Sienna Brick Road

Part One of Two

First I will talk about the “why” I use crates, and then, in Part Two, I will explain how I use them for training. 
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I must own at least a dozen crates and they are one of the most useful tools I have ever come across for training dogs. I know, I have been told it’s cruel to “lock a dog up” but, like many tools, they can be used in different ways and I believe I use them in a way that is actually beneficial to me and the dog—win win. I don’t want to have a dog so I can lock it in a crate for most of her day.  But when I need to use the crate I don’t hesitate.  When I welcome a dog into my life I take the time to understand the nature of the animal and make the effort to train her to blend well into my home and my life.  

I have owned some very high drive dogs that would have been a nightmare if they would have landed in homes that did not know, or did not care, to train them to behave with good manners in the house, not to mention around people in general.  Yes, crate training is just part of what is used to direct the dog to behave in the desired fashion, but it’s a really important part, that is incredibly simple and something that you will one day be very glad you tried. 

 

As A Training Tool

 

There is good and bad experiences that come with dog ownership, why not make it as pleasant as possible?  I don’t want to have some unruly monster in my house leaving puddles and piles everywhere, barking, chewing my furniture and causing chaos. It would make it kind of tough to love them.  Proper crate training can virtually eliminate many of those problems.  I believe dogs need a quiet comfortable place to go to relax.  They need a den.  Once my dogs are trained and trustworthy I rarely close the crate door and they still willingly go to the crate to rest and sleep.  

 

For Travel

 

Crates are invaluable tools for housebreaking a puppy, (refer to part two of this article) but I use crates for much more.  I use them in the back of my truck for travel.  In summertime the dogs ride in comfort in the box of a pickup inside their crates. My crates are the type that is airline approved. They have a roof to keep the sun off and they have plenty of fresh air.  The crates are properly secured to the bed of the truck with nylon ratchet type tie downs.  They have places to secure water dishes and I line the bottom with carpet remnants that make a soft comfortable place to lay.  If the weather is hot I can put ice packs under the carpet to help keep them cool.  

When I reach my destination they have a safe place to lie comfortably when I have to leave them.  If I am staying overnight in a hotel or motel the crates can come in the room with me and provide a bed for the night.  I never let my dogs ride loose in a vehicle.  If they are in the back of the truck they are in crates or occasionally if they are in the cab where a crate doesn’t fit for my large breeds, they have seatbelts.  

Whenever possible I take my dogs with me for socializing and for company.  Even when I had an office job, my boss allowed me to bring the pup and let him sleep under my desk in his crate.  At times I would leave him in the back of my SUV inside his crate and visit him several times a day to take him for walks and feed and water him.  This was good for me because I could work and I looked forward to my breaks with him.  And it was good for him, he learned to stay quiet and rest and most of the time I would wake him up when I went to check on him and take him for his pee break.  It was good to be able to spend so much time with him.  Of course most people wanted to play with him and pet him which was great for socializing and he got to see and hear a lot of things.  Now it should go without saying but I will say it anyway.  I NEVER leave my dog in a hot vehicle, I did this only usually during winter months when I was sure he would be comfortable with vents and windows open enough to ensure fresh air.  I was also fortunate to be able to park where I could see the vehicle and could run out in seconds for a quick peek. 

To Protect Him

 

Crates are not just to keep him out of things, but to keep things away from him sometimes.  If I have company or children or people bring other pets that may overwhelm him, he has a place to go relax.  My old dog used to enjoy going in his crate and having the door closed when the pups were relentless in chewing his ears and tail.  As patient as he was he did deserve to be left alone when he had enough.  The crate worked well to keep the little ones from driving him crazy. Children visiting also come to mind.  

 To Enable Rest After a Veterinary Procedure or Injury

 

Sometimes the dog is on forced crate rest after a medical procedure or if he pulled a muscle during play.  My high energy dogs would go and go and if I didn’t confine them to the crate they would not have had the rest they needed to heal the minor injuries they sometimes incur. 

I have explained why to use a crate and in Part Two of this article I will explain how I use them to housebreak a pup.  Check back next week for the training portion in part two.  

  

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