Making the Crate a Safe Haven for Your Pup

Having the ability to be quiet and comfortable in a crate is, in my opinion, an important skill for any pup to have - for many reasons:

• As a young pup or a dog new to a household, that pup may not have the skills initially to handle having free reign without having potty accidents, chewing on the wrong items, or getting themselves in trouble - so using a crate to limit that pup's options keeps a pup from making so many mistakes when she is not being monitored closely.
• You never know when your pup may have to be crated in the future - say, at a vet's office for observation or after a medical procedure (such as restricted activity for 1-2 weeks after being neutered/spayed), when visiting a friend's house and needing a break from the activity, or when staying overnight in a hotel (many hotels have policies against a dog being left uncrated in a room when unattended).
• A crate can be a great place for a pup to get the rest and recharging that they need, especially since young pups need about 18-20 hours of sleep a day (and if they are around consistent activity, they may not think to stop and nap - or may get frequently interrupted when they do!).  Using a crate for nap time can be like putting a baby down for a nap in their playpen, and we can more easily ensure that your pup can get quality nap time (which helps keep your pup from having crazy overtired tantrums!)
• A crate can be a safe and secure way to travel in a car, so the pup does not become a distraction to the driver or a projectile in the event of stopping short or going too quickly around a turn.
• If we can make a crate a "safe space" for a pup to be, we can then utilize that space to help a pup acclimate to a new environment or to feel more comfortable when additional stressors (such as company) come into their environment.
• Crating can help build a pup's ability to be independent and still feel secure even when she can't be with you.  If your pup is used to following you everywhere and doesn't get much of her own independent time, we can accidentally create a hyper attachment or separation anxiety issue in the future.

Sometimes it can be easy for us humans to think of the crate as "restrictive" or "being caged", but we must remember that most of a dog's life is about associations - if we make the crate a positive place to be, the dog will not see it as "jail" and will instead see it as a safe haven to relax and decompress, especially since many dogs like to sleep or rest in a den-like environment.

Here are some ways you can make a positive association with being in the crate for your pup...

Set up the crate as if it were a playpen: include a soft item to lay on/snuggle against such as a blanket or towel, some durable chew toys that your pup will not be able to destroy/swallow small pieces, maybe even a puzzle toy (such as a KONG or lick mat stuffed with a tasty spreadable snack) that she can entertain herself with.  For some pups, it makes the crate feel less isolating if they have a "buddy" in there with them - such as a Snuggle Puppy Heartbeat Stuffed Toy.  And some pups do better when the crate can be covered with a sheet or blanket to block out some of the external stimuli and make it feel more "den-like". 

Make it like a party to go in there!  It's important that the puppy wants to go in the crate and doesn't feel forced.  First, think of what verbal cue you'd like to use to get your puppy to go into her crate - I use "go kennel."  Next, bring your puppy up to the front of the crate and gently hold your puppy around the chest as you show her some tasty, high value treats.   Toss those treats to the back of the kennel and hold your puppy back for a second - don't let her go in right away, even if she wants to go in after the treats (you want her to build up some anticipation and excitement).  Let go of your pup at the same time that you say "go kennel!" and watch your pup happily romp in to gobble up her treats!  The idea here is to make her like hearing the cue "go kennel" and be happy to go in, not hesitating with a "do I have to?" kind of attitude.

Continue to reinforce your pup for being calm and quiet in the crate.  This is why you want to practice crating when you are home as well, and not only when you leave or are sleeping (since you cannot reinforce her during those times).  While your pup is in her crate, periodically return to her in a very nonchalant way and casually toss a high value treat into her crate (be sure it ends up in her crate and does not bounce out or she will get frustrated trying to get to it!)  I would not recommend talking to her or even really looking at her during these times, as you do not want her to think it is about you coming back to her - you want her to think that the crate is like "the magic box" and good things happen in there.  Then casually turn away and leave again or go back to what you were doing (emails, housework, etc).  Splitting your attention between your task and periodically rewarding your pup for being in the crate is a good way of building your pup's independence and understanding that even if she can't be with you, she isn't missing out on much - to the contrary, she can enjoy some of her time in her very own space!

Here's an example of what this looks like...

**SOME NOTES** 

• Timing is key here.  You want to return to reinforce your pup while she is still quiet, getting ahead of any whining or barking.  You do NOT want to return to your pup if she is barking, as this will reinforce that if she carries on you will come to "rescue" her.  If your pup starts to cry or bark, it means too much time has passed between reinforcements and you need to adjust your timing to return to her more frequently.  Sometimes even a few seconds can seem like an eternity for a young pup!  Then with more practice, you can gradually prolong the amount of time between reinforcements until you can fade them altogether.
• Initially, since you may be rewarding every few seconds, you will likely use many food rewards and we don't want your puppy to become roly poly ;-).  I specifically recommend setting aside some of your pup's daily food amount to use in these training moments - it does not have to be a different kind of training treat, though you may want to add a few of these in for variety and value's sake.  For example, if your puppy eats 1 cup of food 3 times per day, then I might cut 1/3 to 1/2 cup out of one of those meals to use as reinforcement during training instead.  There is no rule that says a pup has to eat all of its food in its food bowl so this is where you can really make it count!
• You may want to start with short increments at first - maybe 5-10 minutes at a time - and it can be helpful to practice crating when your pup is already tired and mentally/emotionally ready for a nap anyway (such as after a bit of training, socialization, play or activity).
• Let sleeping puppies lie!  If your pup is napping, try not to wake her up unless it's absolutely necessary.  You will also not need to keep tossing treats in to her if it looks like she is starting to fall asleep - just let nature do what it does and let her body fall into a restful state!

The location can make a difference.  If your pup is new to the household, being separated in a completely far away area of the house can feel very daunting and scary - so this is when it may be best to have the crate in your bedroom or a quiet corner of the living room, etc., closer to where you are.  Or if you have a lot of activity going on in the main part of the house, your pup may need to be crated in a quiet back room where she is not continuing to be stimulated by the things happening around her.  I often recommend having a crate in more than one area of the house so you can crate your pup in whichever area is most appropriate for that particular time.

Coming out of the crate is no big deal.  Sometimes we accidentally make a big to-do about the pup coming out of the crate - we are excited to be home to see her (and she's excited to see us), we want to hurry up to get her out of the crate first thing in the morning, etc. - so we accidentally feed into the idea that coming out of the crate is a wonderful thing.  Remember, we want her to think the opposite:  that going into the crate is great, and that coming out is no big deal.  This means we want to be sure not to let our puppy out of the crate until she is calm and quiet. 

If she is jumping, pawing or pushing at the crate door, we should calmly and quietly wait for her to calm herself down, maybe even sit, before you reach for the door or open the latch.  It's also a good idea to work on impulse control here by having her wait patiently inside the crate until you open the door far enough and then release her with a verbal cue such as "you're free" (or whichever release cue you choose) before she is allowed to come out.  If she tries to come out before you have released her, you just gently block her way with the crate door so she cannot rush out like a bull out of the gate, and have her try again.  With consistency, she will quickly learn to wait until you release her.  Lastly, while we can calmly acknowledge the puppy, we mustn't make a lot of fuss/get her amped up/etc.  when she comes out.  Instead, you can matter-of-factly go about your business - like turn and walk to the door to bring her outside to potty.

NEVER use the crate as punishment!  ALWAYS ask your pup to "go kennel" in a pleasant tone and reward your pup for going into the crate, even if you are putting her in the crate because she won’t stop chasing the cats or is doing some other annoying (but natural) puppy behavior.  Remember, we want to make her feel like the crate is still a good place for her to be - we do not want her to start avoiding the crate or associate the crate with your anger or frustration.

Putting all of these pieces together can result in a pup who LOVES her crate and won't ever hesitate going in when you ask her!  She may even prefer her crate to other rest areas around the house and truly see it as the "safe haven" that we intend for her, just like this...

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz... Snooze time....