, or send him to
a boarding facility, or stay overnight at a vet (heaven forbid!?!)
then he will feel much more comfortable being confined in a space
he’s familiar with. As well, many hotels require that dogs
be in crates when they are in the room with you – but at least
the world has changed enough that it’s now possible for us
to travel with our pets!
The
ultimate goal in using a crate is to produce an easily housetrained
dog and one that can be trusted in the house. You’re always
working towards a time when the crate will not need to be used extensively.
You can leave it as a part of your furnishings for the convenience
of your friend so that he can have a place to retreat to when he
needs to take a quiet nap, or when things get too hectic for him
– some crates even have doors that are removable just for that
purpose! You can even buy crates now that look like furniture, so
they fit into any décor.
There’s
tons of GREAT information on the web. Just go to any search engine
and type in “crate training” and you’ll find very
specific and FREE directions on how to do it. And even some great
information on how to set up spaces in your home if you don’t
want to purchase a crate but want to confine your dog like he was
in a crate. Another great idea for adult dogs – and one that
I personally used and found extremely helpful in addition to crate
training was tying my dog to me when I was home. She was never out
of my sight, we bonded a lot faster, she had a lot fewer accidents,
I learned her cues to go out a lot faster (and a lot of housetraining
an adult dog is us learning THEIR cues), and it really showed her
that of all the members in her new pack – I was the one who
was the alpha – and I didn’t have to do anything other
than just be there. Although formerly chained dogs tend to be so
grateful to be inside that you’re continually tripping over
them because they’re always under your feet and won’t
let you out of your sight – so the leash inside may be a dream
for them!
So
please consider this as an option in your training program that
is as important as choosing what kind of leash and what kind of
toys you are going to buy – it might make the world of difference
to him when you decide that you can’t handle the failed housetraining
and send the dog back outside to live!
—Joan
Sinden, DDB yahoo group coordinator and moderator
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