Month: April 2015

Crates may look intimidating to some at first glance. I have had many people say that they are not comfortable with caging a their dog for any length of time, but this is not the way crate training should be viewed. The point of a crate is to provide a safe place for your dog and to assist in training. Crates can be used in so many positive ways for a dog’s entire life.

Potty Training

The reason many people start crate training is to assist with potty training. Most dogs do not like sitting in their own waste for any amount of time, so the point of a crate with an un-housebroken dog is to help the dog learn to hold their business until they can get outside. When the dog is going to be left unattended the dog goes in the crate so instead of going potty the second they feel like, they have to they hold it until the owner gets home and takes them out so they don’t have to sit in it.

Even after a dog is potty trained using a crate when they are left home alone can help to prevent setbacks. My dog was introduced to his crate when he was 4 and fully house broken. He is still crated when no one is home and at night to ensure that he does not get onto furniture or incase of emergency he can be found and removed easily. He loves his crate and consistently puts himself to bed before we ask him to and will even sleep in there during the day.

Travel

Crates can be used in the car as a safe way to transport Fido from point A to point B. Crates keep the dog in one spot so they can’t distract the driver and in the case of an accident the crate will help to keep the dog contained and protected in the car instead of being ejected or injured by an air bag. If the dog has a tendency to get car sick then all of the sickness will be kept contained inside the crate.

When you get to point B the crate is your dogs home away from home. Dogs enjoy consistency so brining a piece of home with you helps dogs adjust to new situations. It you take your dog on a trip the crate may be your saving grace since you will have the peace of mind that your dog will be safe and comfortable if you have to leave them for any length of time. And your dog will be relieved to have a safe place to escape to when the change has become a bit too overwhelming.

I always bring my dog’s crate with him when he goes away overnight or even for the day. It gives him a place he is comfortable and familiar with and gives us the freedom to be able to leave him if necessary. We don’t need to worry about him doing something he shouldn’t at someone else’s house when left alone since he is happy to be in his crate.

Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety can be caused by many different things and results in a dog that is so stressed that they can become destructive, have accidents in the house, and just be an overall basket case when left alone. The crate can be used to help create a routine for the dog so they are confident that when they are left in the crate you will be back. By slowly and positively introducing a crate to a dog that suffers from separation anxiety you can help to alleviate the anxiety produced by being left alone.

Guests

Most times when guests come over our dog is welcome to go and great them and be part of the fun. But in some cases having Fido out with the crowd may not be desired. In this case a crate is a safe and happy place for Fido to go until the coast is clear. If a repair person is coming over and you are not able to be home or don’t want Fido to demand attention from them then off to the crate you go.

Also the crate is just the dogs space so children may not go in and “play” with Fido if he is in there. So if Fido is overwhelmed by company and just wants a nap he can retreat to his crate nap and will not have to worry about being stepped on or bothered in any way. Fido can also be sent to his crate if his owners see that he just needs a break.

Sickness

When a dog becomes ill or has surgery a crate can really come in handy. When a dog needs to be contained due to illness or surgery is not a good time to start crate training. It can be very agitating for a dog to be restricted when they are not used to it so having a dog who is comfortable and even happy to be crated can make a world of difference if they need to be restricted for medical reasons.

When my dog got worms and was having diarrhea I could not call out of work to stay home with him until he could last more than 3 hours without going outside. Lucky for us he loves his crate and goes in whenever we are not home so we were able to put him in there so that if he could no longer hold it, at least he would be contained to the crate.

Feeding Time

Many people have multiple dogs and for some dogs feeding time can be a dangerous situation. Dogs can have some aggression issues when it comes to food so putting them in a crate for feeding can help to lessen the likely hood that a problem could occur, whether between dogs or with a dog and a child. I always recommend feeding dogs in a crate in a multi dog household to keep food aggression out of the picture. It also helps ensure that Fido doesn’t end up eating all of Lassie’s food and become overweight.

There are many reasons why a crate should be part of almost every dogs life. These are the main reasons that I could think of but, I am always coming up with more uses for our crate. Crates should never be used as punishment but instead as a positive place.

Remember to keep training pawsitive!