In this episode, I am talking about one of my favourite things to train. If you love your dog, I'm asking you to listen with an open mind, because we're talking about comfort with confinement, a topic inspired by a note from one of my online students.
In the episode you'll hear:
- Why should you care about crating your dog.
- About the importance of safety for your puppy or dog.
- The one thing that makes comfort with confinement essential for your dog’s wellbeing.
- How to help dogs with separation anxiety.
- What type of crate to use for your dog and how I choose my crates.
- Where you should put your puppy’s crate.
- How I use a “gated community” that combines a crate and ex-pen.
- Why to be intentional about crating.
- How long your dog or puppy should be in a crate.
- The time to invest in helping your dog be comfortable with confinement.
- Why not to be in a hurry to close the crate door.
- The progressions to ensure crate comfort and security for your dog.
Resources:
Episode Transcript
Love everything about this podcast Susan!!
Lexi and Mindi both love their kennels!!
I have to tell you about something I witnessed this year at an Animal Referral Center. Mindi had to go to a Big Animal Clinic to have her eye looked at because she had suddenly gone blind in 1 eye. Every animal that came was assigned a kennel in the lobby.. Because of covid we had to go in one at a time, put our dog in a assigned kennel and then leave and go back to our vehicle There were 2 people there with a lab that could not get their dog to go in to a kennel no matter what they tried. So sad to watch and witness the sadness and anxiety in both the dog and his people. Sadly, they were not alone in their stuggles. I witnessed a few other people having a hard time getting their dogs to “kennel up”. I was so grateful that I had no problem with Mindi because she had only positive experiences with crates. She hopped right in!! She felt safe, secure and confident even in a very strange and scary place!! So very, very grateful to Crate Games!! Thank you Susan!!
So many good reasons to crate train. We’ve always had dogs that were happy in their crates. Our current dog is more than happy to sleep in her crate, door closed, all night. But she refuses to go in any other time. I started Crate Games and realized I needed something more. Was lucky to get HSTD in October and have started at the beginning. Just listed to one of Susan’s videos. We have wire crates. I’ve decided I am going to take the bottom out of her sleeping crate and use it in HZ in our normal training area. As a starting point. And build.
I had stopped using the crate and had put it away and then started doing crate games with my boy and he now often chooses to sleep in the crate at different times of the day. In the SUV I have started to consider a barrier and after seeing this will be looking for a crate that will fit a 90 lb dog in a small SUV. Thank you for this
When I put up the crate in readiness for our new puppy my 4 yr old dog was so excited to get in it! We are currently on holiday and bought another crate so both could sleep in them without worrying about what they might get up to in a strange environment. We also have reinforced metal crates in the back of both cars for safety.
I don’t know how anyone copes without one
excellent advise
Work colleague moaned about her pup chewing,I said get a cage-sorry,it was pre calling them crates- she was horrified,told her you make it a fun,safe place,don’t just shut him in etc..nope,then she came home one day and he’d pulled at a pipe and flooded the kitchen,I told her what I’d he’d also gotten to electric cables? Him and her could have been dead,she still didn’t get how crates keep,dogs safe.i can’t see how folks don’t get that.
at home, we have no problems with the crate. In the evening when it gets late, Shir will leave us in the living room and go to bed for the night in his crate. The problem is that when I go to a class, agility practice or a trial he does become unhappy when I leave him. Do we need to go back and work thru all levels of crate games again in each of those environments? I didn’t work on that skill much with him because he was so good with his crate in general. I am also spoiled by my older dog who never barked or objected to being left in a crate in those circumstances.
Help.
I was wondering whether {sorry if you said this and I did not hear!!!} you prefer soft, wire, or travel crates better? ~L
100% agreed! Love Crate Games! But I am sad for my parent’s cat. She is 15 years old, and because of Covid the vet they go to REQUIRES all animals to be crated. My parents have never required the cat to go in a crate. Now the cat desperately needs medications for arthritis, and is a lot of pain… but they are delaying going because they know the stress it will put on the cat being crated. I have explained how to positively train the cat, but I am being completely ignored. So sad.
Hey Susan,
Great podcast, I would add three more reasons to crate train
1)preparation for flying a dog
2) in condo living service people often come into the unit to change air filters, check smoke alarms etc, dog can be in condo if she is crated.
3) taking a dog to work, or to someone else’s home.
Perhaps the best consequence of crate training that I have found is having a dog who is comfortable away from me. I can leave my dog in my room at work, crated or not and go away for a meeting or lunch and she is perfectly happy!
I agree with Susan Shipton, those are more great reasons for crate training your dog, however I also have another reason.
If you are waiting at a trial for hours on end, it is REALLY convenient to have a crate trained dog.
Our chihuahua loves his crate. He tells us when he is ready for bed. He also goes in willingly when he sees us getting ready to go out. (Only if we put certain clothes on and then he knows he isn’t coming with us) Our other two are left loose he is crated for his own safety, they all love to play but due to his size 2.5kg. We don’t want him to get inadvertently hurt when we are not there to supervise.
I’ve had a vet comment on how great it is that my Labs can settle into a crate when they have to visit. i must admit that Mr Jaunty Butt the mini poodle was not so easy to train. He was ok with x-pen but not crate. Guess i need to get back onto that. T
My dog absolutely loves his crate. It is his quiet safe place. He goes in on his own frequently to curl up and sleep.
That love was developed through Susan’s Crate Games, and is a key training component in her other programs. It has given my dog the skill to wait at any door before being granted permission to pass through. I do not worry that my dog will bolt outside, or jump out of the car as soon as the door is opened.
I see my dog in his crate as being happy, safe, and comfortable.
I have a client (pet sitter) who calls the dog’s crates their “houses”. I love that! They go to their houses eagerly. Crates just sound kind of negative. ❤️