Care Pet Wellness Group / Crate and House Training

Crate Training and House Training
(From AAHA)

Crate Training

A dogs crate not only prevents behaviour problems (chewing, house soiling, destructiveness, digging, escape behaviour, garbage raiding, etc.) but also serves as a home or den for the dog. Crate training is neither cruel nor unfair. On the contrary, leaving the dog unsupervised to wander, investigate, destroy and perhaps get injured is far more inhumane than confinement. As long as the crate is big enough, the dog gets sufficient exercise and attention, and it is not left in the crate longer than it can control itself, the crate is a safe, secure, ad humane place to confine a pet when unsupervised. Keeping a dog outside in a yard, confined to a pen or dog run, or in a room that can be properly dog proofed are also acceptable alternatives.

Crate training has a number of important advantages:

Security

A contented dog spends time sleeping, grooming or chewing a favourite toy in a secure favourite location

Safety

Since dogs, especially puppies, have a strong desire to investigate and chew, the crate, like a child’s play pen, is an excellent way to keep a dog safe when the owner can not supervise. Dogs which are allowed to investigate may get into medicine chests, diaper pails, garbage cans, kitty litter etc. Some dogs have even gone through drywall or glass windows trying to escape.

Prevent costly damage

With their instinctual desire to chew, investigate, dig, escape, scavenge, and of course eliminate, dogs are capable of doing a great deal of damage. A secure inescapable confinement area can prevent costly damage.

Prevent behaviour problems

Besides preventing destructive behaviours, crate training also can prevent barking at door, windows, jumping onto furniture or counters, house soiling and entering inappropriate rooms or areas of the house.

Correct behaviour problems

In order to correct problem behaviour, the dog must be supervised so that proper behaviour can be rewarded and undesirable behaviour can be punished. Since no owner is capable of 24 hour monitoring, the dog should be kept in a confined area, such as a crate, when the owner is not available to supervise.

Train proper chewing and elimination

Since most dogs will not soil their den, crate training is one of the best ways to teach a dog to control elimination. The dog can also be directed to chew on appropriate objects by placing selected toys in the crate.

Reduce barking

Another common problem is crying when the owner and puppy are separated (especially at night time). Using crate-training techniques, the puppy can be taught to spend time alone in its crate. Some owners may prefer to allow their puppies to sleep in their bedroom (in the crate) where it is less likely to vocalize.

Improved owner/dog relationship

Since crate trained puppies require less discipline for misbehaviour, cause less problems and frustration for the owners, and are much less likely to cause damage, the pet-owner bond likely will be stronger.

Traveling

Since most crates are collapsible or portable, they can be taken on trips to securely and safely house the dog.

Crate Training/Housetraining for Puppies

A metal collapsible crate with a tray floor works well s long as the crate is large enough for the dog to stand, turn and stretch out. Some dogs feel more secure if a blanket is draped over the crate. A plastic traveling crate or a homemade crate also can be used. Playpens or barricades also may be successful as log as they are indestructible and escape proof.
Because dogs are social animals, as ideal location for the crate is a room where the family spends time such as the kitchen, den or bedroom rather than an isolated laundry or furnace room.
For the crate to remain a positive, enjoyable retreat, the dog should never be placed in the crate for punishment. If time-out is used as punishment, a washroom, laundry room or basement can be used for social isolation.
A radio or television may help to calm the dog when it is alone. They also help mask environmental noises which can stimulate the dog to vocalize.
Introduce the puppy to the crate as soon as it is brought home and as early in the day as possible. The crate should be left open so the puppy can voluntarily enter the crate for food, water, toys or shelter. My making all crate experiences pleasant the puppy should feel secure and comfortable in its crate.
Choose an outdoor location for the puppy to eliminate. A short direct route is best. Take the puppy to the location, wait until the puppy eliminates, and reward the puppy lavishly with praise or food. After some play and exercise, place the puppy in its crate with water, a toy, and a treat and close the door.
Leave the room but remain close enough to hear the puppy. It is normal for puppies to cry or whine when separated for their “pack”. Escape behaviour and vocalization is to be expected when a dog is first placed into its crate. If the escape behaviour is short or mild, ignore the dog until the crying stops. Never let it out unless it is quiet. This teaches that quiet behaviour is rewarded and the crying can not make the owner return.
Punishment may be necessary if crying does not stop on its own. For punishment to be successful, it must be harsh enough to stop the behaviour and withdrawn as soon as it is quiet. A shaker can (a sealed can filled with coins or marbles) can be tossed at the crate when the pup barks. Other types of punishment include water sprayers or loud sounds (alarm, air horn, Barker Breaker, Yapper Zapper, PetAgree etc.) If possible, the owner should remain out of sight when administering punishment. By plugging in an alarm, tape recorder, Water Pik or hair dryer beside the crate and turning it on by using a remote control switch each time the dog barks, the dog can be taught that barking leads to punishment whether the owner is present or not. When the barking ceases, the punishment is stopped. Bark collars and alarms that go off automatically each time the dog barks are also available for persistent or difficult problems. Any type of punishment must be used with caution, however since it can exacerbate the vocalization problem of a very anxious pet.
Place the puppy in its crate a few times before the end of the day. Each time, increase the time that the dog must stay in the crate before letting them out. Give the puppy exercise and a chance to eliminate before locking it in the crate.
At bedtime the dog should be exercised, locked in its crate and left for the night. Do not go to the dog if it cries. Remote punishment can be used to deter crying. Alternately the crate could be kept in the bedroom.
If the puppy sleeps on one end of the crate and eliminates in the other, a divider can be installed to keep the puppy in a smaller area.
Never keep a puppy in its crate for longer than it can control itself or it may be forced to eliminate itself in the crate. If the puppy must be left for long periods in which it might eliminate, it should be confined to an area larger than the crate. As the puppy gets older, its control increases and it can be left longer in its crate.
When the puppy is indoors, it must be constantly supervised for signs of elimination. If the puppy begins to sniff the floor, circle, or squat, it should be taken directly to its elimination spot and rewarded if it eliminates. If the puppy is caught in the act of eliminating indoors, the owners should administer an appropriate punishment (a startling NO or punishment device) to reduce the chance of the puppy eliminating in that location again. Very harsh punishment should be avoided or the puppy may be reluctant to eliminate in front of the owner anywhere, even outdoors. Immediate take the puppy outside to the proper location and give lavish rewards if it eliminates. If the puppy eliminates in an inappropriate location and no punishment is administered during elimination, the puppy likely will return to the location to eliminate. Only with constant supervision can the owner catch the puppy in the act every time it eliminates in an inappropriate location.
Although there is a great deal of individual variability, many puppies can control themselves through the night by three months of age. During the daytime, once the puppy has relieved itself, a two month old puppy may have up to three hours control, a three month old puppy up to four hours and a four month old puppy up to five hours.
Until the puppy is house trained, it should be confined to its crate whenever the owner is not able to supervise. Once the puppy has complete four consecutive weeks without soiling anywhere in the house, the owners can begin to decrease supervision, particular during the first hour when the puppy comes indoors after eliminating.
Be certain to take the puppy outside to its elimination site regularly, particularly when it has just finished playing, eating, napping, before bedtime, or if any pre-elimination signs are seen. Reward the puppy lavishly for using the right area. Teaching the puppy to eliminate in a single location outdoors is far simpler and much more practical than trying to teach a puppy not to eliminate in thousands of different locations indoors.
The puppy can be taught to eliminate on command by repeatedly giving cues (“Hurry Up”) in an upbeat tone during the act of elimination.
Using a leash indoors to keep the puppy nearby not only aids supervision but helps the puppy to learn to signal the owner when it needs to go outdoors to eliminate. The puppy quickly learns that if it eliminates in front of the owner indoors it will be scolded. If it has to eliminate but can’t sneak away from the owner because of the leash, it is placed in a conflict situation. This results in anxious fidgeting or vocalizing. The pet should then be taken outdoors. Eventually, the puppy will learn that if it approaches the owner and fidgets or vocalizes, it will be taken outdoors to eliminate and rewarded.

Paper Training

If a puppy must be left alone for longer than it can control elimination, it should be placed I a dog proof room, pen or barricaded area. The crate can be placed inside the area with the door open. The floor outside the crate should be covered with paper for elimination. Once the puppy chooses a favourite location, the papered are can be made smaller. If the crate is large enough, paper can be placed at the far end until the dog keeps the entire crate clean. Paper training should be discontinued as soon as the dog gains sufficient control or it may become a difficult habit to eliminate

Crate Training the Adult Dog

· For adult dogs or older puppies that have not been crate trained, set up the crate in the dogs feeding area with the door open for a few days. Place food, treats and water in the crate so that the dog enters the crate on its own. Another alternative is to place the crate in the dogs sleeping area with its bedding. Once the dog is entering the crate freely, it is time to close the door.

· Before placing the dog in its crate, provide plenty of exercise and attention and allow the dog to eliminate

· When the dog is capable of staying comfortably in the crate, begin to lock the dog in the crate at night time. Once the dog sleeps in the crate through the night, try leaving the pet in the crate during the daytime. Try short departures first and gradually make them longer.

· An occasional dog may not tolerate crate training and may continue to show anxiety or even eliminate when confused. These dogs may adapt better to other types of confinement such as a pen, dog run, small room or barricaded area.

· Anti-anxiety drugs or tranquilizers may be necessary for the first few days to help some dogs learn to tolerate the crate.