Dog Owner Information

To Crate or Not to Crate

Reprinted from Dogs In Canada June 2005-Author Gillian Ridgeway

To crate or not to crate...that is the question. There are a few schools of thought on whether or not dog owners should use a crate to help with the management of their pups. Let me first say that I don't like the over-use of crates for adult dogs. Dogs are not hamsters; they should be integrated into family life when possible. However, it is also important to note that crates do have their place as a training tool during the dog's formative time.

Let's look at some of the reasons we might use a crate. First, it seems to be so much easier to housetrain a pup when using a crate. It allows you to fully supervise your pup and avoid accidents. This means that when you have to turn your back to deal with dinner or the children coming home from school, you can confidently user your crate in the same way a parent would use a playpen.

A puppy in a crate has the freedom to be left alone. While we think that our pups love our company, they often seek out some solitude. The crate will allow the pup to rest, chew on a favourite toy and have some time away from the demands of the family. A rested pup is usually a much happier, calmer pup.

There are many reasons why using a crate as a tool is a good idea. First and foremost, learning to accept confinement is a big lesson. If you think about it, we were all taught confinement at an early age and it helps us cope with real-life situations as we go through life. As children, we were taught to stay in our beds at night and not roam around the house. We were taught to sit at our desks at school. Now we sit on planes and know that when the seat belt sign goes on, we must remain there.

By teaching your pup that being confined is not a problem, you will set him up for what might come later in his life. Picture your dog injuring his leg and the veterinarian prescribing crate rest. Can you imagine how difficult that would be for a dog that had no concept of being in a crate? Travel is a lot easier if you have your dog safely in his crate for the journey, and most hotels will ask you to crate your dog.

The debate happens because dogs used to be raised without the use of a crate. This is a frequent topic of discussion among our clients. How is it possible that we raised these family dogs with no confinement? I have thought about that a lot and I think the answer lies in the other areas of our dogs' lives. I can remember when my dog met us at the school bus. He seemed to know the time and never failed to show up. Our dogs were often let out to roam, staying outdoors when no one was home, but that cannot happen in this day and age.

Part of the debate is that many owners feel sorry for their dogs and express guilt at leaving their pup in a crate while they're at work. Feelings of guilt should come only if you do not do the best for your dog once you come home. As long as you don't confine your pup for extended periods of time, and he gets adequate exercise and stimulation when you get home, there is no need to feel guilty about using a crate to keep a puppy safe and clean during the day. The feeling of guilt should raise its ugly head only if you run in, let your pup out for a quick toilet break, then leave again for the evening.

So, back to the crate debate...to use or not to use. Use the crate as a tool during puppy hood, or if you are introducing a re-homed dog to your home. The next step is to get your dog out of his crate and into your home as a fully functioning member of your family. The easiest way is to open the crate but keep your dog in one room at first. If your dog is fine for an hour or two with this type of freedom for a couple of weeks, start giving him access to more of your house. It's not wise to let your dog roam your house unattended simply because he's trained to use the outside as his toilet. You'll want to make sure your dog is well behaved while you're at home before you ever consider removing the crate.

Many of our clients say that their dog loves the crate. This may be true, but when we ask what other place the dog has to call his own, we are met with blank stares. If a dog has only one place to call his own, he will use it, but I bet most would prefer a nice bean bag or donut bed to curl up in.

Once you are confident that your dog will be okay in your home, you can remove the crate and put is crate mat in the same spot. He should still view this as his place and it should still be a place that is off limits to young children so he can relax without being pestered.

An that old crate? Relegate it to the garage or basement rather than giving it to a neighbour. You may find yourself needing it on occasion, hopefully to use during that trip to cottage country.