Dog Log: Crate Familiarization

Among the crates.

I use three crates. The first is the black wire drop-pin crate that is a permanent fixture in my home - even if a dog is comfortable loose while I am away. This is treated as a sanctuary, used as a spot to let that den instinct kick in, and my dogs have generally been comfortable going in there to snooze from time to time. It was fully taken apart, scrubbed, and cleaned before Summer came home; while I am sure I didn't get all traces of Storm off of it I wanted to get as much "stressed geriatric" smell off of it as I could. That's important. If you lock your dog in a crate that smells like the built-up panted saliva of a stressed, dementia-suffering geriatric they can smell that and may take cues from it, expecting something terrible to happen to them. The drop-pin construction sucks to put together but it's so much easier to clean fully in this situation.

The Workhorse.

The second crate is a soft-sided crate with hollow metal tube frame and a front and top opening. This crate is stored in my car's trunk and is used when I am traveling and will be near my dog when they use it. I never recommend leaving a dog alone in a soft-side unless you are absolutely sure the dog will not panic or attempt to escape by biting, scratching, or jumping at/in the crate. In the past I've asked clients whether they'd stake their dogs' safety on their affirmative answers to that statement - because that's essentially what they are doing. A frightened dog can make a soft crate collapse on top of them, and injury during struggle is likely and, sometimes, severe.

The third is a hard crate and is used if my dog is staying with somebody or if I am traveling and my dog may be left alone for periods of time. When my dog stays with someone I make sure to arrive early to set up the hard crate and arrange it - put the blanket in, make sure my dog sees me hand over The Good Treats to their caretaker, ritualistically unpack toys. It shows my dog that I have control over what is happening and establishing a safe place for them.

You probably noticed a pattern in the above paragraphs. After describing all three crates I (absentmindedly) gave little notes about either reducing anxiety in a dog or the use of a tool with an anxious dog. It's not a coincidence. As a canine behaviorist the overwhelming majority of my cases involve some sort of anxiety in various complexities and layers.

Crate anxiety is a common issue, and it really isn't difficult to see why. Many rescued dogs suffer from some sort of crate hesitence, anxiety, or all-out fear due to the act of being suddenly taken to a shelter and being locked in an enclosure all the time until somebody new takes them away. Another common source of crate anxiety are new or crate-inexperienced owners that use the crate as a method of punishment or convenience ONLY without first establishing the crate as a safe place.

...so why do I currently have three crates set up in my one-bedroom apartment?

Summer has been home for just over two months now. I am satisfied with her comfort level in the wire crate (she came to me with no known crate issues, but I always err on the side of caution with a rescue or rehome lest I unwittingly cause some regression) and it is time to take that den instinct that I continued to cultivate in her new home here and extend it to the other crates she will be using. It's basically giving her an extended trial run before I need to put her in a crate in a strange place. Giving her time to acclimate to the space will likely lead to less anxiety when it used normally or in an emergency situation. High anxiety in a crate, of course, can lead to all sorts of things: barking or crying, chewing the crate, loose stools or urination, even guarding and biting depending on the situation.

How do you get a dog used to a crate?

* Do not make a huge deal about assembling the crate. Bring it in, set it up, leave the door open, leave it be. Be gentle during assembly, but let noises happen (the click of the frame, a dropped wire side) without calling attention to them. Using words, voice, or actions to hype up a dog may lead to distrust of the object or anxiety - especially in an easily-activated dog or a dog with an overall anxious nature.

* Put your dog's favorite blanket or bed inside and leave it there. Make sure it's good and stinky; you want it to be abundantly clear that this is their space. Don't react as they explore; remember that the goal is to manufacture normalcy. When sniffing or putting in that exploratory paw your dog is testing it out for himself, which is the most powerful form of learning. If you interrupt that by screeching about what a good dog he is or by sticking your phone in his face for a picture you may not only discourage his process but send it hurtling backwards. After they've gotten in there and have gotten obviously comfortable a few times it's fine to offer some gentle encouragement when you walk by - but not much is needed before that.

(As if to illustrate my point, Summer just walked into the hard crate, which I just introduced tonight, for the first time and is currently sniffing around and getting comfortable. I am quietly (and not obviously) observing. She just left on her own accord, unstressed, and I said nothing. Just another part of the landscape. Excellent.)

* Find The Good Treat and use it! The Good Treat is a treat that your dog only gets during events that may be otherwise difficult. This treat needs to be super attractive. Many dog owners use a food treat; Summer gets braunschweiger, but only with meds or when she is in her crate. I cut it up into cubes and keep it in a container. Then I just randomly go to the fridge, grab a few pieces, and then nonchalantly toss them into the back of the crate. She goes in, retrieves the treat, sniffs for more, and eventually leaves. Again, interaction is minimal here. Your dog likely knows that it's you tossing the treats in there, but it's still something that only materializes in the crate. This step can be harder for those with more play-driven dogs (using a toy can sometimes have an excitatory effect than a calming one) but can absolutely be tried.

* Continue to provide The Good Treat as you bring the crate into use. Use a solid, safe toy as a way to hold your dog's treat after you shut the crate door and leave. There are many brands that offer toys for heavy chewing and treat distribution. Summer is not a particularly heavy chewer but I still use a Kong and stick/smear braunschweiger on the inside because I know it is a safe product intended for this purpose. This is where folks that use toy as reward sometimes struggle with finding an appropriate crate reward; giving a toy that is easily shredded to a dog left alone in a crate is a hazardous situation. Good news, though: there are several toy lines now that make products specifically for toy-loving heavy chewers.

There are other crate-related topics I could go into, but I just thought the image of me and Summer hanging out among the crates was a fun image to share - and one that may need an explanation.