I was just wondering what some of you thought about using the “crate training” to housebreak a puppy.
We have a new “baby” (named Paladin) who is about 10 weeks old. The vet and several trainers we consulted have said that it is the most effective method and will bring the quickest results.
With this in mind, why is it that every time I mention the fact that we are using this method that people tell us that it’s “mean” or cruel?
Isn’t it true that dogs are “den animals” and like having their own “space”? FWIW, Paladin is doing well with this method, and we are not ogres who leave him in the crate for hours on end. The longest he is in the crate is for about six hours at night when all are sleeping [including the puppy]. Not to mention that we have saved lord knows how many pairs of shoes and the upholstry on our furniture…
Is there ANYONE out there who feels the same as I do?
No, it isn’t cruel if you do it right (and it sounds like you are)
Sparky is 2 years old now and loves his crate. He goes there to sleep or when he just wants some time alone. He also knows the command “bed time!” and goes right into his crate. He takes toys in there all the time, and obviously thinks of it as his den or room or whatever.
Sassy, you’re doing it just right, and the people who make those comments are obviously ignorant about dogs. It’s a widely accepted method for the reasons already mentioned. Both of our house dogs were crate trained, and they willingly hop right in when we ask them to.
Phyllis (the puppy) has two crates, one in our bedroom and one in the living room. We use the living-room one for short periods such as when we’re eating while watching TV and want to do so without interference. She is still in the room with us, and quite content with her toys while she’s in there.
Sassy, crate training works very well. Sometimes, I think people get crate training mixed up with “locking your dog up in a cramped space and leaving him there.”
Angus was not crate trained, but he does have a den under our stairs. His bed and toys are there, and that’s where we go to find our shoes, baby toys and water bottles. The dog who lived in our house before we bought it slept there too. Dogs feel much more secure with a wall or something behind them (no sneaking up).
Just out of curiosity, what kind of dog is Paladin? I ask because Angus is a Newfoundland, and wouldn’t fit in any crate we could find!
I just hope I can retain my sanity for another few weeks while waiting for the “Puppy Kindergarten Classes” we are going to take him to! (It’s really cool. just starts with the basics of obedience/house training.) We are [at 6 months] going to have him professionally trained, since he has some Chow in his bloodline, and some chows have been known to be “Biters”. I guess the next few months is not the time to wean myself off any antianxiety medications!?!?!?
I’ve crate trained both of my dogs, and have not had a single problem from one of them. They actually love their crates.
We took Rachel, our two and a half year old dog, off of crate training at two years. She’s perfect.
I give my puppy Indy a cookie when putting him in his crate so he doesn’t feel punished or anything, and now, whenever I open the cookie jar, he runs into his crate and stares at me. Kinda cute.
FTR, Paladin is part Border Collie, and part Chow. The vet told us that he would be about 35-50 pounds at maturity, depending on which breed was dominant.
We have a small “cage-type” crate for the time being. (Suitable for dogs up to 25 pounds.) I don’t know where you are located, EJsGirl, but here in the KY/OH/IN tri-state, there is a chain of “Petsmart” stores that we go to. They are like a huge pet supermarket, complete with vets and groomers available. They have a wide variety of crates in several sizes, suitable for pets up to 75 pounds. But, if he has made his own “den”, then I wouldn’t be overly concerned at thispoint about finding a crate.
Well, chalk me up as one who’s “uncomfortable” with the idea of crate-training a dog. I understand intellectually that it works, and the dogs don’t mind it, but I mind it. So we gave the dog her own room, which is really the same thing, only with a larger crate. For some people, though, that’s just not possible.
Of course, I am not about to criticize those who do crate-train their dogs; I’m just not going to do it myself.
Angus has topped out at about 165 lbs, so a regular crate was out of the question. Our extended family ended up with 3 Newfs, and Angus hates the other 2 (sigh), so for a while we had the big cage-type crates (5 x 6 x 5 or so), but they were a pain in the ass.
He prefers his little room or the couch. If we happen to be sitting on it, he will force us off & get comfortable, or just sit on top of us. Love that dog!
Necros, For what it’s worth I felt the same as you. My wife talked me into going along with crate training our two puppies. It worked and although the crates are no longer used, they are available and the dogs often sleep in them. They have no dislike of the crates at all and seem to consider them a retreat or haven of sorts.
Crate training is the ONLY way to go. People who think it is mean probably have not been exposed to the correct way to crate train. The crate is not a punishment. It should never be used in a negative manner. The dog comes to really like the crate. I have a 3 month old puppy now and I could not imagine housebreaking her any other way. And I fully intend to make her crate available to her at all times, even when she is grown and doesn’t need it for potty training purposes.
We crate-trained our dog, it worked well. He didn’t like the crate though. Once he was housebroken and taught not to chew on the furniture the crate went into the garage.
The IRL Dogzilla, that is… She was a bad chewer and destroyed a few things before I figured out how to use the crate effectively.
It’s her safe place. She goes there now when she feels intimidated or isn’t getting attention becuase I’m on the phone.
Since I live by myself, I have to make a point to come home at lunch to let her out, so she didn’t get trapped in there 10 hours a day.
Now that she’s over 2, she is allowed to stay home by herself without being lockedup. She doesn’t eat furniture or the cats anymore.
While I was training her, I always put her bowls and toys in there, and covered the bottom with a bunch of ratty old towels. This way, she could dig a nest, eat, drink and sleep at will. Added bonus: the towels smell like dog after a while, so she felt very comfortable and at home. (Hey! This smells like me! Must be my house!)
I never call it a cage. Even now, if she’s being bad and needs a time out, I tell her to “Go to your room!” She knows what that means and is usually happy to go in there.
The cats sometimes take it over and Dogzilla IRL has to evict them! They all love the “animal condo.”
I crate trained my boy Gizmo (my people pages pic is with him - he’s beautiful) and it was the right decision. For info on crate-training, see http://www.k9web.com
They say when you buy a crate, you should get the one that will hold the dog when it is fully grown. Then put a box or something in it to take up the extra room while they’re tiny. This is because they won’t generally go potty right where they’re sleeping, but they might do it a foot away, if there is room. Sparky is now fully grown at 80lbs and has had the same kennel since the day he came home. It’s his own special place and he loves it.
We would have done that, but we got this puppy as an “errand of mercy” to avoid it being euthanised. When we got him, it was short notice, (like 24 hours), and we couldn’t afford to get the large crate that was going to be really durable and last for a while, so we opted to get a midsize one until he starts to outgrow it, and then move to a larger crate. (FWIW he is three months old, and is almost ready for a new “condo”!)
Sassy
P.S. to Scarlett – Paladin says “ruff ruff” for the cookie…(I think that translates into "Thank You)
FWIW, sKYr, your setup is the ideal one: ideally, the crate should provide only about enough room for the puppy to turn around. If I could afford it, I’d buy a different size for every growth stage rather than mess with boxes.
Crates are great but dont put the crate on the train.
Be sure you have the right size crate, youll have to get bigger ones as the pup gets bigger ( you can get them in thrift shops cheap). Much more important is feed foods that have meat as #1. Don’t feed those with corn. Get the best food, yes it costs more, but actually it costs less as you have to feed a lot less & the pup won’t be shitting so much that we once called a pup ‘pyramid’ for what she did to the floor several times a day.
Actually, the Vet and trainers we consulted say we are using the best food for puppies…Pupp Chow, by Purina. Also, they suggested that you always feed puppies 3 or 4 small portions (12 ounces) a day. Now, if I could just afford to buy stock in Ralston~Purina!!!
