You may have heard talk in dog training circles that crate training - putting your dog in a plastic or wire crate and shutting the door - is cruel or unnecessary.
The fact of the matter is, when used correctly and conscientiously, the crate is a valuable training tool that should be added to your repertoire, to whatever degree fits best with your life.
The Values of a Crate While dogs have been domesticated for many, many years, their natural instincts are still very much at the fore of how they conduct themselves in the world.
As such, it is of value to us humans who choose to live with dogs to be aware of these instincts and behaviors.
Dogs - and the wolves they are descended from - are naturally cave dwellers.
Out in the wild, the cave is their home, their place of refuge and safety.
The crate can mimic a dog's natural instinct to seek shelter and solitude.
You can purchase a plastic lidded crate, or a wire crate (just drape a towel over it to create the den effect).
Either way, you are giving your dog Orson a place to call his own, where he can go to get away from a big party or rowdy children and just relax.
In addition to fulfilling Orson's natural instincts to have a den, the crate is a great training tool.
During the process of training Orson to conduct himself appropriately in your home, you can put him in the crate when you go out to ensure he doesn't get into anything while you are gone.
Just give him a favorite toy or delicious chew or bone that is safe to eat so he has something to do other than sleep.
But remember with this crate training option that Orson cannot remain in the crate for extended periods of time, such as a full workday.
Appropriate crate time varies depending on Orson's age, but, in general, you should not leave your dog in a crate for more than a few hours at a time.
Another training advantage to crating your dog is that it gives Orson time to relax and be calm.
This is particularly useful if you're facing training difficulties due to Orson's high drive or excitability.
Also, if you have a puppy, the crate is an excellent housebreaking tool.
Dogs do not relieve themselves in the place that they sleep, so your cute little puppy will learn control more quickly and where it is appropriate to relieve himself.
The Absolute Rule To properly crate train Orson so that he sees the crate as a place of safety and refuge rather than one of fear, you must remember one rule that is never ever broken.
You must not use the crate as a form of punishment.
While it may be tempting to lock your dog away somewhere when you are angry or frustrated at what he just did to your brand new carpet, the reason not to is very simple.
If Orson comes to associate the crate with punishment, all the advantages that come with crate training will be completely lost.
He will put up a fight when you try to get him to go into the crate, and he will carry on barking and scratching and acting like a maniac while inside.
It is absolutely critical to effective crate training that the crate be seen as only a place of happiness.
Tips for Crate Training Your Dog You know a crate is the correct size when the dog has enough room to turn around and lie down comfortably.
If you have a puppy, you can buy a crate that is large enough to accommodate him when he is full grown, which of course you will estimate based on his breed or by guessing by looking at his paws.
All you have to do while Orson is growing is to buy a partition so that he doesn't have access to the full expanse of the crate.
This is necessary because a puppy with enough room will sleep on one side and relieve himself in the other.
That can be a lot of mess to clean up regularly and it will delay housebreaking.
Be sure the dog has access to water if you are leaving him in the crate for an extended period of time.
A suitable no mess solution is to buy a drip water bottle that attaches to the door.
How much time needs to be spent on crate training will depend on Orson's personality, age, past history and your consistency.
Puppies are typically easier to crate train when you can start from an early age, because they don't usually cause a big fuss when they are young and complacent.
If your dog is older and has never seen a crate before, or has had negative experiences with a crate in his past, crate training will take longer because first you have to break down the dog's fears through patience and consistency.
One way to entice Orson is to have him associate his crate with food.
Food is a great motivator for dogs, and they associate good things with the place where they are fed.
A great tactic, then, is to feed your dog in the crate.
Sometimes lock the door when you feed the dog, and other times leave it open.
Also periodically throw favorite treats or biscuits into the crate for Orson to find.
Because he loves food, Orson will come to see the crate as a place of bounty and associate it with positive things.
Initially start closing the door of the crate and then staying right outside so Orson can still see you.
This will make him feel more comfortable while he is getting used to the crate.
Then you can start leaving the room for a few seconds, then a few minutes, and then progressively longer as the dog becomes more and more comfortable with the crate.
You should not initially shut the door on Orson and then immediately walk out of the room.
Orson will come to associate being put in the crate with you leaving, so he will become resistant to going into the crate and carry on while he is inside.
Another critical element with crate training is determining when the dog should be let out.
This will depend on what stage of crate training you are at, and the personality of the dog.
Naturally, if Orson is being calm when you come to let him out of his crate, then you can immediately open the door.
However, opening the door can cause negative results and set your training back if the dog is barking and causing a ruckus when you come to let him out.
If your dog has had negative history with the crate, he will likely act out during the initial steps of crate training.
At this stage it is all right to let him out while he is upset because he is still getting comfortable with the crate.
However, if your dog is more comfortable and starts to bark and whine, be aware of the consequences of letting him out at that moment.
The dog will likely come to associate barking and whining with being let out of the crate, and he will repeat those behaviors each and every time until the door opens.
The best way to handle it is to wait until the dog calms down, and then let him out of the crate.
With this method, the dog is still allowed to come out, but he won't associate the barking that he was doing a few seconds previously with being let out of the crate.
Lastly, remember the crucial tenant of any type of dog training: patience.
Be patient with your dog and get settled in for the long haul.
Training doesn't happen overnight, particularly if your dog has been thrown into a crate in the past as a form of punishment or has been left in confined spaces for a substantial duration of time.
The advantages that come with crate training are definitely worth the work.
With a crate you have a place to put Orson when he needs to calm down, when there's a lot of company over, when you run errands and when you travel.
In exchange, the dog gets a place of his own that satisfies his natural den instincts and offers the opportunity to relax and chew on a delicious treat or doze contentedly.