Dog Training: Using a Dog Kennel as a Dog’s Personal Space: Part 2
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Many experienced dog people use a crate with pup, from the very first day that the new member of the family is brought home. The crate becomes the pup’s private sanctuary in the house and it is the pup’s mobile home, if there is any necessary travel. This will hold true when pup is an adult dog too. There are a few things that can help teach pup that the crate is a good place.
There is an old saying: ‘a tired pup is a good pup’. Pups are full of energy but in limited supply. When pup is tired, sleep comes easily. Experienced dog people take advantage of this sleepiness in crate training. When pup falls asleep, they place pup in the crate. There may be a soft blanket in the crate and perhaps pup’s favourite toy. When pup stirs and wakes, he/she finds herself in the crate.
It is up to the owner to watch carefully for the first few days. When pup wakes, he/she will need to go out. Therefore, by catching pup as he/she is waking, it is possible to give a happy greeting and to take pup outside. The attention to this timing pays dividends in many ways. First, the happy greeting creates the impression for the pup that this is a good place to be - and a good place in which to wake up. (The lesson will not be lost upon pup that this might be a good place to take a nap when necessary.) The second benefit is that this is an excellent way to house train. Pup will less likely soil in its den and a quick glance will tell you if pup is awake. As soon as pup is awake, your greeting will be a distraction and you have an opportunity to take pup outside. The third thing is that by catching pup while he/she is just waking, you prevent pup from whining and making noise to catch your attention. You teach pup that you are attentive to its needs and that no whining or barking is necessary.
If you have missed pup waking and there is some whining and barking, try to wait for a break in the noise. When there is a vocal break, quickly appear, tell pup that that is a “good quiet” (or some term that you would like to use) and rush pup outdoors. In this way, you are not reinforcing the barking and whining and, in the process, teaching pup to understand what the term “quiet” means. As you see, your attentiveness for the first couple of days prevents a myriad of problems. It is well worth the time to stay close and catch pup when he/she is waking.
There are other things that traditionally have been suggested to accustom pup to the crate. Some of these are:
- placing pup’s food and water in the kennel.
- placing a favourite toy in the crate. This is where pup can always find its toy.
- tossing a dog cookie in the crate and saying “kennel”. Pup will learn that this means to go in its home and that there is a nice treat waiting in there.
The crate is pup’s home. It is not a prison - it is pup’s personal space. As such, the crate should be introduced to pup in the positive manner possible. It is pup’s sanctuary and a tool that you will use daily, for years and years - and your dog will appreciate it because you started correctly.
Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/
[tags]dogs, dog training, puppies, house training, kennels, security, personal space, barking, timing, catherine forsythe[/tags]
2 Comments
Mark
May 31st, 2007
at 6:58pm
We recently (~3 weeks ago) adopted a dog from that came from a puppy mill. She is ~4 years old & has not been exposed to people. She spends most of the day in her crate, except the times we invite her outside & she goes with our other dog, a 7 year old golden.
We can tell that she wants to “join in” but lacks the confidence to interact. IE she will go outside the crate when (she thinks) no one else is in the room& is very happy outside the house, but has not assimilated into our “indoor” family yet.
She has a great personality but has significant trust issues w/ people. She likes attention but only when in the crate and still frightens easily when approached by family members. She does not display aggressive behavior & has fantastic potential, but we are not sure how to help her assimilate.
Any suggestions on how to restore a dog’s spirit?
Thank you!
forsythe
May 31st, 2007
at 7:48pm
Mark,
Kudos to you and your family for taking on this huge project with this dog. I have many suggestions but I will give them to you in detail, as you and the dog progress.
First of all, there should be one person to help this dog rebuild her confidence. This one family member should have loads of patience. Progress will be slow - but there will be progress. And the dog will let us know how we are doing. - And expect setbacks. That is going to be the nature of this rehabilitation. It is not a straight line forward. At times, it may seem like one step forward and two steps back. That will be frustrating but that is how this will work. It is important to remember that and not be discouraged.
Once you have selected the one person to do the rehabilitation, have this person lie on the floor outside the crate. Have the crate door open so that the dog can leave the crate and retreat back to the sanctuary, as she sees fit. Have the person lie on his/her back (and it is important that it is an ‘on the back’ presentation) and have some tasty treats near the person - and available for the dog. This should happen with just the person and the dog. Please have the other people in the household remove themselves. And, please put your happy golden elsewhere. There is serious rehabilitation happening.
The dog’s nose will tell her that there is something good and interesting by the person. She may venture out of her crate - or she may not. Do not try to encourage her verbally. That will distract her. The dog must decide to be bold and to trust this person. It is a big big big decision. And do not look at her. Just glace at her once in a while - look at the ceiling.
If she does venture out, praise quietly and sincerely after she has been out a while. The dog has made a bold move. Let the dog have the treat and accept this as the first goal. If you reach this step, you have made major progress with her. When she has had her treat and goes back to the kennel, the person should leave quietly.
If the dog does not venture out, that is fine. In time, she will. After about a half hour, leave. The treats remain on the floor for the dog. You want this whole experience to be positive. Do the same thing the next day and the next day and the next day… it will take time.
Two things that I want to mention: Do not yell at this dog. This will crush her. She is watching intently for any sign that she is not pleasing you and the family. Strong disapproval will set her back. A quick “no” or a stern look is all that is necessary.
The second thing is that you might see some house soiling, when the dog is trying to leave her crate. This is not a house training issue. It is a fear issue. The best thing that you can do is to ignore it. You are trying to build confidence and boldness. That is difficult. By comparison, house training is easy.
I hope, Mark, that this helps. If you like, I can help you in this tread or open a topic on this dog. Others may want to see how you progress. I will leave that up to you. If you have any questions whatsoever, I would be happy to explain in greater detail. I want you to be absolutely certain about these instructions. Remember, this dog wants to please you - and her fear and history of abuse are in the way. We will help her.
Catherine