Crate Training and House Training
Terry's Tips > Crate Training and House Training
- A Dog Den within Your Home,
- An Aid To House Training
- An Aid to Supervision,
- A Travel Safety Measure, and
- An Aid To Home-Alone Worries
A DOG DEN WITHIN YOUR HOME
Different family members have places to call their own. Adults might have a workshop, garage, or hobby room. Kids have bedrooms and family rooms. Your dog should have a place to call his own, too. I'm not talking about isolation, but a place within the family activities where he can relax and not have to be on constant lookout, a place where he can be "off duty." One of the best investments you can make is to purchase a crate before you adopt a dog. You've probably noticed that your dog likes enclosed places: under your desk, under the coffee table. We can adapt this trait and use it as a natural way to raise a dog. It's beneficial for housetraining, safety reasons, for home-alone issues and, at times, for better relations with the children, and other pets in the family.
CRATES are the most versatile and safest enclosures. With puppies and adult dogs, the crate serves two major purposes indoors. It helps to supervise the dog while protecting your home and furnishings from curious teeth and also is an aid in teaching the proper toileting area. Crates are available in a variety of sizes and styles: WIRE crates provide maximum ventilation and visibility. A blanket can be thrown over it to cut down on drafts or when your dog needs a quiet time. PLASTIC airline crates provide more privacy for the dog and cut down on drafts. They are good for car travel because they offer the most protection. If your dog is wet and muddy, the mess stays inside a plastic crate. NYLON mesh crates are see-through, very lightweight, and collapsible, but may pose a security risk. Any crate should be just large enough for the dog to lie down, turn around, and sit when full grown. If an adult-sized crate is too large for your puppy, it will be less effective because it allows room for a separate toilet area. Partition off one end with a box while the puppy is small. Better yet, invest in two crates of different sizes. Crates are important for all types of transportation, including car rides. A dog traveling in a vehicle is at risk of injuring himself and distracting the driver if he is not safely contained.
AN AID TO HOUSE TRAINING AND SUPERVISION
Crates are good for supervision of puppies and newly adopted adult dogs. Just as parents use cribs and playpens to help them supervise their human babies, you can use a crate to confine your dog near household activities when you're too busy to supervise closely. Relaxing in a crate in the family living quarters is preferable than the isolation of being locked in the bathroom, garage, or cellar. That type of isolation is apt to make your dog miserable and will be counterproductive. A crate should never be used as a substitute for taking your dog to the toilet area, for exercise and play at regular intervals, or for training. It's a tool to aid the management and training of your dog, not a routine way of life for a dog. It is not a panacea. The crate can be used for short periods as confinement when no one is home. These portable enclosures provide peace of mind knowing your pal is safe, comfortable, and not suffering a housetraining setback. Crates are small enough to move around the house, perhaps into a bedroom at night. Crates serve as a safe place to retreat throughout your dog's life.
GETTING USED TO THE CRATE
Most dogs need to be conditioned to the idea that a crate is a great place to be. At first, keep the door open and casually toss in a food treat or a favorite toy as you go about your business. You may want to serve meals in the crate, but don't close the door at first. Ask the dog to get in the crate, leave the door open, and sit down with a good book, keeping the dog company and petting her while you read. A crate should be lined with an easily cleaned mat or bedding the dog is not likely to chew. It's difficult to estimate the maximum amount of time a dog should be crated. Even a casual observer knows that dogs do sleep a lot through the day. Many dogs have a way of shutting down if nothing much is happening. The effects of crating a dog should be monitored regularly. For a high-energy dog, it's boring in that crate. Your dog has lots of time and nothing to do. Make a habit of placing some time and energy consuming toys in the crate with the dog. Chew items are a good choice. These toys are only for your dog when she is alone in the crate. When you return and take the dog out of the crate, take the toy away also. Some dogs may enjoy having the radio or TV playing-it keeps them company and masks other noises that might disturb them.
TOILET TRAINING
Dogs are inherently clean animals. As tiny infants, their mothers keep them very clean. As soon as they can wobble away, puppies seem to prefer leaving their eating, sleeping, and play areas to toilet. Folks tend to concentrate on where their dog should NOT toilet. Thought should be given to an appropriate toilet area, usually outdoors in a fenced yard. Select an area away from the general traffic pattern, but close enough to be convenient. You might set aside a small area with bark or gravel. Scooping is easier on these surfaces than on grass. If your dog will be taken to toilet on leash in a public place, it's imperative that you carry a plastic bag for prompt cleanup. Unless you want your dog to use an indoor toilet full time, it's best to skip newspaper training and teach him to toilet outside from the beginning. Exceptions to the outdoor-toilet rule might include the very young puppy left home alone for long hours, an unvaccinated puppy, apartment dwellers with small dogs, and disabled dogs or owners. These dogs might be trained to toilet on newspapers over a plastic sheet, in a litter box, or on commercially available disposable pet pads. A pup that will be left home a lot could be kept in an exercise pen. This enclosure is roomy enough to allow space on one side for his bed and toys and a place on the other side for a toilet. Made of metal or wire mesh, they are typically larger than a crate. Some have tops or bottoms, but most are simply freestanding enclosures. Called playpens or exercise pens, because of the roominess, they are not the best choice for toilet training. With no top or floor, exercise pens are not as escape-proof as a crate. They are an excellent way to confine a young dog while you are home, and simply too busy to watch the dog every moment.
While toilet training your dog, stack the deck in your favor. What goes in on schedule usually comes out on schedule. Regular meals rather than free feeding will help manage the toileting pattern. The younger the dog, the more often he needs to eliminate. Dogs usually defecate shortly after each feeding. They urinate more frequently. Very young puppies might need to urinate as often as every hour or so, especially during active periods. The dog should be taken to the toilet first thing in the morning, after a play period (or other stimulating activity), after naps, and just before going to bed at night. By 12 weeks of age, most pups should be able to make it through a seven-hour night if managed properly. Withholding food and water late in the evening will lessen the chances of a puppy needing to go out during the night. He shouldn't need water during the night, but you might feel better leaving a couple of ice cubes in the empty water bowl.
When a baby pup first comes home to live with you, set your alarm clock several hours earlier than normal so your can escort your pup to the toilet. Slowly advance the alarm to your normal wake-up time. Don't necessarily interpret whimpers in the night as a need to toilet. More than likely, he's just looking for attention. If you respond to each whimper with a midnight social hour, who's training whom? At the toilet area, stay with your dog until you get results, then heap on the praise and rewards. If you keep her on leash, slowly circle the specific toilet area to keep her focused. If she doesn't toilet within four or five minutes, try again later. When she does go in the right place, WAIT for her to finish, and praise her. If you praise at the first sight of poop or pee, you're making a mistake. Your enthusiasm might distract and interrupt the dog. Wait! And don't fall into the habit of taking her right back inside after she toilets. She probably likes to be outside with you and she may learn to take her time toileting so she doesn't have to go back in. Spend a few minutes outside with her before you go back in.
Indoors, it's easier to watch your dog in a small area, perhaps one room. Close the doors or use doorway barriers to block him from other rooms. Baby gates are see-through panels, which block off a doorway, confining the dog to a room. They are an easy way to keep a dog within supervision range in the home. Keep an eye out for sniffing and circling, which often indicate the need to toilet. When you get back inside, allow your dog the privilege of roaming the house freely while you supervise. As time goes on, he'll be able to earn access to more rooms for a longer time and eventually without supervision.
A verbal cue such as, "Go potty" or a cheerful, "Do it" can be used while he's toileting. In time, he'll associate this term with the need to go, so you can use it when you're in a hurry. I have a friend who hums his dog a little tune during such occasions! Keep an eye on your pup if he's on the move. At times when you can't give undivided attention, temporarily restrict your dog to a small area-the crate! Because we want the dog to feel safe and secure in his special place, teach children not to bother him when he's in his crate. You're apt to find that he will go into the open crate uninvited when he wants to relax and not have to worry about contact with others.
WHAT IF YOUR DOG HAS AN ACCIDENT?
In general, don't punish accidents. Most of the time the punishment will be ill timed and not associated with the act. It will only frighten and confuse the dog. Spanking, rubbing his nose in it, or sending the dog to the cellar does nothing to help house training and does much to damage your relationship. We can never be sure the dog understands exactly what he did wrong. If he made a pile in the kitchen and you smack him with a newspaper, he has only a slim chance of associating it with the accident. Get the newspaper and smack yourself for not paying attention. Don't allow your dog to watch you clean up. Some dogs will do anything for entertainment or attention. Finish with a commercial, enzymatic odor neutralizer and stain remover. Follow the directions and blot well.
Nature's Miracle is a good product. You can make your own from white vinegar. Dilute 1/4 cup of it with one cup of water. Put the legs of a chair over the area until the spot is completely dry. This will help your dog avoid the spot should there be some residual scent. Vow to be more attentive and not to allow another accident to happen. As an alternative to the crate, you could place your dog on leash and give her to a family member, or the leash could be tied to a nearby doorknob or heavy piece of furniture. Consider constructing a temporary waiting station. Here's how: Acquire a piece of plywood twice as long as your dog. Drill two holes in the middle, thread a leash through, and secure it with just enough length to allow your dog to stand and sit without tension on the leash. Place this temporary waiting station flat on the floor within view of family activities. When your dog is attached to the station, she can see what's going on, but her own weight on the plywood prevents it from moving. You can make a deluxe model by putting self-adhesive carpet squares on the top surface, or a lightweight model for very small dogs by using pegboard instead of plywood. This type of restraint should be used only for a few minutes and only when someone is supervising. Idea: How about putting a bell on your dog's collar to alert you when she's walking around? A trailing leash will also help call attention to the dog's travels and help you stop the dog in a hurry. Be careful though; the leash can become tangled easily.
*** A Travel Safety Measure ***
A dog can travel safely with you in your automobile if she is in a crate. The crate should be attached to the seat of the car or floor of the station wagon with straps. This is important because in stop-and-go traffic, the crate can slip, making the dog uneasy or frightened, or causing an upset stomach. If there should be an accident, a loose crate flying around the car is, of course, dangerous for your dog, and also very dangerous for the driver and passengers. A dog likes to see where she is going, so if the crate can be high enough to have a view, that's good. One exception is the dog that gets carsick. That dog might be more comfortable down low or with a towel or blanket thrown over the crate. Seeing buildings, poles, and the scenery rush past the side of the car can contribute to carsickness. The motion of all that scenery rushing by could overly stimulate dogs that like to chase. This type of dog might be calmer if unable to see out the sides of the crate. It gets hot in cars VERY quickly. It gets even hotter in a plastic crate. Plan ahead; know what stops you will need to make. Don't depend on a shady place to park; there might not be one.
