The Misuse of Crates in Training

One of the things most dog owners will talk about and throw around is 'crate training'.

Crate training is one of those things in dog training, a lot like dominance, that different people talk about a lot, but most of the time they all have very different definitions and meanings.

I'm going to focus this post on what good crate training is, and when crate training turns into doggie prison. I wrote this post because one of the things I'm seeing in my classes and mostly in private consultations is misuse of crates in training. If there's any other trainers reading this I'd be interested to hear if you notice the same trends.

"Crate training" and the use of a crate should have a very limited use in housebreaking your new puppy. First let me say that housebreaking is all about 2 things :
1) A good schedule and
2) good reinforcement

You should know when your puppy needs to go pee - which is first thing in the morning, after any meal or drink, after any play, and after waking up. Puppies generally cannot hold their pee any longer than 1 hour for each month of age. Puppies are pee machines, so every-time you go outside and give puppy a chance, usually they will take it.

When however they don't go after one of the above mentioned times - thats when a crate comes in. You temporarily confine the puppy for a few minutes to ensure he doesn't use the bathroom inside - then after maybe 5 minutes you go outside and try again. Lots of reinforcement going pee in the correct place outside is what makes these confinements less and less necessary.

The crate is also used for when you just don't have the time to watch the new puppy, and your concerned he may get into something, or may go pee in the house. These periods should be brief. Crates can also be used at night when the puppy is sleeping to avoid him choosing any late night pees. Again you will have to get up early because a young puppy cannot hold it for 7 hours a night. This will come later.

If you have to leave puppy for a full day while your at work - don't confine him to a crate. Instead put him in a puppy area - a room in the house where his water bowl, stuffed kongs and food and toys are. Make sure this area also contains a doggie toilet. I recommend using paper with some grass and turf over it to simulate the outside. Remember a young puppy simply cannot hold it for a long time and if your not going to be home, its only fair to give him a toilet. You can also choose to do this at night if you have to, but I prefer waking up early in those first few weeks.

A lot of people will tell you that dogs are 'den' animals and enjoy being in a crate, and that may be true, but if so just leave the crate open. If you dog wants to go in there to chill out - great, but let it be his choice.

The problem I see more and more is the crate becomes a prison - a place where the dog goes whenever there are visitors because he jumps up, or barks, or gets aggressive.

Crates also become a place where the is confined all day because he destroys the house, or barks, or does any other list of unwanted behaviors. Crates become a 'quick fix' for any behavioral issue from separation issues to destructive chewing. While this may 'fix' the problem, your dogs emotional state remains unchanged.

Negative behavior as outlined above is the result of anxiety and other emotional distress. Confinement in a crate will simply make those conditions worse, and likely the dog harder and harder to live with. Your best solution is to contact a qualified trainer to address those issues.

Its my opinion that once your dog is housebroken, there is really no reason for a crate anymore - just be certain to not be asking too much of your dog. If you have to be away from your dog for long periods of time, consider a dog walker, dog daycare, or go home on lunch to ensure your dog gets a chance to get out. No one wants to hold their pee beyond what is comfortable and dogs are no different!

Remember, human babies get to wear diapers and just go bathroom whenever the hell they want - why are dogs just expected to hold it until its convenient for us?

Proud to Be Canadian - Congrats to Richmond, BC

From CTVBC.CA :

B.C. city passes Canada's first puppy sale ban

"The public will now get a chance to weigh in on the decision to ban retail puppy sales in suburban Vancouver, after three readings of the new bylaw were passed unanimously Tuesday night.

City councillors in Richmond, B.C., spent hours hearing from the public and debating the decision. The move, A Canadian first, is intended to curb the purchase of animals from puppy mills and stop people from impulsively buying animals.

Coun. Evelina Halsey-Brandt said a fourth reading, which finalizes the motion into law, will happen within the month. Pet store owners will then have until April 2011 to sell or remove all their puppies.

"People are going to learn that animals have the right to decency to have their health looked after," she told ctvbc.ca. "Now other cities will do the same thing."

Animal rights activists are trumpeting the council's decision, saying pet store puppies aren't awarded the same freedoms as dogs raised by reputable breeders.

"These pets that we're talking about that are shipped to pet stores they don't start out as pets, they're simply livestock," Rae Goodrich of the B.C. SPCA told council.

Marcie Moriarty, general manager of cruelty investigations for the B.C. SPCA, says the new bylaw is the first step in shutting down Canadian puppy mills.

"Any simple business model states that if you take away some of the demand, like these dogs, you'll have an impact on the production," she told ctvbc.ca."

This is great news and hopefully the rest of Canada will follow suit. Puppies belong in loving homes socializing with their mother and litter mates until going home with a family and more socialization can continue. Puppies do NOT belong in clear glass boxes in Pet Stores.

I would submit that many dogs are surrendered to shelters because they were victims of an impulse buyer. Many people are also aware of the poor conditions the puppies live in being stuck in a box all day and feel the need to 'rescue' the dog - an admirable reason, but sadly promotes the problem with the continued sales.

I believe greatly in personal freedoms, but I believe that the government must step in to regulate the care and condition of not only dogs but all animals. Those animals have no choice in how they are treated, and we must ensure that we as a society agree on how they should be treated and people not conforming to those rules held accountable.

There is plenty of money to be made in selling pet products without the need to sell animals. Sadly there are more than enough dogs in shelters that need homes. I always get sad when I see a new litter of puppies up at the SPCA shelter because that means X number of more older dogs that now won't get homes.

I know everyone loves a cute puppy, but please consider an older dog or adult dog if your considering adding a dog to your family. Puppies are a LOT of work, and while any new dog comes with responsibilities - an older dog can usually fit right into a new home without the need for housebreaking, bite training, puppy classes and all the critical socialization that must be done for a new puppy.

I applaud Richmond in taking this step (like most of Europe has already done by the way) in moving Canada into being a leader in companion animal care.