Some people leave their dogs in crates all day long while they’re at work. I think that’s a terrible idea. Crates have their uses—that’s what this post is about!—but dogs need more freedom than that. How would you like to be stuck in a windowless cubicle all day every day?
(My sympathy if you are in fact a cubicle worker. Still, you can walk down the hall for a drink of water and go out to get lunch. A crated dog can’t do even that much. Plus he has to hold his bladder till you get home because the last thing he wants to do is foul his own personal space.)
Huh? Do you need me for something?
By all means train your dog to love his crate. But leave the door open more often than closed. There are better ways to train your dog to be calm and content while home alone.
That said, there are also good reasons to train your dog to see the crate as his safe haven. In the car, for example, dogs should always be crated or otherwise separated from the driver. Too many accidents happen because a driver is distracted by a pet who is roaming around loose. Plus the pet needs to be restrained to be safe in an accident.
The crate can also help with sleeping over at someone else’s house or provide a stress-free zone when there’s a lot of commotion in your house. Have a sheet handy to cover the crate in such circumstances; then the dog can feel even more safe.
You train your dog to love the crate by creating positive associations.
Start by placing the crate carefully. Did you know that dogs understand Feng Shui? They are totally in touch with energy flow. So place the crate against a wall in one of the quieter corners of your home.
Then start making the positive associations:
- Put down a comfy blanket or pad.
- Feed meals in the crate.
- Toss in a treat or a toy from time to time.
Make sure your dog is naked whenever you are going to close the door on his crate. If you go through the process I’m recommending, he won’t feel the need to escape. (How sad if he does!) But if something happens, for instance, and you’re delayed coming back, you don’t want him hanging himself by the collar in his frantic attempts to get out.
Once your dog goes into the crate voluntarily, start closing the door and walking away. As with any separation training, start with just a minute or two and work your way up.
Follow these steps, and your dog will be ready for travel, because he will have learned that crate = great.
