crate training

When and why should you use a crate? We believe that there is value in appropriately crate training every dog, to help set them up for success in their lives.

• house training a new puppy/new rescue

• vet stays (when your pup goes to get spayed/neutered, most vet offices have kennels or kennel runs for their patients. Don’t let this visit be the first time your dog has experienced confinement! It is a stressful enough day for them as it is)

• travel (while you might not be planning a move now, who knows what the future will bring. If a pet is traveling in a plane, they must be kenneled)

• dog shows/dog spots (if you’re getting involved in showing your dog, or competing in dog sports, dogs are typically kenneled while they’re waiting for their turn
  

Crates should not be a way of life for your dog, but they can be an excellent part of your training program for a dog of any age!

A crate’s primary purpose should be to restrict a dog’s activity when you cannot supervise them until proper training can take place. The two main behavioral issues a crate can help you with is unwanted house soiling and destruction in your absence. 

House-Training

The primary purpose of crate confinement is to tap into a dog’s natural instinct to remain clean and not soil their bed area. This allows you to prevent the dog eliminating in the house when you cannot supervise them or when they refuse to eliminate in the proper place outside.

Your crate should be large enough for the dog to turn around and lay down comfortably, but not so large that they may eliminate in a corner of their crate. Whenever you cannot supervise your dog to take them outside in the case they attempt to eliminate in the house, you can place them in the crate. Also, when the dog refuses to eliminate outside but is still suspected to need to, you can temporarily confine them to the crate for several minutes then try again. This is especially useful in dogs who may already have a habit of elimination inside and may refuse to eliminate outside even when given an opportunity.

A crate should also be used as an overnight sleeping area so that your dog cannot eliminate in the house while you are asleep. As a social animal, your crate should always be in your bedroom or with a member of the family, not placed in an isolated area of the house.

The puppy should always be provided with a supply of fresh water to meet its needs for the day. Excessive restriction of water does not hasten good elimination habits, but could compromise the puppy's health, perhaps predisposing it to develop urinary tract problems (e.g., cystitis). In addition, puppies deprived of water may drink excessively when finally given an opportunity to drink and then rapidly excrete the excess.

Note: If you must leave your puppy unsupervised longer than they will be able to hold their elimination, you must avoid confining the dog to their crate and instead create a small confinement area that includes an elimination area, preferably with paper or pads away from any bedding or feeding area. While this isn’t preferred for outdoor housetraining, you must not allow a dog to eliminate in their crate because they were left too long.

House Destruction

A crate is also a useful tool to prevent destructive chewing from becoming a habit when the dog is not able to be supervised. Dogs and especially young puppies should be trained to engage with toys and other dog appropriate chews from an early age in order to prevent and redirect natural chewing and exploratory tendencies. The best toys are ones that food and treats can be placed in and often require the dog to solve a puzzle by pushing, chewing or maneuvering the toy. A toy filled with treats and food (and especially when frozen) is an excellent chew that can provide sustained enrichment for a dog. Our favourites are WestPaw Toppls, Rumbls and Kongs. You should have between 6-10 unique food puzzle toys that can be rotated each week. These items should be provided for use when the dog is out of their crate and supervised, and also when in the crate. The goal here is for the dogs eventually release from the crate with their toys unsupervised once appropriate chew and self-amusement habits are formed. For strong chewers, products like Benebone may also be appropriate.

House destruction can be brought about not just from simple boredom but from serious separation anxiety problems. How you use your crate may contribute to or even cause this issue. Separation Anxiety is also often over diagnosed by many owners who simply fail to chew toy train their dogs correctly and teach them how to be alone. A good trainer can help you tell the difference.

Introducing your dog to their crate and learning to be alone

The all-too-common practice of setting up the crate and then shoving the uncooperative puppy inside of it to whine, bark, and to attempt to escape from it only risks conditioning a negative and reactive response toward confinement. Forcing a new puppy into being alone in a strange crate for a long period without proper introduction can be traumatic and could spark separation related problems. Remembering that first impressions are enduring, such practices should be avoided.

Step One: Dog chooses to enter the Crate

Leave the door open and encourage your dog to choose to be inside the crate. Toss food inside of it, allowing the dog to eat the food, then leave. Having the option to come and go freely from the crate at first will prevent unwanted panic and stress that can be caused by forcing the dog to remain inside against its will. 

Putting a valued chew toy or food in the crate and shutting the door without the dog inside can prompt the dog to actually struggle to get inside the crate! Try playing some fetch games by tossing a toy inside the crate and allowing the dog to retrieve it along with “raining” down some treats whenever the dog is inside the crate. Try offering the dog a food delivery toy with treats inside and only allow them to settle and chew it inside the crate. Attempt to shut the door once the dog is fully engaged in the chew, but open it if the dog panics and attempts to get out. It’s critical the dog not be forcibly confined via the door closing until they are choosing of their own free will to remain inside.

Step Two: Dog can remain in Crate 15-20 minutes with you in sight

Continue allowing your dog to eat a special toy or treat in the crate. Once your dog is engaged with the toy or chew, try closing the door and monitor their behavior. If they try to get out, open the door and allow them to, but do not allow them to take the toy/chew out of the crate. With repeated attempts your puppy should settle and enjoy their special treat. Try to increase the time the dog remains in the crate with the door shut until you can get around 15 minutes.

Step Three: Your dog can relax in the crate for 30 minutes with you out of sight and overnight

Start by slowly moving around the house but checking in regularly on your puppy while they remained inside the crate. Ensure they still have toys or something interesting to engage with. At this stage it may also help if your puppy is tired from a good play session or walk. Try being out of sight of your puppy for 5 minutes, return to them, then try 10 minutes, return, then slowly build to around 30 minutes. Toss a treat inside each time you return if your puppy is calm and relaxed. If your puppy panics you can let them out for brief periods, but only do so if they are calm and relaxed first. It’s important they learn that barking / whining doesn’t allow them out of the crate. For overnights, ensure the puppy has a good play session before bed and that the crate is located in your bedroom close to the family. A warm water bottle, DAP™ spray and a stuffed toy may help the first few nights to mimic being near his mother and littermates.

Finally, attempt to leave your puppy in their crate when you leave the house. Keep these sessions short at first, and continue to use the crate as well when you are home, so the dog will not associate being in the crate always with your absence. If your puppy shows signs of stress at any of these steps, drop back to the previous step.

Special note to breeders: Using this guide during the final few days before a puppy is adopted could really help ease the transition for his new family.

The Escape Plan- Getting rid of your Crate

If you have been diligent in your training, at roughly 6 months of age your dog should be reliably house trained and trained to engage with toys. You can now begin the process of fading out your crate. Start by leaving the dog in one room of your house complete with bed, chew toys and water. Leave them for a short period of time to start then gradually increase the duration provided there are is no house soiling or destruction. As your puppy gets older you can consider allowing them more access of the house while you are away. Try leaving your crate door open overnight and see if the puppy can manage outside of the crate. Where your dog sleeps is up to you, but it should never be in isolation. Remember as well that your dog still needs plenty of exercise if they are being left alone on a regular basis.

The Wire Prison – Misuse of Crates and its Fallout

Unfortunately many dog owners are turning to crates in place of proper behavioral training and general good dog husbandry. A healthy dog should be able to function in the home alone much in the same way as if the owner is present provided proper positive based training has been done. 

Confining dogs to crates for many hours while owners are at work can contribute to a number of behavioral problems.

Dogs raised to maturity under conditions of social and environment restriction tend to become increasingly excitable, reactive, and disorganized in response to environmental change. Early work carried out by Melzack (1954) identified a cluster of troubling emotional and cognitive effects resulting from excessive sensory restriction and confinement of developing dogs.

Social isolation and sensory deprivation have been frequently implicated in the development of various emotional and cognitive disorders (Scott and Fuller, 1965). Many dogs spend long dreary days and nights locked in basements or confined to empty crates. Under such conditions, dogs may be stressed and inclined to develop a variety of behavior problems. Crate confinement is often used to control dogs that are the most incompatible with restraint by crating. For active and curious young dogs, crate confinement may produce significant frustration and distress, leading to compensatory excesses when they are released.

Patronek and colleagues (1996) have reported that crate confinement represents a significant risk factor for relinquishment of the dog to an animal shelter, raising the possibility that excessive crate confinement may exercise an adverse influence on attachment levels and the performance of appropriate training activities.

As Lindsay (2005) points out: The role of crate confinement in the etiology of behavior problems has not been scientifically established, but empirical impressions and logic dictate that it probably plays an important role in the development or exacerbation of many adjustment problems.

The excessive use of crates in North America has even prompted the Association of Professional Dog Trainers to release a position statement on their use. They warn that “The APDT does not recommend the use of crates as a confinement tool for extended periods – this is a tool best used in conjunction with a comprehensive training and socialization program guided by a professional dog trainer.”

Dealing with Destructive Behavior and Separation Anxiety

For destructive dogs, consider a wider variety of food delivery toys and long lasting chews. Consider a chew deterrent such as Bitter Apple ™ for key locations that your dog may target to prevent a habit from forming. If necessary use a booby trap to keep dogs away from counters or food locations. An experienced trainer can help you set one of these up. Management is always the best choice, if your dog may go after your shoes, put them away!

If you suspect your dog has a serious separation anxiety problem, consult a professional. Separation Anxiety should be viewed as a serious quality of life concern for your dog and should be addressed. Separation Anxiety is a curable condition with the right plan and guidance from someone skilled at behavioral modification. Your Veterinarian should also be involved as behavioral drugs can also assist in the treatment of true Separation Anxiety. Videotaping your dog can assist a professional in determining the severity of the problem and whether the condition is boredom or a mild or serious case of separation distress. A crate may be used during the treatment process depending on the trainers plan.


Crates do serve a useful purpose in dog training. They are excellent for temporary confinement at veterinarian offices, boarding facilities, dog shows, sport trials and in new puppy training. Using a crate as a steel straight jacket so you can avoid training your dog or managing their energy level should not be considered appropriate animal husbandry and long durations of continued confinement should be considered abusive. 

If your dog is spending their days in a crate, please help them gain their freedom – they aren’t a den animal any more than you are.

General Crate Guidelines

• Place the crate in a well-socialized part of the house, not in isolation
• Do not confine a puppy in the basement or garage. Never use crate confinement as a form of punishment
• Never allow children to tease or play with a puppy in a crate
• Never attempt to confine a puppy for periods that exceed its ability to control elimination functions
• Chose a crate the dog can lay down in and turn around comfortably
• Provide the puppy with adequate water along with toys
• Always remember to remove collars, harnesses or bandanas when in the crate

Risks of Excessive Crate use

• Crate confinement may significantly exacerbate the distress and emotional reactivity associated with separation distress (Borchelt and Voith, 1982)
• Excessive confinement is stressful for a highly sociable and dependent family dog
• Four-sided confinement (a trap) is a natural condition of vulnerability and may activate survival mechanisms associated with biological adversity
• Excessive confinement interferes with normal training, adjustment, and adaptive functioning
• Excessive confinement may socially marginalize a dog within the family system which has shown to increase likelihood relinquishment
• Since the condition of confinement is inescapable, symptoms of learned helplessness may develop especially in the case of dogs experiencing a highly level of aversive arousal while confined to a crate
• Frantic efforts to escape from the crate may result in serious injuries to the dog or its death
• Repeatedly forcing a dog into a crate may cause it to aggressively reactive at such times

Dog crates are a fixture in North America. Crate training, the act of teaching a dog to accept their kennel as a familiar and safe location, has become a norm among the dog-owning community. While some only use crates during puppyhood, it is not uncommon for dog owners to continue using crates throughout the life of their pets.

There are a lot of varying opinions on this.

Crate manufacturers promote the idea that dogs are den animals, so being in a crate is pleasurable and comes naturally to them. On the other hand, many European cultures shy away from the use of crates and view a dog’s confinement as cruel. 

So, just how should we use crates in dog training?

Are Dogs “Den” Animals? 

You’ve probably heard this before. In fact, many dog crate companies go so far as to make this statement in print directly on the back of the product or in the instruction manual. The belief that dogs are den animals is widespread, incorrect, and is derived predominantly from wolf behavior. 

Borchelt (1984) points out: 

The average dog book refers to dogs as den dwelling animals and presumes that confining imparts a feeling of security to a puppy. Dogs, in fact, are not den dwelling animals, although in a variety of canids the dam will construct a nest (often underground) for the pups. The nest is a defense against predators and protection against inclement weather. The pups use it as a home base from which they explore, investigate and play. There is no door on the den which encloses the pups for many hours. 

Although wolves do prepare dens to whelp and rear their young, they do not use such places as general sleeping or resting areas. In fact, as early as 10 to 12 weeks of age, wolf pups are generally moved from den locations to rendezvous sites (open-air kindergartens) where they are left while adults go on hunting sorties (Young and Goodman, 1944/1964; Allen, 1979).

Corbett (1995) has reported that dingoes exhibit similar den habits, moving pups from den sites at about 8 weeks of age to various rendezvous areas, usually rock ledges. Ironically, this is precisely the time when most domestic puppies are first introduced to their "four-sided" dens. 

This does not mean that we cannot use a crate at as part of a structured training program.

However, it’s important to counter the promotional propaganda of advocates recommending crate confinement as an unabashedly positive thing, a virtual utopian condition for the dog, satisfying the dog's den instinct, and similar misunderstandings and exaggerations found in typical commercial dog literature.

As Stephen Lindsey (2005) points out:

Crate advocates routinely espouse crate confinement as a way of life for family dogs, without fully appreciating the harmful side effects that may occur as the result of excessive restriction and social isolation. The convenience of crate confinement and the social permission afforded by glib rationalizations has beguiled many dog owners into believing the myth wholesale. For people convinced that their dog loves its crate, keeping it confined for 16 to 18 hours a day in a laundry room is not such a bad thing: after all, the dog is a "den" animal. As a result, many dog owners have come to regard the crate as a panacea for controlling undesirable behavior. Instead of dedicating the necessary time and effort needed to socialize and train the dog properly, the crate has become a steel prison for controlling untreated behavior problems.

Contrary to the popular hype, the crate is not a home, nor is it a den.

It is a place of confinement.

In essence, the crate mechanically suppresses a dog's behavior, restrains the dog's freedom of movement, and imposes a loss of control; as such, crate confinement is a condition of punishment (loss of reward) that can be highly aversive and stressful for a dog reactive to such restraint. 

References

Association of Professional Dog Trainers – Position Statement on the use of Crates
Borchelt PL (1984). Behaviour development of the puppy in the home environment. In RS Anderson (Ed), Nutrition and Behavior in Dogs and Cats: Proceedings of the First Nordic Symposium on Small Animal Veterinary Medicine. New York: Pergamon. 
Borchelt PL and Voith VL (1982). Diagnosis and treatment of separation-related behavior problems in dogs. Vet Clin North Am Symp Anim Behav, 12:625–635.
Mech LD (1970). The Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Murie A (1944/1987). The Wolves of Mt. McKinley. Seattle: University of Washington Press (reprint).
Corbett LK (1995). The Dingo in Australia and Asia. Ithaca, NY: Comstock/Cornell.
Melzack R (1954). The genesis of emotional behavior: An experimental study of the dog. J Comp Physiol Psychol, 47:166–168. 
Melzack R and Burns SK (1965). Neurophysiolog- ical effects of early sensory restriction. Exp Neu- rol, 13:163–175.
Patronek GJ, Glickman LT, Beck AM, et al. (1996). Special report: Risk factors for relin- quishment of dogs to an animal shelter. JAVMA, 209:572–581.
Fox MW (1974). Concepts of Ethology: Animal and Human Behavior. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press
Lindsay, Stephen R, Handbook of Applied Animal Behavior Vol 1-3 Pub 2005 Blackwell Publishing
Young SP and Goldman EA (1944/1964). The Wolves of North America. Part I: Their History, Life Habits, Economic Status, and Control. New York: Dover.