Crate Training Tips
When I first bring a puppy home, I like to put them in the smallest crate reasonable for its size. At first puppies should only have enough room to move around in. When it is bedtime, I always bring that crate to my bedroom, so I can get feedback from the pup when he needs to go out. I use either metal or hard plastic crates - not soft - until the pup knows crate manners. Then if I use a soft one, I will supervise the confinement for a few hours to make sure that the crate manners are being followed.
Once I know the pup’s signals telling me he has to go potty, I will transfer him to a bigger crate, usually after one or two weeks. I put safe toys and bones in the crate which establishes good chewing behavior.
Never let your pup out if he is fussing or barking as teaches the dog that barking means they go free. This can be frustrating at times, so here are some tips:
Leave the room for a while. Sometimes if you remove yourself, the pup will eventually settle down.
Try throwing something at the crate. I have done this to all of my dogs at one time or another and they are STILL ALIVE!
Getting the pup into the crate can be challenging at times, especially when the pup knows that you will be leaving. So you have to plan a little ahead to make your puppy feel secure in his crate, so you can feel secure in leaving. I start by putting the pup on leash, throwing cookies in, and unclipping the pup as he enters the crate. Then, after a few weeks of this, try giving your crate command to pup, and if he complies, he gets LOTS of cookies in the crate. This is a very important last step - for you are no longer luring pup - but rewarding him - for going into the crate on his own.
~Lorraine Paglini
Crate Training and Safety Issues
An Update on Molly’s Ongoing Training Molly is doing well with accepting time outs in her metal and other cloth crate. We currently secure the crates with various clips and carabineers, just to be safe. Molly continues to amaze us with her reasoning skills. Most of all, Molly is a ham who loves attention from her people. I think that all puppies will have these moments when they challenge their training. If you can get to the root of why a puppy (or a kid for that matter) is acting up, in addition to reinforcing your rules, you can address their needs. Molly needs to show us how smart and funny she can be, and be with her people. We give her chances to be silly which are not against the rules. Then we teach her that it is safe to be separated from us, and what the rules are. Everyone, including our little Houdini, comes out ahead.
~ Leeza Prokopishyn
“Trust me, a dog that cannot be contained can make your life miserable. Do something about this while you still can.”
- Kit
More on Crate Training
When Leeza relayed on the FLCA list the problems she had with Molly rolling her crate and opening/staying in a crate she asked for advice. After much discussion it boiled down to two issues that really needed to be addressed.
First was the short term solution of making certain the crate is dog-proof for that particular dog. The second issue, modifying the dog’s behavior (so they understand that they need to stay in their crate despite their ability to claw, open, or otherwise destroy their way out) would take more time, but has long-term benefits.
The crate should always be where the dog wants to go when looking for a safe place in a strange environment. It should be the place the dog considers his/her personal space. In turn, the owner should feel confident that the dog is much calmer, and therefore safe, when leaving the dog in a crate. With that in mind here is the advice offered by those on the list:
Tish Brockmire:
“It’s imperative that a dog learn to stay in a crate regardless of their wishes. There are times when a dog must be crated. I like them to be comfortable (mentally, i.e. if they need to stay at the vets for an illness.) I usually don’t put mine in a soft crate until they’re reliable in a wire one and they ‘get’ that I said to they need to be there so they should just settle in and be comfy.”
“You may need to get a different crate, either plastic or wire. Kennelaire (http://www.kennel-aire.com) has one with one-inch square openings, which make it harder for a dog to paw through, along with an outside latch that has to be turned and then the entire door lifted in order to open.”
Cathy Pollack:
“My Akita has broken out of virtually every kind of crate you can mention, including a Kennelaire, like Tish mentioned. The only way to keep him in that crate is with 3 small padlocks - one at both top and bottom corners and one in the middle to help support the latch.”
Linda Marden:
“Molly needs to be taught that she is expected to stay in her crate, regardless of whether or not she can figure out the lock. All of my dogs are taught to go to their crate when told, and to stay there until told to come out - even if the door is standing open. It is the training that is important. It is much safer and more convenient for dogs to learn for their lifetime to accept confinement in a crate. Traveling in a car is safer in a crate, as is leaving the dog in a motel room, or in a stranger’s house, or at a dog show. If thedog even paws the door of the crate, I slap the door and tell them NO!! Even if you have graduated your dogs to being house dogs, Don’t just assume you will not need a crate in the future.”
Kit Brillinger:
“Leeza you need to get a real good crate, and prevent her from finding out that they can be gotten out of. We use those crates to protect our dogs, and most crates can be gotten out of, if enough effort is used, but they usually are put in a secure crate as a pup, and learn the boundaries and never question them again. Those soft crates are useful with a dog that already respects those boundaries.”
Kit also recommend trying the Kennel-aire crate. Her final advice was: “Trust me a dog that cannot be contained can make your life miserable. Do something about this while you still can.”
This brings us back to the fact that training pets so you can leave them in a crate and know they will stay there reduces both the dog and owner’s worries, and helps ensure the dog’s safety!