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Done properly, create training can be the answer to many problems faced by dogs and their owners. First, what is a crate? The answer simply is that a crate is an indoor dog house—just big enough for him to stand up, lie down and turn around in, placed in a much used room such as the living room or kitchen.
It can be made of plastic, wire, wood or a combination of all three. It is a place for the dog to be when no one is around to make sure that he is staying out of trouble. It is the dog's "space" in the house. It is his bed and his sanctuary: it is his.
Many people crate train their dog for the simple reason that the dog can do no wrong while he is in the crate. He can't piddle on the rug, bark at the mailman, chew on the furniture or eat the kid's hamster. He sleeps. And while he sleeps, the owners can go shopping, visit a friend, run errands, or take in a movie and not have worry about what kind of shape the house will be in when they get home. They put the dog in the crate, shut the door and leave for a few hours, knowing that when they return it will be a happy dog/owner reunion and not a one-sided yelling match with the dog cringing in the corner.
No, Remember, you won't be putting the dog in their forever. Four or five hours while you are shopping, or overnight so you can sleep without having to worry about what the dog is doing, is fine. For longer periods of time, the dog should be confined to a larger area, preferably a secure yard. Or, if you have a Harry Houdini type, perhaps a garage or basement.
Because a dog is a social animal, as much and perhaps even more so than we
humans. They need to be in the house even when you are not there or when you are
sleeping and can't be interacting with them. They need to feel that they are
part of the family, and that means being in the house, even though the family
may not be in the house. Depriving the dog of that feeling of
"belonging" and being part of the family can do as much psychological
damage as locking a child in the closet for most of the day. They become
neurotic and psychotic. Problem barking, problem digging and constant fence
jumping are just a few ways neurosis can manifest itself. If all you want is a
dog, then go ahead and leave him outside all the time. But, if what you had in
mind was a companion and friend, let him in the house; let him belong.
Besides, most dogs love their crates. It is their space in the house. Wild dogs,
coyotes and wolves all "den". This means they find a small cave, or
dig one themselves, and this is where they sleep, rest and just "hang
out". It is home. Providing your dog with a crate satisfies his desire to
den. No one is going to yell at him for doing something wrong; he can't do
anything wrong while he is in his crate. No one is going to step on his tail,
trip over him or pull on his ears. It is easier to teach small children to stay
away from the dog while he is in his crate than it is to yell, "LEAVE THE
DOG ALONE!"
NO. He'll just go to sleep. A dog will sleep eighteen hours a day if you let him. And remember, a dog's version of "recreation" while a owner is away often involves destroying the house.
Also, it's not as if he must remain in his crate for the rest of his life. Just until he gets over the destructive period all dogs go through when they are young. Or, if it's an older dog in a new home, just until you, as the owner, feel safe leaving him alone in the house unconfined.
Many dogs forms habits, such as house soiling, that can be easily broken by crate training. If a dog has formed the habit of urinating or defecting in the house wherever and whenever he feels like it, then crate training can teach the dog control. A normal, healthy dog will not urinate or defecate in his crate. To do so would mean he would have to lay in it. Most dogs prefer to wait until the owner returns to let them out.
Try the newspaper first. Crates aren't cheap and sometimes you can pick up one second-hand without having to put out a lot of money.
Major department stores also carry them but you usually need to order them through their catalog—although this is also less expensive way to purchase one. If you are strapped for time, then pet shops carry them, or at least can order one for you and can usually get it to you faster than a department store.
It depends on the size of the dog and where you purchase the crate. Just remember though, a crate is something a dog will have for the rest of its life. It's his bed, his room, and his space in the house. A good crate will last much longer than a dog, so don't worry about wearing it out! And also compare the initial cost of a crate with the cost of destructive behavior.
Shelling out $50.00 for a new crate is nothing compared to buying a new carpet, new furniture, replacing library books and explaining hamster heaven to the kids!
Your dog's crate should be just big enough for him to stand up, lie down and turn around in—no bigger. The reason for this is so that he can't piddle in the one corner and sleep in the opposite corner. This teaches the dog control.
Right. You should guesstimate what size your puppy will be as an adult dog and buy a crate that will be big enough for him as an adult dog. Then you should put cardboard boxes in one end of the crate to make the space inside smaller. As the puppy grows, you get smaller cardboard boxes and replace them accordingly. If you have an adult dog and are unsure about what size to buy, you can take the dog to a pet shop and have him sized for his crate.
Stand the dog next to a crate. The top of the crate should extend at least two inches above the dog's shoulders. The end of the crate should be about two inches from the dog's rump. Perfect Fit!
Plastic is probably the best—although metal crates have an advantage of folding up for storage. Remember that a dog will want his crate door left open so he can go in and out as he pleases after he has outgrown the initial purpose of the crate. So, the fact that metal crates can fold up when they're not in use may not be a good reason to purchase that kind of crate. Plastic is cleaned easier and doesn't squeak and rattle like metal when the dog moves around inside. Metal crates can be noisy. Wire crates can make a dog feel exposed and vulnerable unless the crate is covered with a blanket or some other material and puppies and small breed dogs have been known to get their head stuck between the wires. You can make your own crate out of wood, but wood is difficult to keep clean.
Some brands names of plastic dog crates are: Vari-kennel, Kennel Club and Sky Kennel.
The dog's crate should be placed in the most often used room of the house, and it should stay there. The living room, the family room, the kitchen—wherever the family spends the most time.
At first, most dogs resent being confined. However, given some time to adjust, your dog will soon learn to love his crate and the security and privacy that goes with it.
Let's say you have a new puppy. The puppy is 8 weeks old and cannot be expected to go for long periods of time without having to relieve himself. The method of training an 8 to 12 week old puppy is as follows:
Place a cardboard box or some other material in the crate that allow the puppy only enough room to lie down and turn around. A blanket or towel can be placed in the remainder of the crate as the puppy's bed. Leave the crate door open so the pup has access to his bed and barricade an area right outside the crate door allowing for a "bathroom spot" outside of his carte. This area is covered with newspapers for easy cleanup.
Make sure the barricade is sturdy enough to prevent the puppy from climbing out and relieving himself in an inappropriate spot. This "bathroom spot" needn't be a large area—usually two feet square is big enough.
As the puppy approaches four months of age he can be expected to "hold it" longer. A four month old puppy can usually spend the entire night without having to relieve himself; as long as he did his business right before going to bed. At four months you can begin shutting the door to his crate and leaving him for four to five hours at a time. But be sure he relieves himself before you shut him in. Most puppies that have had access to their crates from the beginning have no complaints. The first time they are shut in they may cry a little but ignore them and soon they will give up and go to sleep.
DO NOT let the puppy out when he is crying. If you do, you have just taught the puppy he can get his way by being vocal. Always wait until the puppy is quiet before you let him out of his crate.
The exception is when you first get home after the puppy has been left in his crate for a while. The excitement of your return will probably make your puppy need to relieve himself and you should immediately go to his crate and let him out. Take him directly to his designated area outside and praise him wildly when he relieves himself there.
The same is true for the first thing in the morning. The puppy's crying probably means he needs to relieve himself and he doesn't want to soil his sleeping quarters. Take him out immediately. Puppies five months old and older can be trained the same way as adult dogs.
Although crate training the adult dog is not as easy as with a little puppy, it can be still be done with less hassle than would be expected. As mentioned earlier, most dogs resent being confined at first, but soon learn to love and enjoy the security their crates provide.
Patience, persistence and a good set of earplugs are the only requirements to begin carte training an adult dog. The first step is to let the dog investigate his new crate. Throw his toys in and than invite him to play. He'll have to go into his crate to get his ball if he wants to play fetch. Keep throwing the toys inside until he no longer fears the crate. If you dog isn't interested in toys, try food. If he wants to eat—he'll have to enter the crate to dine. Don't shut the door until he shows no fear of being inside. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days.
The next step is to form a command that you will use consistently when you want the dog to enter the crate. "Bedtime", "Go in your Crate", In your Kennel", will work fine. Use only one and use it consistently.
Bring the dog over to his new crate, point inside an give the command. If he does go in, fine, shut the door. If he doesn't go in, then put him in and shut the door. Do not trick the dog into going in and then slam the door shut. This is not fair and will not build trust between the dog and the owner.
Using the command: If the dog refuses to go in, fold him up and roll him in. Close the door. Do not leave; stay there a few minutes. This is where the patience and earplugs come in handy. The dog will probably cry, scream, yodel, yelp and bark to be let out. Don't give in. When he is quiet for a few minutes let him out. Praise him wildly. Give him a bite of something he loves to eat. And then repeat the command for him to go in his crate. This time he will probably take one look at you and try to head for the hills. Don't let him. Fold him up again and roll him in or shove him in but get him in the crate. Close the door.
Keep repeating these steps until the dog will enter the crate on your command. Because he knows he has no choice. Don't give up. This is where persistence part comes in.
Crates training the adult dog can anywhere from 30 minutes to a week. Just remember the more consistent, firm and unyielding to his complaints you are, the faster he will crate train. Now that he will enter his crate on your command, its time to start leaving him for short periods of time while you remain in the house. Leave him for an hour or two inside his crate while you watch TV or clean the house. Let him feel secure that he will not be left in there forever, that he will be let out eventually, and that you are not going to go away and forget about him.
Once he feels secure in his crate you can leave him for longer periods of time while you are away from the house. Always make sure he has gone to the bathroom before placing him in his crate.
Well, a dog that feels secure in his crate is much easier to take on long trips than a dog that is left to jump excitedly around the inside of the car. And dogs being shipped via plane or train feel much more secure and can handle the stress of traveling much easier if they have their own crate to travel in.
Crates take the worry out of leaving your dog in a motel while you see the sights—the maid isn't likely to accidentally let the dog loose into the streets of a strange city if you leave your pet in his crate while you are away.
Not necessarily, but if you are considering crate training as a method of housebreaking, you should ask yourself these questions:
If you answered yes to any of these questions then perhaps you should think more seriously about crate training. Even if you have none of these problems, crate training is a nice thing to do for your pet. Dogs do love their crates.
So give it a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Crate Training—One approach to housebreaking.