Is a crate a safe haven?
A den?
A cage?
Crates are popular in North America to confine a dog, but not so much many other countries. So the question is: do we need it?
Here are my musings!
In general:
Some dogs accept a wire crate better because they are compelled to see what is going on around them; others like a closed airplane style crate better, or blankets draped over the wire one. Know your dog.
In any case: no dog should be longer in a crate than 3-4 hours at any one time during the day. Shorter for young puppies who need to piddle more often.
However: we actually don’t need a crate. Not even with a puppy. Dogs as a species don’t build dens and that is a fact, but even if they did, there is choice. Dens don’t have door someone else closes. In nature the animal has the the freedom to enter and exit at will. That makes all the difference between it being a refuge, a safe hide-out; a secure nest or a trap.
One could argue that a lot what we do with our dogs isn’t natural they have to get used to. Correct. Also correct that a good number of dogs get to used to a crate as well and, granted, it’s safer traveling in a car, but it is also true that there are many dogs who remain crate averse despite crate games. One of ours included. Exactly because when they’re locked in, it’s a trap. Me-believes dogs understand very clearly that choice is completely removed.
If a crate is perceived as a refuge the door can stay open. As you see in the photos here. All these dogs—how the heck did the cat show up in a dog article—obviously like and choose being in their crates at times.
Dogs who don’t feel as happy as the ones shown here shouldn’t be in a crate. Period. That simple.
There are options to a crate that keeps your stuff safe from puppy teeth and your rug piddle-puddles free. An ex pen, a specific room in the house, baby gates for when no one can supervise the young or the new. Larger areas like this allows the dog to move, stretch her legs, find enrichment, then rest again. That, not being caged in small space, is natural for dogs. In fact, no species is a natural cage animal. In addition to water, toys should be there, chewies, maybe also a pee pad. Having the urge to potty but not being able to causes distress. We can relate to that. The leash, yes in the house, is another viable option. And that has a nice side effect: the dog is learning to settle near you when you are busy. What about at night? A good number of my friends and clients successfully co-slept with their pup right away. It’s increasingly becoming more popular.
The take-away? Don’t force the issue, but you can try to convince your dog that a crate—and I still prefer a larger ex-pen to a poky cage—is a good place. Breeders often begin crate training, but that is not a guarantee that the pup will like it when she lands in your home. The how-to is critical.
Here is how to start things on the right paw.
Place the enclosure where you are, not segregated in another room. An ex-pen in your living area and a crate in your bedroom might work. Or co-sleep at night. Important is that the dog is not excluded from her social group.
Set the enclosure up and place high value things in it. Let your dog watch. Close the door, but with your dog on the outside. Essentially you are locking her out. When she desperately paws to get in, to all that interesting stuff she saw you place in there, let her. Leave the door open. Important is that your dog does not feel trapped. Remember the importance of choice.
Repeat randomly 2-3 times a day.
With the door open, your dog might choose to take a toy outside the enclosure. Allow this. But you can also lead a string through the two holes of a Kong, fill it with extra yummy food, and tie that to the enclosure, the farthest end from the door. That entices most dogs to want to stay in. The door should stay open.
The first impressions matter most, and above method is the best way to introduce an enclosure. Then, when your dog feels comfortable and safe, you can close the door. Briefly while she is still having fun, increasing duration incrementally.
Vary what you offer your. Surprises not only trigger curiosity, but you can also test whether your dog chooses the enclosure if something of lower value is in it. Remember that the goal is that the space is perceived as a desired get-away in its own right. In that sense, with the door closed whenever your dog signals that she wants out, let her. Any delay confirms that the enclosure is a trap, and that is counterproductive in moving forward.
With dogs who have no experience with a crate or ex-pen progress can be quick. Not so with dogs who have an existing phobia, who have had trauma. With them it can take time before they are convinced it is not a trap. With some dogs, no matter how much effort you put into crate games, it remains one. I repeat: don’t use it. Find another solution.
Ultimately, the goal should always be that your dog, eventually, has the freedom to move within your home. You can leave the crate in place, but always with the door open.
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