What are the pros and cons of crate training a dog?
Can someone tell me the F? R and cons of crate training a dog and Could You Please Give some details?
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Can someone tell me the F? R and cons of crate training a dog and Could You Please Give some details?
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Done properly there are no cons.
pros
Your dog has their own space to get away from other things people and animals
Easier to travel long distances with a crate trained one than one who hasn’t been and is suddenly presented with on
Less freak out should your dog have to be crated for any reason – boarding, overnight stays at vets, travel, enforced bed rest after injury/surgery etc
When having work done in /on your home it keeps your dogs out of the way and out of trouble
When dealing with a young puppy keeps them safe when you simply cannot supervise – out of the home, showering etc. I’ve seen plenty of puppies climb out of x pens. I have yet to have one puppy/dog escape from a crate that is properly put together and secured.
Pros: You can be sure that your dog will not chew the house up while you’re gone. The dog will feel it is a place of safety. It will most likely not go to the bathroom in there.
Cons: The first few nights are gonna be a living hell. No sleep whatsoever!
There are no “cons”!
To be honest, I don’t understand what IS meant by crate training unless it means using a crate without the dog going nuts. I first saw dogs being crated after we left the UK, many years ago, at dog shows. Being more used to benched shows in the UK, this looked strange, but appropriate as you had to have somewhere to put a dog without having to hang onto the end of the lead, while waiting to go into the ring. So we bought crates and used them at shows. That extended to crating some of my hounds overnight to keep them out of mischief. For our puppies at that time, we had a puppy pen, once we were finished with the whelping box, for those we ran on. This didn’t involve using crates.
However, it was obvious that the crate was going to be useful for recovering patients as well as those who needed to be crated overnight or shown. I was never really aware of doing any ‘training’ per se. We simply put a nice bed in the crates, and when needed, our hounds settled into their crates without comment.
I’ve never used a crate for house training. And never would as I don’t believe that puppies can be forced to hold. If they need to empty, if shut in a crate, they will just ‘go’ in the crate. Adults don’t normally mess where they sleep, but again, if allowed out regularly, there should be no possible need for them to be emptying in a crate – and that has nothing to do with crate training. I’ve had the odd one who loathed a crate and would be hysterical if shut in there. I never forced it if that happened.
My best pro for using a crate is to keep a puppy out of danger/mischief when they can’t be supervised. My current two youngsters were crated, in with me at night, from day one and are still crated at night (although not by day now at all) but that’s mainly because we rent, and I don’t want unexpected messes around the property. I also prefer to crate mine when travelling in the car. It’s far safer.
Cons – well dogs should never be shut in crates 24/7. Puppies shouldn’t be crated for longer than 2 hours at a stretch, and adults not longer than 4 hours without being allowed out to relieve themselves. Nighttime apart. I do believe that people are using crates far more than was ever intended. Rabbits and gerbils etc. live in cages, don’t shouldn’t – ever.
The crate becomes the dog’s place, his own. He keeps some of his toys and his fave blanket in it. One of the things about a crate is that humans can’t get in. If there are people around that the dog isn’t sure of (workmen or over-enthusiastic children, for example) the dog has his “safe-place” crate to go to.
The other side is that you have a place to put the dog if you need to. I live in an apartment building and when the fire alarm goes off, all the pets come down in crates. It’s easy to get your dog into his crate, whether it’s an emergency or not, because it’s his own space. Also that’s how you bring him to the vet. or in a car for anything.
The con’s first -
Crate training is not something that happens in a week or even two- three weeks. It take patience, sacrifice, knowledge, consistency, more patience, and even more sacrifice. There are many wrong ways to crate train and, only one correct way.
The pro’s having a happy mentally healthy dog that is well adjusted and know that they have a safe place to be that they consider their own. The added benefit is that you can put your dog in a crate and know that they are content, safe and will not get into trouble while you are unable to monitor them.
Crates can be misused. You can’t just throw the dog in it and forget about it. But used properly, it is one of the best tools available to a dog owner. I never leave a dog in a crate when I am around to watch it and try to never leave a dog more than 4-5 hours in a crate. For how I use a crate for housebreaking, see
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110321204022AAOaU3P
Many people don’t use crates and get along fine. They fool themselves into thinking others could train their dogs not to need a crate. Other dogs may not be as bad as the young Labs I am plagued with. Still your house and dog will be much safer with the dog in a crate when you are away. The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. They are harder for dogs to open too. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can’t pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.
Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don’t leave anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.
A dog that has not been crated since it was little, make take some work. Start out just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate. Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding time for more than one dog.
Crate or no crate, unless you let it sleep with you, the puppies first few night can be rough. One desperate night many puppies ago I found a solution. Puppies are known for crying the first few nights. I have never had much luck with the old clock or radio tricks. What I do is lay down by the crate like I was going to sleep there. Usually a puppy may fuss a little, but then settle down and go to sleep. Once it is asleep, you can get up and go to bed.
I can’t think of a single disadvantage of using a crate.