Many dogs like a small, covered spot to rest. Left to their own choices, many will pick a small, covered spot to rest: under a table, behind the couch or tucked into a corner. A crate, set up well, gives your dog that same kind of space. It is somewhere quiet that belongs only to them.

We believe every dog should be crate trained. Not because a dog should live in a crate, but because sooner or later almost every dog needs to be comfortable in one.

The vet stay you did not plan for

If your dog ever needs surgery or has to stay overnight at the clinic, it will spend that time in a kennel. A dog that has never been confined can panic: barking, pacing, chewing at the door and refusing to settle, all while it is sore or unwell. A dog that already sees a crate as a safe place rests, eats and recovers with far less stress. The same goes for boarding, grooming and travel.

Emergencies and evacuations

Here in Nova Scotia we have all seen how fast a storm or a wildfire can change plans. The Government of Canada’s emergency preparedness guide for pets lists a crate or carrier first in a pet emergency kit. It also notes that most evacuation shelters only accept service animals, so pets often end up at pet-friendly hotels, boarding kennels, clinics or with family. In almost all of those places, a dog that is calm in a crate is far easier to take in. Getting a frightened dog into a crate for the first time in the middle of an evacuation is the hardest way to do it.

Freedom is earned

A dog that is still learning the rules of the house should not be loose in the home alone. Every time a young dog chews a cord, raids the garbage or has an accident while no one is watching, it practises the habit we are trying to prevent, and some of those habits are dangerous. So our rule is simple: when you are not with your dog, your dog is in its crate. As your dog proves it can be trusted, it earns more freedom, a room at a time.

How to do it kindly

  • Make it a good place. Feed meals in the crate, toss treats in and let your dog go in and out on its own at first. Close the door only for a few seconds, then build up slowly.
  • Go slowly with a nervous dog. Let it go in and out freely at its own pace. If your dog is very fearful, book a free consultation and we will help.
  • Use it for chews. Bones and stuffed toys in the crate let each dog relax without guarding from the others.
  • Never use it as punishment. The crate should only ever mean good things. Sending a dog there in anger teaches it to dread the one place it should feel safe.
  • Keep times sensible. Young puppies need to go out often, and no dog should spend most of its day crated. Make sure your dog has had exercise, a toilet break and some attention before it goes in.
  • Pick the right size. Your dog should be able to stand, turn around and lie down comfortably. Too big, and a puppy may use one end as a toilet.
  • Stay calm about it. Make coming and going low key, and do not let your dog out in the middle of a fuss, or it learns that fussing opens the door.

Pair the crate with place training, and your dog learns to settle whether it is in the crate or on its bed beside you.

Optional, but highly recommended

We know some people do not like crates, and we respect that. That is why crate training, the muzzle introduction and the e-collar introduction are optional in our Puppy Foundations and Basic Obedience courses, and none of them is needed to graduate. Still, we highly recommend all three. Each one makes life safer and calmer for your dog when things do not go to plan.

Not sure which crate is right for your dog? Come by our place in Meteghan and we will help you choose one and fit it properly. Free walk-in consultations, and sessions can also be held at your home anywhere in the Tri-County area (Digby, Clare and Yarmouth). Contact us to book.