By Sarah Groves Dog Training - your puppy trainer covering Neath Port Talbot and Swansea.
When you get a puppy, the internet is mindblowlingly FULL of differing opinions on mulitple topics - whether to have a crate or not for your dog is just another one!
Some people wouln't know how they would have even coped with puppyhood without a crate, others find it cruel and unnecessary.
But what do we even use the crate for? And what are the advantages?
What is a crate?
The dog crate or cage is an indoor secure area which can be used to allow a safe space for your puppy. In my opinion, they don't look very 'pretty' or inviting, but are designed to be easily cleaned and maintained.
Should my puppy have a crate?
The crate can be a fantastic tool for creating a safe, secure space for your puppy - keeping them out of trouble and away from danger when you're not able to keep your eyes on what they're up to.
Puppies explore, bite, chew, put things in their mouth that they shouldn't have so having this space will just prevent puppy from developing any of these unwanted habits and will help to avoid a trip to the vets!
Not only that - puppies need A LOT of sleep - roughly 17 hours a day when they are at the young 8 to 12 weeks of age. Most puppies will quickly get overstimulated when given too much space and freedom around the house, and will not just go for a nap when they need to, so having the crate can be fantastic for allowing enforced nap times.
How to introduce the crate to your puppy
If you're really lucky, your puppy's breeder would have started the leg work for you with getting the pups used to being settled in a crate from the get go - but most of the time this is not the case, so you will need to start from scratch.
You want your pup to percieve the crate as an AMAZING place to be - safe, warm and a place that makes them feel good!
With this in mind, there are a few steps to take to get to this result, and it may take a few days.
1) Line the bottom of the crate with a couple of warm blankets to make it super comfortable.
2) Put a few puppy treats or a few pieces of you pups own food allowance in the crate. Allow your puppy to go investigate.
3) Once your pup has wandered into the crate and eaten the pieces of food, he may stay in there for a while longer - in which case you have a chance to put a few more pieces of food/treats in there. The pup may wander out - soon realise that being in the crate was a better choice for getting goodies and will wander back in. As soon as pup wanders back in you can place a few more pieces of treats/food in there - repeat!
4) Your pup may choose to hang out for a little longer - there's no harm in giving a chew in there to allow puppy to relax.
5) If your pup falls asleep through the day, you can use this opportunity to place your pup in the crate to nap - your pup may even choose to nap in the crate by this point!
Over time build up the time that they are in the crate for - some puppies will quickly start going in the crate to chill out and sleep on their own accord, other puppies will take a little longer.
What not to do with the crate
1) Don't lock your puppy in the crate on first introduction to allow him to 'figure it out' for himself.
This can be very distressing for your puppy and can be the start of building negative associations with the space. Your pup will quickly learn that the crate is a place which makes him feel distressed and unsafe.
2) Don't leave your puppy in the crate alone for hours unnattended.
3) Don't allow any children or other animals climb into the crate when your pup is inside - you want this to be a special place where your puppy can feel safe without interrruption, Children or other animals going into the crate while your pup is inside will not allow your pup an escape route if he feels uneasy, which can resort in a puppy who may growl or bite.
4) If your puppy has had any previous history of having an unpleasant time in a crate, then avoid rushing the process and take one step at a time.
What size crate?
This is another topic with many different opinions online, but from my experience the bigger the better.
The set up which I find most appealing is a crate with the door open and a play pen surrounding the crate. This allows a little more space for puppy while keeping them safe. This is also good for dogs who feel uneasy with confinement.
Is it cruel to use a crate?
The answer to this is it really depends on the intention of the use - if your puppy sees it as a safe and amazing place to be, then there's nothing cruel about that!
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