Is Crate Training Cruel? Part I
Big woofs to canine guest blogger Nika, a Dogster member who believes that crate training can be beneficial for dogs and reduce stress.
My name is Nika, and I am a ten-year-old Siberian Husky. I won’t bore you with all the details of my puppyhood and crating issues. However, I’d like to share with you my take on crate training.
Bottom line is, crating can be cruel. It is often forced on dogs in extreme situations when the last thing the dog needs to deal with is learning to like a crate. I know… you humans are already saying I would never do that! I would never force my dog to into a crate if they didn’t want to go in, and I certainly wouldn’t do it if they were already under stress.
Well, I am here to tell you that there is a good chance a situation will occur in your dog’s lifetime when they will need to be crated.
When? Here is the short list: visiting the vet’s office, recovering from surgery, flying on a plane, staying in a hotel or motel. I won’t even get into how the use of a crate could have kept so many dogs from ending up at the local shelter.
I am loose in the house during the day, but that doesn’t mean I am not crate-trained. I often get refresher courses and have seen many dogs even at the age of ten like me learn to like crates! So please don’t ever give up on the crate training! I know a lot of folks think crates are cruel, but one thing I return to is if your dog ever in his or her lifetime needs to stay at the vet’s or wants to travel, being okay with a crate make those times so much easier on the dog.
Want to know how being happy in a crate helped me out? Well…
- I get to travel more often. I can’t stay in a hotel/motel without a crate. Because if the humans go out to eat, housekeeping could still come in and let me escape!
- I go to places with my humans and volunteer at events, and the crate is my place to go when I have had enough.
- I had masses removed from my liver. Imagine how much worse my stay at the vet would have been if I really hated my crate… in a dreaded vet’s office and forced into a crate.
-Recovery from liver surgery includes extreme risk of internal bleeding. Guess where I had to stay for my recovery. Yup, a crate! Without a crate I would have been able to jump on the couch and pull out my stitches. I could have bled to death.
- Recently we had an owner who contacted us because they have to move overseas and want the dog to come with them, but they never crate trained the dog. Now the poor dog is going to have a very stressful ride in a crate on an airplane or, even worse, will have to find a new owner.
So you humans may hate crates, but guess what? Sometimes they are necessary, and today is a better day to learn to accept them rather than a day when you really need one. There is a good chance your dog will have to go in one in the future!
Next week, I’ll post tips on how to teach dogs to like their crates.
More resources:
Guide to Crate Training a Puppy
Answers to Crate Training Questions
Behavior & Training Forum
I was not crate trained at first I was home with someone all day then came the time for me to be left alone..And then it happened I became el distructo…My mom started crate training me right away because I could get hurt if I was left alone to destroy the house which included electrical wires that were plugged in..I am now almost 5 and was crated for only 6 months and that 6 months cured me of being el distructo..I have not destroyed anything since I was a year old and don’t have a crate since then..
Thanks Nika for telling it like it is about crates! Mom doesn’t leave us in our crates very long, but since there’s six of us, we eat our meals in our crates and four of us sleep in our crates. I happen to love my crate! When mom can’t find me, all she has to do is go look in my crate. There I am…snoozing away in my comfy crate with the door wide open! It’s my safe haven and my very own space!
I use crates all the time. Cookie would be fine in one, but she almost never needs it. Treader has to be crated regularily. I make his crate a place that he can relax and rest in. I sometimes toss toys into his crate, I feed him in his crate, he can sleep on his bed in his crate. He mostly likes his crate. Unless you are going somewhere without him. At the command “kennel”, he will go into his crate. I even use the crate as part of our NILIF training program. When I let him out, first I have him sit and stay. Then I open the door. He stays until I say “okay”. That’s how NILIF [Nothing in life is free] training works. Make the dog obey positively, and richly reward him/her for obeying.
Thank you for pointing that out! I’m Mack and I LOVE my crate. I’m a Bullmastiff and my crate is very huge, but I’m so glad my humans made this such a safe place for me. They never really have to close my door but I like to go in there all the time and it means I get to go lots of fun places too!
We were crate trained as tiny pups. The crate is our “safe” place when we are tired, mad at mom…and we sleep there every night. The door is left open during the day…but you can frequently find us there…all snuggled asleep.
Mom is a big believer in crate training…easy to housebreak pups that are crate trained! Spread the word….crate training works!!! Thanks Nika!
I have never really liked the idea of crate training. To me it seems like a place for people to banish their dogs to when they don’t want them around. Maybe that’s cuz I’ve always felt like most of the time I’ve seen my Grandma’s dog she’s been in the crate until one of us let’s her out. I can’t really speak for when I’m not there but you know, minds wander. My Grandma is just not the dog lover that I am thinking dogs are family members. To her she’s still a dog.
I’ve also always been worried about fires or other natural disasters. I have a neighbor who had a house fire last year. She had two dogs one that was crated and one that was already trained and free to roam. Well, the one that was free to roam managed to escape the fire. He was lost in the woods for a few days probably scared out of his mind but alive. The one in the crate never had a chance. That has always been my fear. Plus, I’ve never really needed to use a crate until my most recent adoptee. He was a monster! Getting into the trash, the cupboards, opening the oven door, eating chocolate day after day & entire ramen noodle and cracker packages. Then the final straw: Turning on the gas while opening the oven door leaving the entire house filled with gas.
I had no choice but to try a crate. I was out of ideas. Locking him in the bathroom didn’t work cuz he knew how to work the doorknobs. I was keeping this dog and not giving up on him cuz I knew not many other people would put up with these types of bahaviors and he would never make it out of the shelter.
Guess what?! He loves his crate! I don’t know why really. But he really seems happy there. I think he feels safe like he knows he won’t get into trouble when he’s in there. We tell him go to his house and he goes right in. He will even open the door to go in on his own. Of course I always give him a treat before I leave while he’s in there but still he will lay down and just seems so happy. I think he likes the fact that when we come home we don’t have angry looks on our faces anymore. I’m really very happy that we got him a crate. I don’t know what we could’ve done without one. Of course I felt awful for the first couple weeks asking him to go in it but he never gave me any trouble at all. Never once have I had to tell him with force to go in it. He just does it! And we only need it when nobody is home. He’s an angel otherwise.
So, in my opinion crates are not so bad for some dogs. I think my other dogs might throw a big fit about it but some dogs really love it. I just have to hope there will never be a disaster such as a fire. But it never hurts to try it on your own dog. They just might surprise you like mine did!
I can’t wait to read next week’s post!!! I need tips on re-training Justus to like his crate!!!
Four things have happened with Justus and his crate:
1. He was crate trained and always slept in his crate (Great)
2. We thought he should be allowed to sleep with us during the winter to keep him warm (Cute - he was little).
3. While visiting a relative we crated him to go eat and he got his lower jaw caught in the door of the crate. Luckily we had not left and had gone in one more time to check on him. We thought we would never get his jaw out before he jerked his teeth out - but we did (Scary!)
4. We bought him a very expensive mattress for his crate - he hates it. I am going to take it out and switch it with the bed he lays on during the day to see if he will warm up to it.
We need a refresher course!!!
I can’t wait to read next week’s post!!! I need tips on re-training Justus to like his crate!!!
Four things have happened with Justus and his crate:
1. He was crate trained and always slept in his crate (Great)
2. We thought he should be allowed to sleep with us during the winter to keep him warm (Cute - he was little). He still sleeps with us ~ ok so he lets us sleep with him ~ we sleep on the edges!!!
3. While visiting a relative we crated him to go eat and he got his lower jaw caught in the door of the crate. Luckily we had not left and had gone in one more time to check on him. We thought we would never get his jaw out before he jerked his teeth out - but we did (Scary!)
4. We bought him a very expensive mattress for his crate - he hates it. I am going to take it out and switch it with the bed he lays on during the day to see if he will warm up to it.
We need a refresher course!!!
I use to think crate training was cruel and rediculous. You get a pet and should let it be part of the family, why cage it? But, over the past year I changed my mind. I bought a Sheltie pup and the breeder was stressed strongly about crate & leash training. So, I bought a crate took her advice and then did a lot of reading. I crate trained my Sheltie successfully. It was nice to know that my puppy was in one place at night, but in the day he ran free in one room. I went back a month later and got his mom who was 6 years old and crate trained. She was scared when we brought her home, she loved her owner very much and these new surroundings wasn’t where she wanted to be. She took to her crate as a lifeline. I realized that a crate trained dog was secure in their dog home. She eventually started coming out of the crate more often and I started focusing on my puppies crate training more seriously. When I had to have surgery (out of town) we had to stay in a motel and the 2 dogs being crate trained turned out to be a big blessing at the motel. My 2 Shelties have free run but they are not afraid of the crate and go into it without a problem and just relax, it is their security when they get scared or unsure and they go into it a lot of their own choice.
Crate Training can only be cruel if it used as a punishment and not for the purpose of giving your or the pet security.
As for tips: What I read and was told - was to use treats to get them into the crate. I usually got treats that would consume some time (distraction treats) and some kind of chewy. I also hooked food and water onto the cage and would feed my puppy in his crate. I made sure he had his favorite stuffed toy with him. This helped him to see the crate as comfort and reward. I wouldn’t leave him long at first but wouldn’t take him out until he settled down. When I let him out I always had another treat for him and lots of hugs.
Crate training is a wonderful way to raise a healthy, well adjusted dog. Now even though I’m a firm believer in crates, I also agree that, if used improperly, can be cruel. It is not something to be used excessively just because that is easier then training and supervising your dog. It is meant to be used as a tool, to help your dog learn what you expect of him. It should be left open as much as possible. You never know, your dog really may like it, as many here have said. It becomes their “room” their safe haven, they know that when they need a break, they can go there. So please, think about crate training, just make sure to use it correctly. If you are unsure or uncomfortable, just ask your vet. They can advise you how to do it properly
Everyone is very wise and I can’t think of a situation where a crate would be cruel unless the owner makes it so. I work from home, so my babies always have the choice where they want to be. There are many times when Mack just likes to hang out in there.
Crate training can never be used as a form of punishment or it will totally defeat the purpose. Obviously, it also shouldn’t be used as confinement for long periods of time.
As far as safety goes, our firefighter friends suggested that we let our local fire department know that we have pets in the home. They are pretty much NEVER locked in there, but still that’s also an option.
A crate trained dog is much happier to have a “safe” place of his own to snuggle in when his “pack” is gone and he is not stressed when he has to be crated for all the above reasons.
What’s cruel is when people make it a form of punishment instead of a warm , cozy, safe, place to nest.
I think it is crucial and a trained, obedient dog is much healthier and happier, and well bonded with his owner!
Only humans can make it a cruel and scary prison cage!
Nika, thanks fur the infurmative post. Humama and Hudad crate trained me when I was little (well, um, I’m still little, but I think you know what I mean!). BTW, the command my hoomans use is ‘Go to bed.’ Nowadays, I go to my crate when I am tired of hoomans (not very often) or when there is too much noise in the house. If we have lots of hooman company, into the crate Humama will send me if I am overly furiendly. Also, when I ride in the car or van, I get into my crate, which in turn is strapped in by a seat belt.
While my crate is not my furvorite place to be, sometimes it is a necessity and occasionally, it is a comfort.
My boys love their crates. If I leave them alone in the house too long they will destroy everything. The crate is their safe place, their den.
I do not crate my husky and GSD because they can be alone all day without problems but not the other two. I would like to move the crates out of my family room but how can I when one or both will go in there to hang out when we’re all down there?
I sleep with 2 dogs and one prefers the crate at night. He loves his crate and I won’t take it away from him