After the collar, leash, food, and water bowls, the crate is usually the most purchased item when someone gets a dog. It is also probably the most expensive. It is also the item that owners attach emotion to. Many feel guilty for using a crate at all and think it is “mean” or “cruel”.
Let’s take the emotion out of crate use and explain how and why we use them. The #1 reason we use the crate (box in our house because we use German commands) is to keep the dog safe. The biggest thing that gets dogs in trouble is their mouth because they use it to investigate everything. It takes time to get to know a dog and build a relationship. During that time, you will see what the dog likes to get into. Our house rule is that a dog has to go 6 months of not putting anything in its mouth that could hurt them before they are left out of the box when nobody is home. We have five dogs in our pack, three are allowed out and two are not based on this rule. It’s like a play pen for a baby. If you know that your dog gets into stuff and leave them unattended and they get into something, it’s your fault, not the dogs.
Another very important reason for crate training is emergencies. Nobody wants to think of bad things happening, but they do. If there is a medical emergency in your house and you call 911, they will tell you to secure your animals. No matter how well behaved your dog is under normal conditions, they are likely to become stressed and nip/bite as first responders flood your house. This can also lead them to running away as the front door is left open. You don’t want to be chasing them around and trying to get them into a crate or room they are otherwise never in. I know it is hard to believe, but not everyone is a dog lover. Even many first responders that are dog lovers have been bitten by dogs that are freaked out by their presence. The uniforms and equipment are just too much for some dogs to handle. During an emergency, seconds count and you don’t want anything delaying medical care.
We also know that from time to time dogs require medical attention whether it is getting fixed, or the result of injury / disease. Just like with us, recovery takes rest and you cannot explain that to them. By limiting their room to move, you can prevent injury.
The puppy of today will be a frosted muzzle tomorrow. As they get old, they get achy and grouchy. Add in loss of eyesight and hearing, and you get a dog that likes to be left alone. The most loving dog can become nippy with age as everything begins to sneak up on them. From early on, the crate should be their refuge, their Lazy Boy. A place to relax and be protected.
With all this said it begs the question, how do we get our dog to fall in love with the crate? It’s easy. Look a the canine commodities: food, water, space, toys, and attention. You decide when, where, what, how much, and how much time they have to eat. This is absolutely the foundation of all other structures to come for puppies and rescues alike.
The very first time we feed a new dog this is the routine-
- Without saying a word, get the dogs food and place it in the back of the crate.
- If they don’t go in, put them in.
- They get 15 minutes to eat. Any food not eaten goes back into the food container.
- Let them out to potty.
The feeding ritual may be the most important thing in a dog’s life. Depending on the age and needs of the dog, it gives you 1-3 times a day for you to show your leadership by keeping your dog’s focus, thus showing them that you are in control and they are cared for. Repeating this ritual everyday cements you as the pack leader.
Dogs learn by association. If the only place they are fed is in their crate, it will become their favorite physical space. Within a few days, they will be sitting in the crate as you prepare their food. After a few days when you see them making a bee line for the crate, name it and say “box” or “crate”. Believe me, they will attempt to game it. Odin is now almost five years old and you can set your watch to his schedule. Several times during the day, especially in the morning and more people walk into the kitchen, he will go to his box and look at you as though he has not eaten. Everyone knows it BS because only I feed him, but you have to give him an A for effort and A for acting.
Another side benefit is that whenever the dog is going crazy or gets out of hand, you give the “box” command and they go to it without conscious thought.
The crate should NEVER be used for punishment. The reason is that dogs have a 1-3 second window of consequences good or bad. If they do something and the consequence good or bad is outside of that 1-3 seconds, the will not associate it to what the consequence is for. For example, the reason why so many people have a problem with potty training is because the dog gets a treat when they come in, not outside right after they potty. So they learn to game it by going out and coming back in because they believe coming in the door resulted in the positive consequence of the treat.
So, using the crate as a tool is not “mean” or “cruel”. What is “mean” or “cruel” is allowing a dog without the required self control to be left unattended resulting in them getting a hold of something that can hurt them or cause you to be angry with them. You don’t put a toddler in a room of China. It’s also “cruel” if your failure to train your dog results in them running out the front door or getting lost when emergency responders come to your house. It’s “mean” for your senior dog not to have a place that keeps them safe from being startled or stepped on.