Episode #178 All About Crates

Unlock the secrets to a tranquil, tail-wagging canine companion with our latest episode on crate training mastery! We're diving into the cozy corners of your dog's potential paradise, transforming the humble crate from a simple tool to an absolute haven. I, Amy Jensen, alongside our special contributor Laurie—a compassionate soul who's recently welcomed a shelter dog into her heart and home—will guide you through creating a crate environment that whispers 'home' to your furry friend. With a sprinkle of favorite toys and a dash of delicious treats, we'll help you build a crate experience that not only aids in house training and behavior management but also serves as a cuddly corner for your pooch to unwind and feel secure.

This episode goes beyond the basics; it's a journey through the art of positive crate associations, the finesse of sizing up the perfect crate, and the delicate dance of helping your pup embrace their new nest. From the chirpy early days with your new puppy to the golden years with your faithful older dog, we cover how to adapt the crate for every stage of your pet's life. Laurie's firsthand experiences bring to life the transformative power of love and the right approach to crate training, highlighting the remarkable difference it can make for a rescue dog's transition into a forever family. Whether you're a seasoned dog owner or a newbie, tune in for heartwarming tales and expert advice that will ensure your dog's crate is not just a training necessity, but a personal piece of puppy paradise.

Chapters

• 0:00 Crucial Tips on Crate Training Dogs
• 7:02 Introducing and Using a Dog Crate
• 12:04 Creating a Safe Haven for Dogs

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

This is the Puppy Training Podcast, episode 178, all about crates. This podcast is designed to help you on your journey of becoming best friends through love and learning, as you train your own dog from home, and I'm here to help you every step of the way. This is the Puppy Training Podcast and I'm your host, amy Jensen. Hello and thanks for joining me on the Puppy Training Podcast and I'm your host, amy Jensen. Hello and thanks for joining me on the Puppy Training Podcast today. I was recently asked about crates, why we use them, how long we use them for, if I have to use them forever and what kind. So I thought let's do a podcast all about crates. First, I want to give a shout out to Laurie. Thank you for listening, laurie. She brought home a new dog from a shelter last week. I know after COVID, shelters have started to fill up. You may just find your next best friend at once. So go check out your local shelter If you are looking to add a dog to your family. There are many good dogs out there who need a loving home, as well as volunteer opportunities in your communities with shelters and rescues. Yes, the dog you find may need some training, but all dogs do right, so don't worry about that. We can help you with that part. And crate training is one place I start. Whether you're getting a brand new puppy or you're getting an older dog, a crate is a wonderful resource to help house train that dog. So why do we like crates so much?

Speaker 1: 1:21

Think of a crate as your dog's bedroom, a safe haven where they can relax and unwind. I know a lot of people think of this as a negative thing. Maybe they call it a cage. Rather, think of it as your dog's bedroom. This is where they get their good, yummy chews. This is where their fun toys are. So this becomes a place our dog can rest, relax. They can chew appropriate things and just be Having their favorite things in the crate and them spending time in the crate. They learn to like to chew the things that are in their crate, which is important. Now, crate time helps them learn to settle, which is really valuable when living in our homes. Many people ask I just want that calm dog. Well, crate training helps your dogs settle and be calm.

Speaker 1: 2:06

Also, when we bring a dog into our home, house training is at the top of the list. Crates are small enough spaces that our dogs wait to be let out to go potty. This helps us teach them where to potty and when we find that more dogs remain in loving homes so long as house training goes well. If house training doesn't go well, more dogs are surrendered to shelters and rescues. So crates are a big aid in making this a success, not only for potty training, but to prevent chewing of furniture, carpets, rugs, shoes and anything else in your house that you don't want your dog to get a hold of.

Speaker 1: 2:38

A puppy who is left to run around the house freely will find all sorts of fun things to get into and they don't even think it's bad. It's not to them, they're just being a dog, which is okay. We just prefer them not to chew everything in our house and we prefer them to potty outside. So we have to have some management in place to train them how to behave in a human household. Here at Baxter and Bella, we talk about pairing management with training. The two go hand in hand. We need both, and crates are a good tool to help with this.

Speaker 1: 3:10

Now crates aren't just for lounging around our homes. They're also incredibly useful for visits to the vet, grooming sessions and even if you want to travel with your dog. There will be times when your dog will be in a crate, and it is helpful to teach them. These are safe spaces. There's no need to stress if you're in a crate, and it is helpful to teach them. These are safe spaces. There's no need to stress if you're in a crate, it is okay.

Speaker 1: 3:30

Now, when it comes to choosing a crate, there are a few things to consider. First, what kind of crate suits your lifestyle best? There are wire crates, plastic crates and soft-sided crates, each with their own pros and cons. Wire crates come with dividers you can move as your puppy grows, so you'll only need to buy one that will fit your full-size dog. I like to go one size bigger, or even two sizes bigger from the full-size crate to give my dog extra room to really sprawl and stretch out. My favorite crate comes from a company called Diggs. They make safe, stylish crates with features I like, such as a side panel that folds out of the way, turning the crate into a perfect place for our go-to-bed training or place training, mat training, whatever you wanna call it. Now, that's their Rebel style that does that, but I really, really like it, and the large is a fantastic size. It's big enough that my full-size dogs can stretch out Baxter's 50 pounds and it's a great crate for him.

Speaker 1: 4:20

Now, plastic crates are easy to clean and move around. I like the plastic crates. When the puppies are young I can easily move it around my house. Now your puppy will outgrow these, so I recommend using a small crate for initial training and then purchasing your dog's full size crate which your puppy can move into once they outgrow that first one. Really, we're just trying to teach the puppy to hold it in their crate and once they keep that crate clean you can upsize the crate and they'll still keep that crate clean. If at any point they start to soil the crate, then we just go back to a smaller crate for a little longer, but typically after about a month or so your puppy's pretty well trained to that crate and they want to keep it clean. They try to keep it clean and then you can start to upsize it for them. Now the beauty of the small portable crate to begin with is I can move it from room to room in the beginning as needed, so my puppy can be near me until they feel safe.

Speaker 1: 5:11

Remember, when puppies first come home or a dog first comes home. They are unfamiliar with your home, your people, the sounds, the smells, everything, and so the dog is a little stressed. So we want this dog to feel comfortable and safe with us. So I like them to be close to me, and if I need to get some things done and I can't supervise my puppy or dog out in a bigger space, then a crate is a great place to keep them for a little bit while I get some things done. And, of course, I always give them good chews inside, things that they maybe don't typically get when they're out and about, so a yummy surprise is always awesome for them. But things that they like to chew on, things that smell good to them, that they can work on so that they really start to relax inside that crate.

Speaker 1: 5:52

Now, soft-sided crates work well for young puppies or small dogs, especially if you want to travel with your dog. So, for example, if you want to go on an airplane with your dog, a soft-sided crate is a great tool that you can put under the seat in front of you and it's comfortable for your pet. They also fold up and store well. Now, what about size? We've talked a little bit about this, but your dog should have enough room initially to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably. Then, once they keep their crate clean, you can move them to their full size crate so they really have that room to stretch out, like we talked about. Again. This will take several weeks, so don't stress if it's taking your puppy or dog a little longer. Just be consistent with letting them out for the bathroom breaks and they'll start to have some success there. Now the beauty of the crate is that it is small enough that the puppies don't want to sleep in their messes. So, as long as they've had some good background training wherever they came from, with a separate bathroom spot from their rest spot, dogs do a really good job of trying to keep their rest spot clean and using a different area for their bathroom. So when we put them in a small crate, they're more likely to hold it and wait until they're let out to go, and that's where a crate is really useful for house training.

Speaker 1: 7:02

How do we introduce a crate to a new puppy or dog? Maybe your dog's never seen a crate or they've never been in one. It's all about making it a positive experience. So I like to start by helping them see the crate as a fun and safe space. I'll play crate games where I toss some food in, they get to go get it, they get to come right back out. We'll do that multiple times. I'll attach an exercise pen to their open crate so that throughout the day they can go in and out of the crate as much as they want. Their little soft bed is in there so they can have a nice cozy place to nap or whatever they prefer to nap on. If you notice your puppy's choosing a nice cool floor like a tile floor or you know that just that plastic flooring of the crate is fine, make that crate similar to wherever they choose to nap when they're out and about in your house, so that they choose to go inside their crate and start to sleep, so that X-pen can be a great way to create a smaller living space as well. But they get to go in and out of their crate.

Speaker 1: 7:55

Just make sure, because they do have that extra space with the X-pen, that you are putting them on a timer and you're taking them out on regular intervals when they're awake, because puppies have to pee or potty a lot and frequently throughout the day, especially every time they wake up, they get a drink or they change activities. We want to make sure they're getting outside. So when they're in their crate, we can expect them to hold it one hour for every month old they are. That's just a general rule of thumb. So I know it's different for different puppies, but you can generally say okay, my puppy's two months old, they can hold it in the crate for two hours during the day. If they're three months old, three hours during the day, and so forth. At four hours I always give my dogs a break if I'm crating them. If I can't be home, I like to call a neighbor or a friend to come over and let them out to run around and play and socialize before they need to go back in until I get home from work, for example. So again, make that crate fun. Stay close by them.

Speaker 1: 8:48

Initially I like to. If I'm watching a show, I'll just put their crate right next to my leg, even up on the sofa if needed, so that they can just start to relax and fall asleep in their crate. Once they're falling asleep in there, they really are starting to feel safe and you can start to distance yourself from them. So within the first week home of having a new dog. I go from days one, two and three I'm that crates everywhere I am pretty much. And then days four, five and six, I'm coming and going, I'm leaving the room, I'm coming back, I'm leaving, I'm coming back, the puppy's starting to build trust that they can't always see me but I always come back. And day six, seven, I'm leaving the house for a good hour or two, going to the grocery store, maybe I'm going to the gym, but that puppies left alone and they get to learn how to kind of handle and manage themselves when I'm not there.

Speaker 1: 9:35

Now what if your puppy is not a fan of the crate? Before assuming it's not for them, check for comfort. Oftentimes, as your puppy grows, they might need that bigger size or we possibly need to relocate their crate. Maybe it's in a too hot or too cold spot as weather changes. Are they close to a heater vent? Are they too close to the AC vent? Or, you know something, is the window, the sun coming through the window and shining on them and that's uncomfortable. So check for comfort first. Definitely temperature and size.

Speaker 1: 10:08

Like I mentioned, some dogs want a bed in there and some don't, or you might need to get a cooling bed or something that's a little more comfortable for them. Also, is the environment too stimulating and hard for your dog to settle. If you've put the crate out in a main area of your home and kids are coming and going and running around, that can be hard for your dog to want to settle. So it might be better if you put the crate in a bedroom with some white noise playing maybe a fan or some music, something that the dog can. It'll help muffle out the sounds of what's happening elsewhere in the house can help your dog relax a little better. Again, add things that they like. So if they do like bedding, add their little bed in there. If they like toys, great treats, food rewards I like to do stuffed food puzzle toys are great in there. Just make sure that you have supervised your dog with these items you're leaving them with, so that when you put them in their crates you know that those are safe items for your puppy to have when they are alone.

Speaker 1: 11:02

Crate time again at our house means chew time, so make that the place to be. That is where the good stuff happens. If you have special chews that your dog loves, save those for crate time. Finally, let's talk about the lifetime of a crate. When does your dog no longer need one? Well, it varies from pup to pup and family to family. Some dogs may outgrow the need for a crate as they become more mature and trustworthy, meaning they're not pottying in your house and they are not chewing your furniture or destroying things inside your home, while others may always enjoy having their own space and you may need to maybe monitor your dog more. Maybe your dog is a little bit of a troublemaker. They like to get into things. They shouldn't. We might need to use the crate a little longer, and that's okay.

Speaker 1: 11:40

Pay attention to your dog's behavior and comfort level to determine when it's time to retire the crate. If you decide, for example, to have your dog sleep in your bed once they are house trained great. I still recommend, though, using the crate once in a while for naps or other times you leave, just to keep up on your dog's crate skills. You worked hard to achieve that as a nice, safe space. Let's just make sure that every once in a while, your dog is in a crate so that those skills stay there when needed.

Speaker 1: 12:04

So then, when you go to the vet or the groomer, or maybe you have your dog stay with a friend while you are gone and that friend prefers that your dog sleeps in a crate and not with them, then that's helpful for your dog to just feel comfortable and safe, not a problem. There's no stress involved when they are being crated. We want your dogs, of course, to be happy and comfortable. All right, thanks for being here. That's all for today's episode. All about crates. Remember, crates are more than just a piece of furniture. They're a sanctuary for our canine friends. Until next time, happy crate training. Talk soon.