Crates – Haven or Prison?

Dear Elwood,  I’m a new addition to my family.  I was a Christmas gift.  At first I got a lot of attention.  But now they put me in this cage and leave me all day long.  When they get home and let me out, I am beside myself with energy.  But no one wants to play with me much and they complain that I am “spastic”.  Sometimes they yell at me for piddling on the floor and they put me back in the cage.  I don’t understand why they don’t love me anymore?  Very Sad Puppy

Hey kid, I’m digging you.  Too many humans get a dog without first considering the responsibility of canine companionship.  They don’t know much of nothing about canines and so they often just do what some breeder or pet shop worker tells them.  And unfortunately most of them tell the new “owners” to crate the puppy or dog.

So I’m gonna tell you people about how to humanely use a crate.  But first I’m going to tell you how NOT to use a crate.

First off, it is downright cruel to stick a dog or puppy in a crate all day when you go to work or school. Now once in while is O K, but not everyday.   Now a lot of breeders will tell you otherwise, but that’s just because they do it to their dogs.  That don’t make it right.

Now they will tell you that dogs sleep all day so it doesn’t hurt them to be crated.  Well I’d sleep all day too if I was in prison.  Dogs and puppies do a lot of stuff during the day.  They play, explore, chew, and just move around.

How would you like it you were confined to your bed for 8 to 10 hours everyday.  You get out of bed for 2-4 hours in the afternoon.  Then you have to go back to bed for 8 hours, you get up for an hour, then you are back in bed for 8-10 hours.  Don’t sound like much of a life does it?  Now what if you were a child?  Makes you think, huh?

Don’t get me wrong – crates are very useful tools for training dogs and keeping us safe.  One of the ways to train your dog to a crate is to feed him in it.  He will then associate it with a reward.  But don’t leave him in there.  When he has finished eating, take him out for a potty break.  If he doesn’t go within 5 minutes, put him back in the crate.  Wait 15 minutes, take him out again, and when he goes reward him using verbal reward or food reward.

Now if your dog or puppy starts crying or scratching of howling you are just going to have to be tough and leave him in there until he is quiet.  Usually they get tired and fall asleep.  When they are quiet, take them out of the crate.  This rewards quiet behavior in the crate.  Later on your dog might bark when in the crate to let you know he wants to go out.  This is different.  When you answer this request, you gain trust of your dog.

Right here I need to make a point about verbal reward.  Verbal reward is not just a low soft “Good Dog”.  It should be energetic and combined with a lot of petting and should get the dog a little excited.  Then take the pup or dog and play with him.  Play is a social reward.

If you want your dog to associate the crate with safety then put the dog in the crate at night.  Let him sleep in there.  And by the way, don’t put the crate in some isolated part of the house.  Put it where the dog can watch the family’s activities.  Use a wire crate so he can see everyone.  This helps us feel part of the family.  Some of us grow up to love our crates.  We will go in them and sleep if you leave the door open for us to come and go.

If you have a puppy, you should give it many opportunities to potty during the day.  Every two hours is sort of a rule of thumb.  Don’t make the mistake of letting your puppy sniff and sniff and wander around for 20 minutes.  Take it into the grass and say something like – “Go Potty” or “Hurry Up”.  If nothing happens within 5 minutes, put him back in the crate.  Wait 15 – 20 minutes and try again.

Limit time spent in the crate to 4 hours.  Eventually you can leave your canine friend in the crate for a full day if you have to but by that time you may feel comfortable just giving your dog run of the house or kitchen.

Your goal should be to allow your friend to be out of the crate most of the time.  If you feel you have to put your dog in a crate all day then you need to rethink why you have a dog.

Loving and caring for a canine friend can mean making a few sacrifices.  Like having to clean up extra dust and dog hair.  Like putting up a “doggie gate” to block off a safe area like a kitchen with linoleum or tile.   Like giving up some of your “Better Homes and Gardens” decorating.

You also have be at home enough to let your canine in and out, feed it, and play with it.  We canines crave human interaction.  You need to provide us with play or walks or agility training or rides in the car or just cuddling.  In fact, it is the touch associated with living with a canine that gives the most health benefits to humans.

There are now many products that can help you manage your canine’s behavior other than crates.  There are attractive gates that open and close and can expand up to 8-10 feet.  There are mats that give a little tingle shock that keeps pets in restricted areas.  Why they even make crates that look like wicker and some that are actually canine pup tents.

So bottom line.  Don’t crate us all day and all night.  It’s not fair.  Establish a “safe” area in your house or on a porch if you have to leave us all day if you must. You might even put us out in a fenced area.  Just make sure you bring us in or play with us.

Crate for 4 hours or less except for unavoidable circumstances and certainly not every day while you are at work.  Utilize the crate for housebreaking.  Feed your dog in the crate.  Let your dog have free access to the crate.  Use a crate for transportation in a car because it is safer for the dog. (I don’t do this but I should).

If you will just try to imagine what it would feel like if you were the dog, you will make the right decisions.  There are some situations where crating is very necessary to treat certain behavioral problems.  Crating is essential in many foster homes because foster parents numerous socialization and problem behaviors.  Crating is a good thing when used properly.

The key is HUMANE use.  Golden Rule kind of thing. 

Spay and neuter,

Elwood