Crate Training The Pup

© by Peter J. Vollmer,
Animal Care Center Veterinary Clinic, 8020 Ronson Road, San Diego, CA 92111

One of the most useful devices for raising a puppy, and perhaps one of the most misunderstood, is a fold-up wire dog crate. Properly used, this device can aid in house training puppies. It can also save hundreds of dollars in damage to household items. Since the crate is portable, it can be easily taken along on trips. Thus overnight visits or vacations with the family pet can be more enjoyable. People who raise, train, and show dogs have been aware of the benefits of crates for years. Unfortunately, the new pet owner is not as well-informed.

I advise owners of new puppies to concentrate on house training, socialization, and crate training during the early weeks of rearing. However, before owners begin crate training, they should be aware of several tendencies in the normal, healthy pup.

SEPARATION REFLEX

When separated from their social group, most pups whine, bark, or howl. These sounds are referred to as distress vocalizations. In the wild, these sounds increase the chances that a puppy will be reunited with the pack. If a pup's movement is restrained while it is isolated, it will respond with escape behaviors such as digging, thrashing about, and chewing. These behaviors have obvious benefits for survival.

Many pet owners inadvertently elicit these behaviors by placing the pup in a barricaded kitchen or other unoccupied area of the house. Sometimes these owners provide a ticking clock, a radio, or a hot water bottle to "comfort" the animal. This entire procedure is unnecessary at the least, and can harm the puppy psychologically and physically if emotional behaviors indicating stress are allowed to persist or worsen.

RECOMMENDED PROCEDURE

The procedure we use and recommend to clients for inhibiting the separation reflex is based upon several other canine tendencies. These are the pup's preference to bed down with, or in the presence of, others; to bed down in a sheltered, den-like atmosphere; and to learn through association. The procedure we recommend to clients is as follows:

1. Acquire a collapsible dog crate with a metal tray floor. The crate should be large enough for an adult dog to stand and turn unimpeded.

2. Assemble the crate in a bedroom of the house.

3. Introduce the pup to the crate by placing several treats in and around it. Also, feed the pup several meals inside the crate.

4. Well before bedtime, place the pup in the crate and offer a treat. Close and lock the gate.

5. Leave the room, but remain just outside in order to audit the pup's behavior.

6. At the first indication of any separation responses, intervene with a sharply raised voice. The idea is that the pup associate its behavior with the startling outcome the behavior produced. Some pups will not respond to a raised voice. We have found that most respond well to sounds generated by a shaker can (a small coffee can containing several coins) or a newspaper slapped sharply against a door or wall.

7. Usually the pup settles quietly in the crate after three to eight attempts at emotional responses, if they are followed by a startling sound. After the puppy is quiet, keep it inside the crate for about ten minutes. Caution the client not to praise or pet the pup immediately after releasing it. This can reinforce the desirability of leaving the crate.

8. After an interval of 30 to 45 minutes, repeat the procedure. Extend the pup's quiet time in the crate to about 30 minutes.

9. While the pup is inside the crate, provide one chewable toy. Other items such as blankets or newspapers are not necessary. Also, an collars or leads should be removed to prevent entanglement.

By the time bedtime arrives, the pup has already associated being quiet with being inside the crate. Also, the effects produced by separation are negated if the crate is in a bedroom where a member of the family sleeps.

OVERNIGHT ELIMINATION

Clients should be advised that usually after waking the pup will eliminate. If the pup awakens while inside the crate and needs to eliminate, it will probably whine or bark, since dogs tend to avoid elimination in their bedding areas (den effect). The pup can then be taken outside to eliminate.

PROS AND CONS

This procedure has several advantages for house training puppies. First of all, the pup does not form the habit of eliminating inside the house. People who barricade the pup in the kitchen or some other area must also provide newspapers to absorb the waste. The pheremones contained within the urine and feces are then transferred to the surface of the floor. This can influence the dog to eliminate in that area at a later date. Second, the pup can be placed in its "den" when it cannot be watched during the day. Destructive habits, as well as elimination inside the house, can be further controlled. Third, the separation reflex is inhibited, thus curtailing possible side effects related to stress.

The procedure does have some disadvantages. A young pup should not be placed in its crate for prolonged periods of time. During the day, the limit should be two to three hours at a time. This is because of the frequent periods of activity that occur throughout early development, as well as frequent elimination responses.

Clients who are gone for extended periods must provide the pup with a larger, damage-proof area. The procedure described above can be used to control the separation reflex. However, an area for elimination must be provided within the enclosed area, as well as food and water, according to length of absence. A pup should not be isolated for extended periods of time, even within a damage proof area, unless absolutely necessary. Isolation can have negative effects on a pup's psychological development.

A pup that has been successfully crate-trained will prefer resting in its "den". As the pup matures, it will voluntarily seek out the crate and enter it at the appropriate times. While inside its crate, the dog will be quiet. These are all indications of a comfortable, pleasant association with the crate. Of course, the peace of mind the owner enjoys in knowing that the dog is quiet, comfortable, and not destroying the house is immeasurable.

Many clients ask how long their dogs should be kept in the crate. The answer depends upon the dog. Some animals are never able to have the run of the house, even when mature. In any event, if the dog has been crate-trained, the owners will never find it necessary to dispose of the animal