Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
Crate training misconceptions
My main aversion to crating dogs is people who misunderstand the process and lock them up all day in the cage while they are off to work etc.. Crating can be a useful tool but dogs are not meant to be left crated for extended periods of time.
I came across this article that I really like:
Should you Crate your Dog by Suzanne Hetts and Daniel Estep, Ph.D
Crates, portable kennels and airline animal crates all refer to the small plastic or metal cages that are used to confine dogs or cats. There seems to be some confusion about how crates are best used. We will attempt to shed some light on this controversial subject by addressing some commonly held beliefs.
1. Crating a dog is inhumane.
Blanket generalizations such as this are difficult to defend. It certainly can be inhumane if a dog is confined in the crate for many hours a day. Dogs need exercise and as social animals, they need social contact with other animals or people. On the other hand, when a dog is sick or in danger of injuring herself, a crate may be useful and necessary. Also when a dog is properly acclimated and trained to the crate, it can be a humane and useful tool to keep the dog out of trouble or to transport her.
2. Since dogs are "den" animals, keeping them in crates is a natural thing to do.
Wolves, the ancestors of dogs and even feral dogs will sleep in burrows and other den-like areas, but they don’t spend their whole day there and they can come and go as they please. Many dogs can be trained to sleep in their crates and will go into them on their own to sleep, rest or just to get out of the way when things are too busy or stressful for them. The den idea should not be used as an excuse to isolate and confine the dog for prolonged periods of time.
3. Crating a dog is the best way to prevent or stop housesoiling or destructiveness.
It depends upon what is motivating the dog to housesoil or be destructive. If the cause is fear such as separation anxiety or fear of thunderstorms, crating can actually make the problem worse. For dogs that are destructive out of boredom or for other reasons, a crate may be appropriate. However there are other ways to confine a dog that may be just as effective, such as using a laundry room, kitchen or other doggy-proofed area of the house. Even in these cases, confinement by itself should not be the only step taken to address the problem. For example, bored animals should be given things to do to relieve the boredom.
In housebreaking puppies, crates are frequently used to take advantage of the puppy’s natural aversion to soiling where she sleeps. Here again there is a danger in overusing the crate. Puppies kept in the crate for very long periods may loose the inhibition to soiling in it and cannot be properly socialized to the family or other animals.
As with most other tools, crates are neither inherently good nor bad, it’s how they are used. After reading this review, it may appear to the reader that there are actually more negative consequences of human-companion animal interactions than positive ones. This is probably not the case. It was simply decided to emphasize the negative aspects that are too often neglected in other reviews of this research area. This was done to point out that negative consequences can result from human-animal interactions and that to thoroughly understand human-animal bonds, both the positive and negative consequences must be studied and evaluated.
I came across this article that I really like:
Should you Crate your Dog by Suzanne Hetts and Daniel Estep, Ph.D
Crates, portable kennels and airline animal crates all refer to the small plastic or metal cages that are used to confine dogs or cats. There seems to be some confusion about how crates are best used. We will attempt to shed some light on this controversial subject by addressing some commonly held beliefs.
1. Crating a dog is inhumane.
Blanket generalizations such as this are difficult to defend. It certainly can be inhumane if a dog is confined in the crate for many hours a day. Dogs need exercise and as social animals, they need social contact with other animals or people. On the other hand, when a dog is sick or in danger of injuring herself, a crate may be useful and necessary. Also when a dog is properly acclimated and trained to the crate, it can be a humane and useful tool to keep the dog out of trouble or to transport her.
2. Since dogs are "den" animals, keeping them in crates is a natural thing to do.
Wolves, the ancestors of dogs and even feral dogs will sleep in burrows and other den-like areas, but they don’t spend their whole day there and they can come and go as they please. Many dogs can be trained to sleep in their crates and will go into them on their own to sleep, rest or just to get out of the way when things are too busy or stressful for them. The den idea should not be used as an excuse to isolate and confine the dog for prolonged periods of time.
3. Crating a dog is the best way to prevent or stop housesoiling or destructiveness.
It depends upon what is motivating the dog to housesoil or be destructive. If the cause is fear such as separation anxiety or fear of thunderstorms, crating can actually make the problem worse. For dogs that are destructive out of boredom or for other reasons, a crate may be appropriate. However there are other ways to confine a dog that may be just as effective, such as using a laundry room, kitchen or other doggy-proofed area of the house. Even in these cases, confinement by itself should not be the only step taken to address the problem. For example, bored animals should be given things to do to relieve the boredom.
In housebreaking puppies, crates are frequently used to take advantage of the puppy’s natural aversion to soiling where she sleeps. Here again there is a danger in overusing the crate. Puppies kept in the crate for very long periods may loose the inhibition to soiling in it and cannot be properly socialized to the family or other animals.
As with most other tools, crates are neither inherently good nor bad, it’s how they are used. After reading this review, it may appear to the reader that there are actually more negative consequences of human-companion animal interactions than positive ones. This is probably not the case. It was simply decided to emphasize the negative aspects that are too often neglected in other reviews of this research area. This was done to point out that negative consequences can result from human-animal interactions and that to thoroughly understand human-animal bonds, both the positive and negative consequences must be studied and evaluated.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Adrianne Matzkin on
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I don't know if we will ever get to competition level but yes, she would have to spend downtime in one.
More important than that is if she ever had to be in one for whatever the reason, she will make herself sick with anxiety and that is something I will never do. I am hoping to desensitize her over a period of days. I was silly to think that it would be easy but I forgot who I was dealing with.
I could just put her in it but that will not solve her anxiety over it.
I have the time and patience to help her - I will win this one - it is too important not to.
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Permalink Reply by Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle on
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Oh yes, you will win this one! I have no doubt at all. That love you have for Samantha is the most powerful tool there is!
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Permalink Reply by Leslie and Halas on
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She'll get there. It will probably take some time, but like you said, you have the time and the patience to work on it. She already puts a lot of trust in you in all other areas of her life, so she'll eventually realize that she can trust you regarding the crate, too.
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Permalink Reply by LuvMyAbby&Kaela on
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That is a perfect example of a dog who has an aversion to the crate. I hope she can get comfortable with it. Abby treats her crate this way during the day but will go in at bedtime - funny. Why dont you try putting her favourite blanket or cushion then put the treats on top of that. Maybe the secure smell will help her relax? Sam is so cute!
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Another thing that may help is to put a T-shirt or other garment that you have slept in & not washed into the crate. This helps some dogs with separation anxiety, too.
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K,
Have you been sneaking by and checking my laundry basket?? I didn't even think of that one so tonight she will have her Mitzrahi bedding, my shirt and DD shirt, and a gormet dinner placed in the crate.
I will also have the camera ready -
thanks
A
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I will bring her Issac Mitzrahi (from Target) hot pink bed and try that. Maybe she thinks she is truly The Princess she is just waiting for her throne to be in the castle. (i think I may be loosing it!!!!!)
Thanks,
A
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I wish I had the foresight not to put the crate away and use it every so often so we wouldn't be going through this now.
I hope all you newbies and oldies are reading this - learn from my mishagoss (means foolishness/ craziness in Yiddish) never stop using any method of training. Always bring back the basics. You just never know when something 'old' will need to be 'new' again.
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Our experience is similar to what Karen described with her puppy. I got Halas when he was 8 weeks old, and I had a crate ready for him when he came home with me. He slept in there at night. And I also put him in there when I went to work, but he never spent more than about 4 hours at a time in the crate, with very few exceptions. At first, it was more like 2 or 3 hours at a time. He never had an accident in his crate, and he never had a problem going into his crate when it was time. I felt that this was the best way to keep him safe while I was not at home. I puppy-proofed the house, but you never know what they can get into. As time went on, I started putting him in his crate but leaving the door unlatched when I left. Even then, it took awhile before he realized he could get out of the crate. So we slowly phased out the crate, and now he doesn't use it at all, except when we travel. But I'm glad that I used it when he was a puppy, because now he's at least used to it for times it's necessary, like when we travel or if we ever get to go to flyball competitions.
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Permalink Reply by Allyson, Peri & Taquito on
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That is exactly what I am doing with Peri - she is 11 weeks and doing very well with it. I go home during lunch and walk her and play with her and our other dog for an hour. Her potty training is going smoothly and she is fine with going in and playing with her toys, kong, etc...Leslie, at what age did you start transitioning him out of it? I keep our chihuahua in his "room" with Peri during the day. I definitely plan to transition her out of the crate and to have roam of the "dog room" at least. I hope it doesn't take months and months!
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He was probably 9 months old when I started leaving the crate door open during the day. And then I used a baby gate to block the kitchen/den area off from the rest of the house, so that he still didn't have far to roam. I probably could have done it sooner, but I was worried about those puppy teeth getting into things. I would have felt awful if I gave Halas extra space, and then he chewed something up and got in trouble. I think the key is to start small. If you want to give him more space, then do it when you're only going to be gone for 30 minutes. Then increase the amount of time if he does well with 30 minutes. I think it also depends on the puppy. Halas was pretty good about not getting into things or chewing up my stuff, and he's a mini, so it was easier to put things up where he couldn't reach them. If a puppy is always getting into stuff, I'd rely on the crate a little longer, just to keep them out of the danger of chewing something up while you're gone. Now nighttime was another story. At about 6 months, I started letting him sleep in my bed with me at night, so that cut down on the crate time, too.
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Yes, I am just going to play it by ear. She is still so young, but is adapting quickly to a schedule and crate time. She has not had an accident in the house since Friday, but we are also good about taking her out frequently. We also use a baby gate to keep her with us in the living room at night while we play with her and relax. Thanks for your advice Leslie. I am happy to hear from someone that did this in a similar way and had success.
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