COLUMN: Crates, a hot topic in the animal world
'You would be surprised at how much dogs come to love their crates' – local dog trainer.
• Nadine Whittal, dog trainer writes:
Crates are a hot topic in the animal world and can spark some very heated debate. A lot of people view crates as a tool of imprisonment or punishment. Other people view crates as a place of safety for their dogs and as an effective training tool. So, which is it?
The answer depends entirely on you, the way you use the crate, and the way you introduce your dog to the crate. I am a big believer in crates but I am very careful about how my dogs are introduced to crates. I try to make sure that their association with the crate is positive rather than negative and as such, the crate is never used as a punishment tool.
When I get my puppy for the first time, I drive to pick it up with a crate in the car. In the crate is a soft bed or blanket and some chew toys. When I drive home, the puppy is in the crate where it is safe. Often, the four ‘walls’ around the crate will make the ride feel a bit more secure to the nervous puppy.
At home, I have a crate setup in my bedroom with the dog’s bed and an old piece of clothing of mine. There are also chew toys and treats in the crate so that the puppy learns that good things happen in the crate. Crates are a useful toy for toilet-training a puppy.
Puppies will avoid messing in a small and enclosed space. At night, my puppy goes in the crate with his toys and treats. I toilet him before bed and once in the middle of the night, and then immediately after waking up. This avoids the issue of puppies toileting in the house at night.
Eventually, once the puppy has learned that only good things happen inside the crate, the crate becomes a place of safety and security for the dog. Now, whenever I travel, the crate goes with and when I arrive I put the dog in the crate. That way, they always have bit of space that belongs to them and where they are perfectly safe.
The crate doors are generally open when I am training my dogs so that when they are feeling insecure, they can make the choice to seek out the security of their crate if they so wish. You would be surprised at how much dogs come to love their crates.
