Sienna Brick Road

In part one I talked about why I use crates and all of the practical reasons I find them so invaluable if you own a dog. Now I would like to talk about how to use them properly.

Choosing the Right Crate

I have two types of crates. The plastic type and the wire type. I like the plastic because they are durable, easy to clean, have a solid roof and last a long time. They are also airline approved. The wire type is nice in hot weather if you want a lot of air circulation. I think my dogs prefer the type that has partial solid sides for the privacy aspect, but you can put a blanket over the wire type to solve that problem. The wire crates are usually collapsible for storage so that might come in handy too. So far I do not own the nylon collapsible type but owners of small dogs say they are pretty good. I have large breed dogs so carrying them around is not an option.

Make sure you buy the correct size for your breed of dog. If you have a large breed dog, and bring it home as a puppy, then your crate will be much too big at first. Dogs naturally have an instinct to be clean and not mess where they sleep but if the crate is very large the pup may go to the back of the crate to relieve himself. You have two options, buy or borrow a smaller crate until he outgrows it, or buy a size suitable for him at his adult size and put a barrier inside to prevent him from moving to the back. Just leave him a comfortable area to sleep in the front. The rule of thumb is that he should be able to stand up and turn around easily. The idea is that he rests and uses it as his den not a playpen.

The last pup I bought was about 300 miles away. I went to pick him up and had a crate in the back of my SUV ready to bring him home. He was about nine weeks old. The crate was a little too big but it was what I had and I had rolled up towels in the back and a nice thick carpet and towels for him to sleep on during the ride. Before we left I played with him and took him for a walk and made sure he had a drink. I had another dog with me on that trip and that may or may not have helped put the pup at ease, hard to say.

So with the crate secured where I could peek in easily we headed out. A crate should be tied down even if in an enclosed vehicle. I wanted to be sure he wasn’t chewing and swallowing towels and this way I could keep an eye on him and from time to time place my fingers through the grate in the door to let him know he was not alone. He cried for the first few minutes but it didn’t last long and he tired himself out and curled up for a nap. Common sense has to prevail here as in all dog training. There is no “one rule” for all dogs.

Unstable Dogs – Fear of Confinement

There is a difference between crying and protesting a bit and real anxiety. My pup had been socialized at the breeder and was very stable in his personality so his few minutes of crying and howling really didn’t worry me much. I did watch and listen however so that I could decide if it was acceptable to leave him in the crate. I have seen dogs that have severe anxiety and that is something much different. My pup had a bit of a temper and his protests got pretty loud for a while. But he wasn’t frantic. I saw a dog locked up once that chewed at the bars, breaking teeth, screaming, shaking uncontrollably and making himself sick, throwing himself into the walls and door of the crate. That is not the type of dog that should be locked in a crate till he calms down. He will injure himself and in my opinion it is cruel to subject an unstable dog to this kind of stress. Use your best judgment here. Is the pup being stubborn or is he is truly under extreme stress? If he has true anxiety you will just make matters worse by confining him. Most dogs however, if they are comfortable and can see you, they tire out and go to sleep or at least relax and realize they are not so bad off in the crate.

I made frequent stops and took him out to pee and play a bit, walk around and stretch. He was offered small amounts of food and had some chew toys in his crate. Of course lots of fresh water was offered as well. He quickly got used to the routine and seemed quite happy. One time however he woke up and let out a howl that scared me half to death because it had been quiet a while and I almost forget he was there.

When we got home he was let out for a run and I brought the same crate in the house for him to sleep in. I keep the pup close to me whenever possible. If I am in the living room using my computer or watching TV, that is where I have the crate. At bedtime he is walked and then put in the crate that is placed close to my bed. I keep it close enough that he knows I am there and also I can talk to him or put my hand in the crate to show some affection. He gets lots of play and cuddle time and even sleeps in my lap but when I have things to do he is placed in the crate where I can see him. I find dogs generally learn quickly how to be quiet and amuse themselves with toys for their quiet time. This is for his safety as well. A pup can locate and chew through an electrical cord pretty fast when you run to answer the door or the phone. The results can be tragic, so do yourself and the dog a favor and eliminate the possibility of injury or harm to your belongings.

Housebreaking

For housebreaking my goal is to never let him make a mistake. The more dogs I have trained the better I get at knowing when he needs to go out. I never paper train, and transition to outside. I have a designated area outside that all the dogs use. They are not permitted to go in their outdoor runs or in the yard. I am fortunate to have an acreage so I can designate an area far enough from the house that makes it easier to keep the yard clean. The way I look at housebreaking is that if the pup makes a mistake, it’s really my mistake for not watching him closely enough. If you observe him carefully, you will soon see the pattern and be able to predict when he needs to go out. Pups usually have to go as soon as they wake up, after play and after food and water. If you give the pup a fair chance to do the right thing, they usually do.

One quick note about feeding. After exercise I give the pup time to relax before feeding. Also, I never let the dog run and play directly after eating. At best he can get sick and vomit up his meal and at worst he can develop torsion which can be very serious and often fatal. It is a condition where the stomach fills with gas and actually twists. An internet search can give you more information. I found one good explanation here: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/caninebloat.htm

The first few weeks are the most labor intensive but it gets easier pretty quickly. The rule is that if I am not directly interacting with the dog then he is in the crate. He is never left in the crate for long periods of time except at night, and even then I am prepared to take him out at least twice.

What if there is a Mistake?

 
As I said, make it your goal to not let it happen, that is the best, however they can squat and pee in an instant and so if it happens, take him to his spot immediately and when he goes there give him some praise. My dogs “go busy” or “go outside”. The word “busy” is unique and my dogs understand what it means. This is handy when I need the dog to go quickly, like when we stop for a break on the roadside and I need to get moving. They know the difference between a “sniff/explore” session and “lets do what we have to now” so we can get going. Of course you want to clean up the mess as soon as possible and as thorough as you can. I use organic type odor eliminators. Ask at the pet retailer what seems to work best for eliminating stains and odors.

The crate housebreaking method is incredibly simple really and it does not take that long for the dog to become comfortable with the routine. They are creatures of habit and the more you can stick to a schedule the better.

In the years I was training my dogs for sport I traveled with them a lot. My crates were essential during that time. I was often training more then one dog and the one not on the field would be waiting in his crate for his turn. In summer I would keep a tarp up like an awning or take the crates out and place them in a shaded area. Each dog had a large plastic dish that snapped on to the inside door of the crate so he always had water. In extreme heat I would freeze the water and also put ice packs under the carpet to help keep him cool.

Another handy thing is I attach a canvas or nylon bag to the back of the crates to hold toys, treats or training tools. Everything is organized and makes training day go a lot smoother if I am not looking for things and figuring out which things belong to which dog.

I am fortunate to not have had an accident while dogs where in the vehicle but I have heard the stories from people I train with that were not so lucky. Some stories ended good and some not. One lady lost her Newfoundlander in a rollover accident. The dog escaped and ran off and was never recovered. A dog becomes a projectile if left loose in the car and no matter what happens that can’t end in a good way. If the dog had been contained in a proper travel crate maybe this would not have happened. Some of my crates snap together but they also come with screws and if you properly screw them together they are pretty darn durable even in a crash. I also like seatbelts for dogs but crates are my first choice.

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