Rethinking the Use of Crates

People choose to put their dogs in crates for a myriad of reasons. First there is the thinking that dogs “like dens” and as such they must like crates. Second, people crate their dogs as a lifestyle instead of managing their dog and teaching the dog how to “behave” in their home. Others have chosen to crate their dog when she or he has become destructive as a result of a thunder-phobia or separation distress.

Trainers can also be part of the problem when we advocate for crate training as a way to house train without really explaining that the dog must first learn to feel comfortable in the crate.

In other words, no dog should be forced into the crate. Period! Just imagine if you were forced to go into a tiny room with no windows. With little room to move and worse you have no idea when you will be let out.
You are inside this tiny room without any control as to when you would be able to eliminate should you need to or just to stretch your limbs.

This is what we do to dogs. Unfortunately, the underline mentality of “teaching the dog whose boss” coupled with wanting dogs to “behave” at all times are some of the underlying reasons why folks crate their dogs without first teaching them to feel safe and comfortable in them.

Crates can be wonderful resources for people and dogs alike but only when they are used humanely. A crate should never be a lifestyle choice but a tool initially to help teach a dog to not eliminate inside.

Notice that the containment element does not teach the dog not to eliminate inside, it just prevents the dog or puppy to wonder off and sneak a pee etc. because he has no access to the outside or he has still not been taught where he needs to go - outside.

The same goes for destructive behaviors. Your dog must be taught what is appropriate to chew on and what is off limits. Also, many dogs are destructive in the home because they are basically creating their own fun. Who can blame them.  Similar I would say to prisoners writing on their cells as a form of killing the boredom and perhaps even anxiety of depression embedded within their situation.

Solutions for typical dog “problems” or more accurately said: problems people have with their dogs must always take both parties well-being into consideration.

When it comes to a dog truly being anxious or fearful in the home, forcing the dog to remain in the crate will only make the problem worse.  Besides how cruel is this? Dogs who are forced to stay in crates when they have not been taught to feel safe and comfortable in them will hurt themselves in efforts to gain their freedom back.

Of course, some dogs really take to their crates and choose to spend time in them because they were taught to do so.  Because their crate is seen by them as a place where they can chill and take refuge when they need some downtime etc.  Take the case of Deuce, my border collie.  He adores spending time in his crate. At night, he has the choice as to where to sleep and he gravitates from his crate to Rio’s crate (almost identical) and his bed in our bedroom.  Now, when there is a storm and we are not around, he will run to his crate in search of some comfort as he is afraid of thunder.

The process of teaching dogs to love their crates can be an easy matter-of-fact event or an arduous one depending on how it is done and the dog’s previous experience or association with the crate.

One last thing:  Crates should be ample enough for the dog to be able to STAND up, lie down and turn around so that they truly have freedom of movement.

Below are some tips in helping your pup enjoy his crate.

WARNING: If you suspect your dog suffers from separation distress (separation anxiety) please do not crate your dog.  Most dogs with this type of emotional  profile become even more anxious in their crates.  The protocol for helping dogs that suffer from anxiety or noise phobia is a different one that may or may not include the use of the crate.

Your goal is to create only positive associations with the crate and your dog.
Begin by placing the crate in a high-traffic area so that your dog feels comfortable investigating it.
Feed your dog either next to the crate or just inside the crate- if he has not had a previous bad association with the crate.  Make sure the door is left open and your dog can go in and out.

Place some high value treats inside the crate and the door open for your dog to find them.  Do this several times for a few days.  Continue to feed the meal next to the crate or inside by moving the food bowl a little more towards the back of the crate.  Take it slow!  If you rush your dog might regress.

Once your dog is eating happily inside the crate with the food bowl all the way inside and the door open.

Begin to do the same but once your dog is eating close the door and remain nearby.

After he has finished his meal let him out without too much fanfare. Repeat.

Slowly you will add time to your dog remaining inside the crate with the door closed and you nearby.

Begin to present a really coveted bone or chewy inside the crate.  
Ask your dog to go in and give the bone and close the crate. Stick around. You can praise your dog if you think this will help him relax.

If your dog is not excited about this prospect it means that either: You went to fast on the previous steps- so you need to go back to easy steps until your pup is successful or your pup is not interested in what you are presenting him at that time.  Try this and present him with something different and see how that goes.

Slowly you will have your dog stay inside the crate with a safe chewy- something you have seen him work on without eating at once or small pieces coming apart.  The best choice is a stuffed Kong.  If your dog has yet not learned how to extract food from a Kong you will have to teach him this first.  Remember, that when we skip steps or we push too hard the dog regresses.

If your pup is now happily and relaxed (most likely lying down) and enjoying the Kong, begin to exit the room or the home for a few minutes. Make sure to come back before your dog is done with his project.

Slowly continue to add 1 minute at a time (I know it sounds daunting but the minutes will add fast and your dog will be properly and humanely crated trained).

Continue to offer your dog a favorite safe chewy or a Kong before you exit the front door for a short amount of time.

As your dog continues to enjoy being in the crate because only good stuff happens for him while in the crate you can begin to leave him in there AFTER having him exercised, ready to take a snooze and with an empty bladder etc.

Humane Crate Times After Crate Training:

8-10 week old puppies: 1 hour
11-12 week old puppies: 2 hours
13-16 weeks old puppies: 3 hours
17-20+ weeks old puppies: 4 hours
Adults: 4-5 hours

This is especially important if your dog spends the night in the crate. Please remember that the use of crate is a tool and not a lifestyle for your dog.

I get a lot of pleasure of seeing both my dogs gravitate towards their crates, and you should too.

Dogs on Bed

I am getting ready to go to a training and I go into my bedroom and there he is, Deuce comfortably laying on our bed… ah, I say the life of dogs…

He looks so comfortable and I am happy to seeing him so content perhaps even feeling “safe”.

I hear much about if dogs should be on their owner’s bed and if they should sleep with them. Here are some things to consider:
1. Dog snores
2. Dog take too much of the bed (a deal killer for me)
3. Dog guards the bed, say the dog growls, sneers etc. when the real owner of the bed tries to approach the bed or is on the bed. Another deal breaker and one that must be worked on as it will not improve on its own.

In our household, we have it dialed in. No dogs sleep with us during the night, but they do have privileges of resting on every piece of furniture they might fit in and find comfortable. I decided that we need to face the fact that we share our lives and our home with dogs. Dogs are not human (or like some humans) who are obsessed with tidiness.

Part of my MO consists of relaxing a little since I realize that seeing my dogs lying comfortably on our bed is heart-warming - especially when I have to go to work and it is cold outside and I much rather watch some day TV or lay on my warm bed and…

I was sayin’: I wash the comforter cover often – just like the sheets, and I have protective covers for the sofas in the LR- problem solved! I can have a nice clean house and dogs that enjoy the human comforts.

Dogs are social creatures so sleeping with the rest of the group is really what they want. Never mind that Deuce gravitates between comfy (dog) bed in our room and his crate close by in my office.

Speaking of dog beds…. last night I went to bed early to read. Rioja followed me into the room and to my surprise went directly to the larger of the two dog beds (my mistake - wrong size on one of them!).

As I was wrapping up my evening routine, Rio “asked for permission” to jump on our bed. Permission granted.

She was now lying on our bed when Deuce came into the room to settle for the night. He marched to the larger dog bed and lay there oh so comfortably. Rio jumped off the people’s bed and went towards Deuce. She just stood there expecting (I guess) Deuce to get out of the ½ doughnut shaped bed with Deuce not even giving her a second look.

I am sitting on my bed amused, waiting to see what’s next.

Rioja climbed inside the bed and laid there with Deuce…

Deuce has his eyes closed- almost asleep. Clearly Rio did not find sharing the bed to her liking. I guess we both crave lots of space when sleeping.

Sorry Rio, you can’t have it both ways… you snooze you lose, no pun intended. I then invited her on my bed again knowing where she would spend the rest of the night once John came to bed: on the smallest dog bed. She came over and found her perfect place. I dosed off with Rio and Deuce both lying happily on some bed.

Thank You For The Recliner!

I had been eyeing this amazing recliner for about two years now in a nearby store. Finally they had a sale on it and I jumped on the opportunity. This recliner is not only super comfy because I can sit and lay down in four different positions, my recliner is also beautiful: with a small foot-print it is very ladylike… And it took Laika only one evening to claim the chair for herself! I had a suspicion this might happen so I prepared for it: I thought to drape it with a designer-like throw so that the dogs can enjoy it too.

Call me a softy, but for me the joy of seeing one of my dogs dozing off peacefully is worth the price of admission. Moreover, I refuse to live life protecting the integrity of any couch! Don’t get me wrong, our home is quite clean… okay, clean for New Mexico, where there is dust everryyywhere, yet our sofas are stain free, dog hair free and no legs have been chewed off.

I thought that perhaps I would have to “sell” John on the idea of this new chair as being dog-friendly. As John saw Laika making a discreet approximation to the chair, he asked me if we were going to allow the dogs on the new recliner. I said "yes" and made him aware of how the placing of the throw would take care of any dirt Laika might bring along. My thinking about the possibility of John not wanting the dogs on the new chair made me think about dogs and house rules…

I get asked gazzilions of times if I think that dogs should be allowed on couches, sleeping with their owners/guardians.  And my answer is always the same: do you want them on the couch/bed? Has there been any growling, snapping, etc. when you come to the bed or sit on the couch and your dog is already on it? I add that whatever they decided is okay. After all every household is different so I don’t think that there is a one-size-fits-all on this one. However, I do think that it is mandatory that we make whatever our household rules are crystal clear to our pets.

By crystal clear I mean that we must be as consistent as humanly possible - this is a big one for us humans about making sure the pet understand the requirements which in some cases it might require some additional training and that we are consistent with consequences when the rules are not being followed. Let me give you an example of what NOT to do. I know, I know, it is best to say what to do but I think this example illustrates very well how we tend to see things mainly from our perspective leaving our furry pal confused as to what we really want, yet we expect him/her to follow our rules.

I had a client once that was very upset at his dog for begging at the table. I made some inquiries about the incidents of obnoxious begging where I came to find out that my client had been feeding the dog on and off from the table. Once I pointed out to him that if the dog was now begging it had to do with his own table manners.

He realized that he could not have it both ways. This is a salient example because it is very typical of how we think: we think that because we have certain desires or expectations that these will be transmitted as if by osmosis to our dogs. The second issue here is that my client had been feeding his dog off and on while at the table. Not only is this really confusing for the dog, but the behavior (begging) had been put on a variable schedule of reinforcement (VR)! Think Las Vegas… that is it. Variable schedule of reinforcement are VERY powerful monsters… because the learner is not always reinforced there is a certain amount of frustration that will make the learner try even harder to get the reinforcement. Remember, schedules of reinforcements (there are others) follow the laws of learning.

Another downside for our dogs when we are inconsistent exercising our house rules is that all the guessing creates from mild to severe anxiety in our pets. Think about it, have you ever had a boss that's demanding of your performance, yet lacking in direction as to how and when a project needs to be done? What was your reaction?

My recommendations to those seeking my advice is to discuss with all family members as to what the rules and expectations for the dog should be. Then, take an honest look and see if those rules follow this criteria:

1. Are they (also) fair to the dog? If we choose to not have dogs on couches and beds, are we providing Fido with a soft comfy bed of his own?

2. Our rules should never undermine under any circumstances the welfare of the dog. i.e. the dog sleeps outside or stays outside without some adequate shelter regardless of the weather… ouch!

3. Dog is subjected to fearful or anxiety provoking scenarios because… I am the alpha, pay the rent blah, blah, blah… so the dog is thrown into the pool because he must like to swim. Similarly here, the dog has absolutely no agency because after all… he is just a dog. Include here the erroneous premise that our dogs must always mind us and do as they are told (see stupid rule above…). We must remember that they are not our toys or robotic, but sentient begins who deserve having their needs met, too.

4. Finally, realize that not because your dog has done a given behavior once or even a few times is proof that your dog has learned what the request for the behavior is and its consequence, so instead of guessing please make sure that you either find yourself a fantastic positive reinforcement "how to train your dog" book- (I have recommendations, so feel free to email me) or get yourself and your pup in the hands of a trainer who understand how dogs learn (learning theory).

Sleeping with Dogs

There is a popular saying in Spanish that goes like this: “el que con perro(s) duerme se levanta con pulgas.” In English: If you sleep with [a] dog(s) you will wake up with fleas. Now, while this might be absolutely true if your dog has fleas it is also one of those empty glass/half full glass scenarios. There is so much more than getting fleas when it comes to sharing a bed with your furry (flea free) pal.

We do not sleep with our dogs on the bed. Not because sleeping with them will make them “dominant” (please, don’t get me started with the dog/dominant thing…) or because they smell bad or have fleas but simply because until very recently :) I was a very light sleeper… insomniac to tell the truth.

I have ample clients that want to know if it is okay to sleep with their dogs. And my answer is simply yes! If this is what you want to do. I would however have two cautionary “unless” scenarios in which I do not recommend sleeping with your dog.

1. Your dog guards the bed. i.e.: you try to get into bed and your dog is already on the bed and he/she receives you with a growl, or sneer or worse, will attempt to bite you if you try to make ever so small a space for yourself on the bed. If this is your home situation, please do not discipline your dog or sleep with him under these conditions. Instead call a reputable science-based trainer and have her help you. It is actually easy to “fix” if you know what you are doing :0)

2. You want to sleep with your pooch but your significant other does not. While not as serious- in my book as # 1, it is serious enough if your spouse/partner begins to resent the dog and takes it out on him/her (you know how easy it is to be passive-aggressive when in relationship and when we feel un-empowered…) Instead of imposing your dog on your mate, come up with some "what if" scenarios AKA: compromise! This is the very happy compromise we have reached in our household. It works great for John, our two dogs and myself:

Our dogs Deuce and Laika do not sleep with us on our bed but they do have “visiting” privileges. Laika sleeps wherever she wants. She normally starts in one of the dog beds in our bedroom and changes to the second – cocoon-like bed next to me. I wonder why she goes from one comfy bed to the other comfy bed… too drafty on bed one? Different feel and comfort for her not-so-young body? Closeness to me? Or because she has options? I guess, I will never know. Deuce sleeps in my office technically we share an office :), which is in front of our bedroom. He actually will put himself to bed by going to his crate when he is ready to power down… ah you got to love that! There is no bedside story or having to “force” him to go to bed.

In the am… very early in the am sometimes, Laika will either stand by my side or give me this tiny little whine. She is asking for permission and help to get on the bed. Up she comes. Two seconds later she is as tight as possible to John or me and curled into a little ball. Even though I hate feeling restricted I wonder who gets more enjoyment of such close proximity: Laika or me? Deuce will bark to let us know he is awake and ready to join us. We let him out of his crate and he comes into our bedroom, waiting until his release cue: Okay!!! And here we are: all piled up in one big warm bed.

I must confess that when we got Deuce the scenario above was not so smooth. Deuce would guard John and I from Laika. Guarding of resources between dogs IS normal dog behavior. Deuce was new to our household and not all sure of rules of the household and perhaps feeling a bit unglued for being in a new environment. Even though resource guarding between dogs is normal, we had zero tolerance for any display of aggression between our dogs in order to access us - their precious resource. No, she is my mom and dad… I was here first, etc. We implemented a fast rule: If either dog growled, sneered or gave the other one “the look” off they went; off the bed! No “what ifs” or excuses for the dog.

This is called negative punishment. No, there is no physical pain or fear-inducing intimidation towards the dog. In essence you remove a resource – something the dog wants. In this case, us and proximity to either one of us on the bed from the dog. With Deuce it only took very few trials for him to understand a couple of things:

1. There are household rules and bed rules: We are nice to each other and we do not aggress towards one another: Displays of aggression will lead to immediate social isolation! And for an animal (dogs in general) that is highly social this is big time punishing!

2. We share. Sometimes sharing is between two legged and four legged and sometimes the sharing is between the dogs only… I most definitively don’t want their stinky raw bones!

These simple rules when implemented with fairness and consistency –ah that pesky word… consistency, so hard for us humans… makes for a very peaceful household and very relaxed and happy dogs.