Crate Training

Crate Training Your Dog

Question. How about calling it "kennel training?"

I wish someone would invent a more attractive description than "crate training." It sounds like a punishment just this side of solitary confinement in some remote island penal colony. I think of someone suffering in solitary confinement in a dark and airless box. Or being "crated" like a shipment of oranges. I know that when we got Max if someone had suggested crate training him, Jessica would never have permitted such an outrage. And it was Jessica's responsibility, right? So, sadly, Max was not crate trained.

Instead, he had the run of the house. And once he was house trained (not house broken, you understand) crate training was useless. I tried. But by that time all Max did was bark himself hoarse while crated and even though someone carried him outside immediately following his crate time, and despite the fact that he would pee, he would still save enough water for more appealing spots inside the house.

Places like: behind the couch, on the curtains, on a chair or piano leg, or just a spot on the carpet that for some reason appealed to his idea of the perfect place to go.

And holy buckets was he was quick. Rarely did anyone catch him in the act. The evidence was quite apparent (we had a lot of white carpet). And once the deed was done, despite all the ranting and raving and threatening gestures, he was never cowed into changing his ways. Oh, he could give you a pleading look, a sorrowful look, his large brown eyes downcase, begging for forgiveness, but if he ever tied the reprimand to the crime, it never showed.
With Quincy things would be different. He was crate trained from the get-go. Until he was four years old, his "home" was a wire cage. It was collapsible, making it easy to fold and carry if we wanted to take him on a trip. And while wire cages are easy to clean, unless he was sick, I never needed that feature. When I wanted him to go to the crate, I'd say, "Quincy, get to bed." And he would race to his crate because he knew when he got there he would get a treat.

Once inside, snuggled up with his blanket and pillow, he was quite comfortable and never fought the crate.

Some experts have said that dogs, being den animals, actually prefer a crate, viewing it as a haven from the hustle and bustle of the household that they can use to "get away from it all." Like your own den or bed room or wherever you go for solitude. And while that may be true, Quincy never once went to his kennel voluntarily. He never fought it, but he only went when commanded to "get to bed." But, hey, who cares as long as it works for you both?

Did Quincy have any "accidents?" Of course, but there were very, very few. I can only remember three and after each he was chewed out royally and roughly taken to his spot outside. He learned quickly because whenever he was let out of his crate, he was immediately carried outside to his regular spot before he had a chance to go elsewhere. And if he wasn't supervised, he was in his crate.

Did he ever have an accident in his crate? Never. Dogs hate to mess in their own "home." And unless they are sick, or unless the crate is far to large for them, they rarely do. Which brings up a point. The rule is the crate should be just large enough for the puppy to be able to turn around. Any larger and they might just find a "remote" spot to relieve themselves. What that means, is you'll probably go through more than one crate size. I did with Quincy. However, by the time he outgrew his puppy crate he was thoroughly trained an he would not have had an accident even if he had the run of the house. Still, we kept him in a cage whenever he wasn't supervised.

We did this for two reasons: first, he was quite comfortable and well adjusted to his home. Second, why tempt him with run of the house privileges? He could only get into trouble.