Crate Training- The importance and where to begin!

Crate Training

I apologize for the delay in another blog topic. Life always gets the best of us and then Covid-19 happened and time really flew by! Today’s topic is CRATE TRAINING and the importance of it. Crate or kennel training is important for all dogs to give them a sense of security. As humans we typically have our own bedrooms, but what about your dog? Dogs are den dogs and need their own space and often enjoy a crate or kennel as it is a small confined space that is cozy and comfortable. Crate training is also essential for helping establish a potty training routine, teach dogs to not be destructive and to help with the social hierarchy roles in our household. Yup, I just said that. Dogs are not meant to be equivalent to us and often cannot handle the full run of the house (right away), they need a leader. They need YOU to be their alpha therefore having them in a kennel when: you cannot keep an eye on them, while you are gone, or if they mentally are overstimulated and need a break. The kennel is a fantastic tool! 

How do you teach a dog to love their kennel? Kennel training can be very stressful for both the dog and you. There are a lot of steps and things you can introduce to any age dog to get them to love their kennel. Here are a few: 

1. We start out on a leash and lead them to the kennel and you might need to do a little pull and release to get them to actually go into it. Once they are in the kennel, we give them a lot of praise and repeat. You can throw treats in there during that time if you would like but at this stage we are not worried about them staying in there just willing to go in without you having to drag them into it. Once you get past that stage then I would work on getting them to stay in there so close the door for a minute and then let them out, and repeat!
2. Another step is to start feeding them in there morning and night. This can help also with potty training as you can use the kennel after they eat to hold their bowels just a little before letting them out. If your dog has never been kenneled and you are introducing it to an older dog for example, start out with the door open and let them go into eat and then come right out when they please. The goal of this is to have them associate the kennel with a positive experience such as eating. 
3. Kenneling your dog in the car. Typically dog’s love car rides so introducing the kennel in the car instead of letting them jump all over your seats is both safer for the dog and yourself if you get in a car crash as well as they won’t just associate the kennel with you leaving the house without them. 
4. Peanut Butter Kong- this is probably the number one recommendation on google so I won’t go too deep into it besides the peanut butter kong is a treat for when you leave that is supposed to help distract the dog while you walk out of the house. 
5. Teaching your dog to sit or down in the kennel so they learn that that is what they are supposed to do in there. I cannot stress how important this task is when it comes to kennel training. Just like a baby teaching them to fall asleep you normally lay them down in the crib to show them that that is what they are supposed to do in there. This is the same concept with the dog, teach them to sit or down so they learn that is their space to relax!
6.  Placing the kennel in the best spot for your dog. Everyone asks what where they should put their kennel and there is not one place that may be the perfect spot. For example, some dogs do better if they are insight and can see what is happening around the house so a common area such as the living room is best fit. Some people put their kennels in the bedroom because that is a comfort place and if they are kenneling at night the dog is near. I have some clients that need the kennel to be in the basement for example so the dog cannot necessarily see or hear when people are coming or going. Try different places out and figure out what best works for him or her. 
7. Utilize your kennel while you are home occasionally so that the kennel is not just associated with you leaving the house. Maybe you need a little “you time”, kennel your dog for half an hour while you take a bath or drink a glass of wine or even as simple as while you cook dinner. 
8. Cover the kennel. Covering the kennel can be a nice security feeling for dogs as it makes the kennel a little darker and can help them relax. For some dogs though, this option is not a good one as they will just pull the blanket in and destroy it. Try it out and see how your dog responds. 

Kennel training is important not only for our puppies but for our adults. Do you ever plan to board your dog or get your dog groomed? Both places most likely will require your dog to be kenneled and that can help make the dog less stressed if you have already introduced the kennel to them. Even if you never plan on those things, your dog could need emergency surgery and need to be in a kennel. Bottom line is think about not only the present but the future and training your dog to be comfortable in a kennel is almost a necessity to at least introduce it to them. 

Speaking of the future, we have had countless dogs that have struggled with their owners going back to work. During that time, most people were not kenneling their dog because they or the kids were home. Try to plan for the future and think about what could be. If you never kenneled your dog as a puppy or an adult but now you are changing their routine up completely and are not home, they are bound to get destructive, regress in potty training or just be down right stressed. The only person to blame for your dog being stressed in that situation is you, as you are their leader and mentor and it was YOUR JOB to prepare them and teach them the way of life. So, do you due diligence as a dog owner and teach them how to be kenneled whether that be just to get some time away from you to help with separation anxiety or to help with potty training or being destructive. Love them by leading them!

We have run into a few cases where dogs do not do well in kennels no matter what we try, but honestly that is rare. Majority of the time, the owners gave up way too soon because it was stressful for them to take the time to teach their dog how to be comfortable and confident there. Personally for my dogs, kennel training is a safety in my eyes. I feel more comfortable having my dogs in a kennel when I am gone because I know they cannot get into anything and I know they are safe. I also know my dog’s can be out free roaming without getting into anything or being destructive but I still feel more confident when they are in a kennel which they love to be in! Even if you want your dog’s free roam in your home and they are not destructive, we still would recommend teaching your dog kennel manners for the “just in case” situations and let your dog know they have their own “bedroom” that is all theirs to go relax in or if they are scared or nervous to go decompress. 

There is an older philosophy that kennel training is a must to establish your dog’s role per say in your household. I do believe that that can be true. Now, some dogs do not need to be kenneled everyday to establish that but they might have had kennel training as a puppy and now have a good foundation and line of communication with their owners on what is and not appropriate. Some of our dogs have what we call is “authority issues:” where they do not respect anything their parents tell them unless it was the dog’s idea to do it. In those instances, we wholeheartedly recommend kennel training as it will take away some privileges away from the dog such as free roaming. Here is an example; if they out free roaming and barking at everything walking by, Who is there to be their leader/alpha and tell them that that is not appropriate? Utilizing the kennel can help control those behaviors as they are not allowed to patrol their home constantly because they are put into a kennel and that can ease the dog’s mind from feeling on edge by constantly patrolling their house. Dogs do what works for them, so if during the day they can bark at anything they want to and when you come home and you try to tell them that that is not appropriate, they will not respect you as they have already gotten away with it when you are not home. This conversation will lead me into another article about structured lifestyle and how to expand a dog’s privileges without losing complete control.

Again, kennel training is a great tool for your dog to learn. If you have further questions on how to introduce a kennel to your dog, please reach out at training@doggiebusinessllc.com and we would be happy to help!.

Thanks for taking the time to read!