House-Safety: Confinement and Crate Training

Under what circumstances do dogs need to be confined?

Dogs are highly social animals that make wonderful pets. They can be effective as watchdogs, are excellent companions for play and exercise, and are sources of affection and comfort. However, with the lifestyle and schedule of the majority of families, dogs must learn to spend a portion of the day at home alone, while their human family is away at school, work, shopping or recreational activities. During those times when you are away and unavailable to supervise, your pet may still feel the need to chew, play, explore, eat, or eliminate. Ensuring that these behaviours are not practised in an inappropriate manner (from the human perspective) when you are absent involves ensuring that your pet has had the opportunity to play, explore, eat, and eliminate before you leave her and then keeping her in a confined area where it is secure and safe, and can do no damage to herselfor your possessions in your absence.

It is important however that your pet still has something to do in the area in which she is confined and that she is taught to tolerate being alone rather than simply abandoned to her own devices.

What are my options for confinement?

Depending on the structure of your home, it may be possible to dog-proof the house by closing a few doors, or putting up some baby gates. The dog can then be allowed access to the remaining areas of the house. Gates should be escape proof and indestructible. If dog-proofing in this way is not possible when you have to leave, then you may feel it necessary to confine your dog to a single room, pen (such as a play pen, again it should be escape proof and indestructible), or crate. This smaller confinement area not only provides safety for the dog and protects your home from damage, but also makes it easier to teach your dog what she is supposed to chew, and where she is supposed to eliminate. 

A metal, collapsible crate with a tray floor works well, as long as the crate is large enough for the dog to stand up, turn around and stretch out. Some dogs feel more secure if a blanket is draped over the crate. A plastic travelling crate or a home-made cage can also be used. Bedding and toys should be placed in the crate.

Isn’t crate training cruel?

Most dogs choose a small area, such as a corner of a room, or a dog bed as the place where they go to relax. Crate training is neither cruel nor unfair. On the contrary, leaving the dog unsupervised to wander, investigate, destroy (especially if this leads to later reprimand or punishment), and perhaps injure herself is far more inhumane than confinement. However the crate needs to be used in the correct way and as with any product it is open to misuse. The crate should be large enough for your dog, your dog should get sufficient food, water, play, exercise and attention before she is confined, and you must return before your dog needs to urinate or defaecate. This time period will vary depending on the dog’s age, health and individual characteristics.

What are the benefits of crate training?

There are many benefits including the safety it affords the pet, and the damage that is prevented. The crate also provides a place of security; a comfortable retreat, where your dog can relax, sleep, or chew on a favourite toy. It is therefore essential that the crate is never used as a punishment and that people do not approach the dog in the crate in a hostile manner. By positively confining your pet to a crate or room, when you are not available to supervise, behaviour problems may be prevented. When you are at home, supervision and rewards can be used to prevent undesirable behaviour, and to teach the dog where to eliminate, what to chew, and what rooms and areas are "out of bounds".

Will crate confinement help with house-training?

Yes. If used correctly, crate training is one of the quickest and most effective ways to house-train a dog. Since most dogs instinctively avoid eliminating in their sleeping and eating areas, dogs that use their crate as a bed or "den" will seldom eliminate inside unless they have been left in the crate for too long. Crate training can also help teach the dog to develop control over its elimination.

As soon as your dog is released from her crate, you should take her to the designated elimination area and reward elimination at this location. 

Since the crate prevents chewing, digging, and elimination in the owner’s home and property, owners of crate trained puppies have fewer behaviour concerns, the puppy receives far less discipline and punishment, and the overall relationship between pet and owner can be dramatically improved.

What about crating and travel?

There are periods in a dog's life when it may need to be confined, for example when traveling or boarding. Those dogs that are familiar and comfortable with crating are more likely to feel secure, and far less stressed, should crating be required.

Where should the crate be located?

Because dogs are social animals, an ideal location for the crate is a room where the family spends a lot of time such as the kitchen or living room rather than an isolated room.

How can crate or confinement become a positive experience?

The key to making the crate the dog's favourite retreat, is to associate the crate with as many positive and relaxing experiences and stimuli as possible (food, treats, chew toys, bedding) and to initially place your dog in her crate only at scheduled rest and sleep periods. You must therefore be aware of the dog’s routine, including her needs for exploration, play, food, and elimination, so that the dog is only placed in her crate, when each of these needs is fulfilled. You must then return to the dog to release her from her crate before the next exercise, feeding or elimination period is due.

Start with short periods of time alone and leave the crate open when you are home so that your dog can choose to use it whenever she likes.

A radio or television playing in the background may help to calm the dog when she is alone in her crate, especially during the daytime. Background noise may also help to mask environmental noises which can stimulate the dog to vocalise. The crate must never be used as punishment.

PUPPY CRATE TRAINING

THE CRATE SHOULD NEVER BE USED AS A PUNISHMENT.

How do I crate -train my new puppy?

1.  Introduce your puppy to the crate as soon as she is brought home and as early in the day as possible. Place a variety of treats in the crate throughout the day so that the puppy is encouraged to enter voluntarily. Food, water, toys and bedding could also be offered to the puppy in the open cage.

2.  Choose a location outdoors for your puppy to eliminate. Take the puppy to the location, wait until the puppy eliminates, and reward the puppy lavishly with praise or food. After some additional play and exercise, place the puppy in her crate with water, a toy and a treat. Only if the puppy is relaxed in the crate should you close the door for a short period of time.

3.  If your puppy is tired and calm, she may take a "nap" shortly after being placed in its crate.

4.  Leave the room, but remain close enough to hear your puppy. Escape behaviour and vocalisation may be exhibited when a dog is first placed into its crate. If the “complaints” are short or mild, ignore the dog until the crying stops. If the puppy is showing panic when the door of the crate is closed you need to spend more time on step one. Never release the puppy unless she is quiet. This teaches that quiet behaviour, rather than crying will be rewarded. Release the puppy immediately after a few seconds of quiet.

"Escape behaviour and vocalisation may be exhibited when a dog is first placed into its crate. If the “complaints” are short or mild, ignore the dog until the crying stops."

5.  Repeat the crate and release procedure. Each time, increase the time that your puppy must stay in the crate before letting it out. Always give the puppy exercise and a chance to eliminate before shutting her in the crate .

6.  If your pup sleeps in one end of her crate and eliminates in the other, a divider can be installed to keep the puppy in a smaller area.

7.  Never leave your puppy in her crate for longer than she can control herself or she may be forced to eliminate in the crate. 

8.  If your pup must be left for long periods during which she might eliminate, she should be confined to a larger area such as a dog-proof room. The crate (with the door hooked open) can also be left in the room as the pup’s bed. As your puppy gets older, her control will increase and she can be left longer in its crate.

9.  Although there is a great deal of individual variability, many puppies can control themselves through the night by 3 months of age. During the daytime, once your puppy has relieved herself, a 2-month old puppy may have up to 3 hours control, a 3-month old puppy up to 4 hours, and a 4 month old puppy up to 5 hours.

10.  A crate is not an excuse to ignore the dog!

11.  Dog Appeasing Pheromone is naturally produced by the female dog after whelping and helps to reassure the puppies around the nest area. An synthetic analogue of this pheromone (D.A.P.) is now available through veterinary practices as a plug in device. Used in the home the diffuser helps the new puppy to settle more quickly as the area feels familiar and plugging a diffuser in close to the crate may be a valuable tool to assist the pup in feeling safe in the crate and thus assist in crate training.

CRATE TRAINING ADULT DOGS

What is the best technique for crate training older pets and adult dogs?

1.  For adult dogs or older puppies that have not been crate trained previously, set up the crate in the dog's feeding area with the door open for a few days. Place food, treats, and water in the crate so that the dog enters the crate on her own. Another alternative is to place the crate in the dog's sleeping area with her bedding. Once the dog is entering the crate freely, it is time to close the door.

2.  Using the same training techniques as for "sit and stay" training, your dog should enter her crate for short periods of time to obtain food, treats, or chew toys. Once your pet expects treats each time she enters the crate, train your dog to enter the crate on cue (e.g. crate !), and remain in the crate for progressively longer periods of time, without closing the door. Give small rewards each time the dog enters the crate and give the dog a favourite chew toy or some food to help make the stay more enjoyable. The door should remain open during these training sessions. 

3.  When your dog is capable of staying comfortably and quietly in the crate begin to shut the door for short periods of time and gradually increase until your dog is comfortable with staying in the crate for longer periods of time with the door closed.

THE CRATE SHOULD NEVER BE USED AS PUNISHMENT.

Is crate training practical for all dogs?

Some dogs may not tolerate crate training, and may continue to show anxiety, or even eliminate when confined. These dogs may adapt better to other types of confinement such as a small room. 

Of course, if the dog is being left alone for longer than she can control her elimination, it will be necessary to provide an area much larger than a crate, so that the pet has a location in which to eliminate, away from its food and bedding. 

Continued anxiety, destruction or vocalisation when placed in the crate may indicate severe behaviour problems and in these cases the use of the crate should be discontinued and further advice sought from your veterinarian. In some cases the use of the synthetic analogue of dog appeasement pheromones (see puppy cage training above) may help your dog to accept the crate, but this is not a panacea, professional behavioural assistance may be required and you should not hesitate to ask for this if you think it will help you.