Service Dog Central

Dogs, by their nature, often feel secure having their own "den". There are many advantages to crate-training; some of these include:

House-training
Limiting marking behaviors
Preventing destructive chewing
Separation anxiety
Protecting your puppy from dangerous objects
A resting place of his own to relax in
A secure place for mealtime
A safer place for car rides
Portable travel housing

Studies have shown that in automobile accidents, dogs who were crated survived a higher percentage of crashes with fewer injuries than those who were not crated in the car. Crating your dog in the car prevents him from interfering with your driving, protects him from being thrown forward in a quick stop or tight turn, and allows him a secure place to rest during travel.

Airlines specify what size and type of crate is required for dogs' air travel if a dog is shipped as live cargo or when a non-working dog accompanies his owner in the cabin, in some cases. You may want to consult your airline well in advance for these requirements before planning to fly with your dog; many airlines also strictly limit the number of dogs who are permitted on a given flight.

Hotels, motels and other travelers' accomodations permitting pets, often do so with the stipulation that the dog be crated when unattended in the room. Sometimes provisions can be made for your dog if he does have a crate with him.

There are a variety of crate types to choose from. Both people and dogs have their preferences. Some feel that a plastic crate is more secure. Wire crates, especially models that collapse and fold, while heavier, are more portable in the larger sizes than their plastic counterparts. Canvas or "soft-sided" crates, while no match for a dog who chews, may be the most convenient for travel at your destination. Crates come in other materials too, from wicker to steel.

Check your crate to be sure that there is nothing on or in it that could be dangerous for your dog. Watch for collar tags (or even collars) that could get caught in the crate bars; sharp edges, and items that he could chew or eat. Its probably safest to remove your dog's collar before crating him. Also check that the door latches work properly, and that your dog does not know how to open them to let himself out.

Crate Safety Reminders:

Remove your dog's collar
If he must wear a collar in the crate use a breakaway collar
Make sure your dog does not overheat
Make sure there is ample airflow to the crate and dog
Keep the crate clean and dry
Provide fresh water
Check for sharp edges on wire or plastic
Check floor pan for wear or breakage
Check door latch operation
Check for signs of chewing or damage
Repair or replace worn parts

The size of the crate is instrumental to the success of crate training. Your dog's crate should be just large enough for your dog to stand, turn around, and lay down. If its too large, the dog might designate one corner of it as a restroom area. Bigger crates can be sectioned off for a puppy so they are the correct size as he grows. Dogs have a tendency to want to avoid soiling their sleeping area. To best take advantage of this, offer frequent trips outside to puppies so that they are encouraged to keep their crate clean.

The ideal situation is one where you can stay home with your new puppy until he is housetrained. In real-world situations this is not always possible. Try and make arrangements for someone to come in and walk and excercise your puppy at frequent, regular intervals during your work day. If you cannot do this, consider confining him to a larger area such as an X-pen if you must leave him unattended for a while at first. Your dog should associate his crate with good things, and only be in it for a moderate period of time. Also, if you do crate or confine him while you're away at work, then he will need attention and exercise before you leave, when you get home, as well as to spend significant quality time with you, and time for training. If he's been alone all day while you've been working, he's in there storing up energy like a battery recharging!

Never use your crate for punishment. Your dog's crate is his den; his cool place to go and hang out in when he wants alone-time. Many dogs will crate comfortably for a while after they have had vigorous exercise. A tired dog is ready to rest. You can provide him with chew toys, a soft place to lay, perhaps fresh water; and he has a cozy den. Leave your crate accessible to your dog, with the door open. He will always have it as his own special place.

Some puppies don't want bedding in their crates, and will push it aside. In that case, feel free to remove it. If your puppy soils in his crate and you have bedding in it, remove the bedding and do not replace it until your puppy reliably keeps his crate clean. You may also want to remove the bedding if he chews it. Bedding is most important in a crate for a senior, large, or arthritic dog. If your puppy doesn't get in the habit of destroying bedding then you can add it later on. You can control the room temperature and provide a fan or small heater outside the crate if needed.

Set your crate up in the most active room of your house while you're at home, out of the direct line of traffic but where your puppy can see and hear all routine activities. If he gets too excited, you can try covering your crate when its nap or bedtime. If at all possible, try to have your crate in your bedroom at night. Balance your puppy's need to be with you, and your dog's need for structure and routine.

To teach your puppy to become acclimated to the crate, leave the crate's door open, and toss in a few pieces of kibble. Let him go in after them without closing the door. When he shows no fear of going in and out of the crate (leave a new toy in there for him to explore and find, too!) try placing him in the crate with a tempting chewy, such as a filled Kong; close the door briefly while he's interested in the chew, and then after a few moments, (Note: Its been suggested that there are four moments within one second) open the door and take away the chew. You want him to think, "Hey, I wasn't done with that yet!" Gradually increase the time he's in the crate with the door closed. Also feed meals in his crate, beginning just inside the door then graduating to the back of the crate. Put surprise goodies in there periodically for him to discover. Even an adult dog can be successfully crate trained using the same steps, with patience and perserverance.

Do not let your puppy or dog out of his crate when he is whining, fussing or barking. If your puppy is fussy in his crate, you may have gone too quickly with this process, or you may not have gotten his attention redirected first. In the case of young pups, make sure they don't need to potty before crating them. If your puppy is not crated for too long at a time, and you are attentive, he will learn its ok to whine to signal he needs out, without fussing at other times. Just don't open the door until he's quiet.

Mistakes happen. Its not the puppy's fault. If your puppy does soil in his crate, take puppy outside, then clean the accident immediately, using a product designed for the purpose to completely remove the scent. Avoid ammonia-based products which to a dog, smell like urine. Limit his crate time for a while as he is reminded to do that outdoors.

As a general rule, your puppy should be able to wait to eliminate the number of hours that equals his age in months plus one for the first year. However, this will vary considerably according to your puppy's size, breed, and individual makeup. If you want to crate your puppy at night, make sure he is tired and ready for bed; and take him outside first. Place the crate within your arm's reach, dim the lights and put a ticking clock near-by for reassurance. This simulates the sound of his mother's heartbeat and can help settle a restless pup. If necessary, set an alarm for very young or small puppies and get up once or twice during the night briefly to give them a chance to eliminate. Caution: Avoid the temptation to play with your puppy at this time, unless you want to have a hyper dog for the rest of the night!

General Crate Duration Guide

09-10 weeks.....30-60 minutes
11-14 weeks.....1-3 hours
15-16 weeks.....3-4 hours
17+ weeks/adult - Up to 6 hours

General Elimination Guide

06-14 weeks: 8-10 x per 24 hours
14-20 weeks: 6-8 x per 24 hours
20-30 weeks: 4-6 x per 24 hours
30+ weeks/adult 3-4 x per 24 hours

Offer an opportunity to go outside before crating your dog, and when you come home. However, give him a time-out when you first get home. Ignore him for a few to several minutes before paying him attention. If your young puppy needs to be let out of his crate as soon as you arrive home, because he's still learning house training; wait just a minute when you walk in, then let him out, walk him immediately to potty, then return him to his crate for a little while before taking him out to play. This way he learns to wait for you to come home and get situated.

Practice preparing to leave, then leaving and coming right back in the front door, while your puppy has his chewy in his crate, working up to you actually leaving him unattended in his crate. You might want to reserve a special chew toy that he only gets in his crate. Jingle your keys, pick up your purse, whatever you normally do in preparation.

Some dogs will not be fooled and will always know when you really are leaving; be as realistic as you can. Make mock trips where you walk out of your house for a few seconds, then five minutes, then ten minutes. Do this gradually. Once your dog is accustomed to leaving him crated, vary the duration so that he cannot always predict how long you'll be away.

You can pick a word that means "Go get in your crate" (I use "kennel") and send your dog in for a treat. If you do this often, don't always close the door, and vary how long he's in there. Giving a treat part of the time for going in seems most effective. Dogs with training can have awesome crating skills; from being sent to their crates on cue from any room in the house, to staying there with the doors open (or even opening it and going in), in a group or singly.

Troubleshooting:

Limit how long you leave your dog crated, especially young puppies
Feed on a schedule and teach puppy to eliminate in designated area
Give smaller meals more frequently
Watch the puppy's weight and the quality of his diet
Make sure puppy eliminates before crating
Limit water before bedtime
Have your vet check your puppy's health
Watch for problems such as urinary tract infections and parasites

Special concerns:

Puppies purchased from places such as pet stores and those who have been kept confined in a small enclosure for long periods of time, so that they have had to eliminate in that area, may be impossible to crate train and very difficult or impossible to housetrain. If this is your puppy, you will need to take even smaller incremental steps in this process over a much longer duration; perhaps avoiding crating altogether, or for an extended period of time.

~Christi

Setting up a schedule to control when the pup will need to toilet