Crate training, also known as crate conditioning, involves teaching your dog to accept the crate as a natural part of their daily routine. The crate is one of the most overlooked tools in the dog lifestyle. It is a safe and comfortable space where a dog can rest if they’re too stressed or when your attention needs to be elsewhere. A crate allows them to decompress and process the skills they have just learned and practiced. Some owners, however, feel the crate resembles a jail and decide against it or stop using it when their dog reaches a certain age. First, the comparison to a prison. This should not matter as the benefits of the crate far outweigh the perception, and, objectively speaking, it’s not a prison. It’s helpful to think of the crate as your dog’s room - their personal domain. Second, while no longer crate training at a certain age is dependent on lifestyle and need, your dog must recognize this as a regular occurrence. There are various situations in which a dog may be crated, and being able to calm down once inside is a vital skill.

  • Vet & Grooming

    Most veterinary practices and grooming salons utilize crates. For vets, a crate will be used pre- and post-surgery, as well as while awaiting specific exams. Most grooming salons use kennels to manage the dogs within their care. While some, like Le Pawsh, encourage a kennel-free environment, there are times when kennels must be used for safety and crowding reasons.

  • Boarding & Travel

    In the event of a planned vacation where you need to board your dog, or an emergency boarding situation, a kennel or crate will most likely be used.

  • Lost

    If your dog were to become lost, they would most likely be picked up by animal control and kept on a shelter hold. If your dog were to bite and draw blood, they would be put down - no questions asked.

While there are certainly living situations in which a crate would not be utilized, conditioning it is a valuable skill that serves multiple purposes.

Sleep & Processing

Sleep is an essential tool for your dog’s learning and information absorption. Sleep deprivation affects your dog’s development, mood, energy, and overall well-being. Your dog must get adequate rest after any mentally or physically taxing activity, and especially after training. This includes longer walks, playtime, and encounters that are difficult or stressful.

When asleep, a dog’s body and mind switch into a recovery and processing mode. Their muscles can begin to rebuild, their joints can settle, and their energy can level. More importantly, their minds become sponges for everything that was taught, as well as how to handle the stressors that may have previously occurred. If deprived of sleep after training, a dog will be unable to process and retain the lessons taught mentally. In fact, the quicker you put your dog away to sleep after these events, the better they will retain information, as the processing will be focused on the lessons. Too much time in between introduces other variables that may take precedence over your training. This can lead to a ‘data-dump’ of the valuable skills, encounters, and learning that you worked on.

The importance of sleep cannot be overstated.

Once conditioned, the crate structure can be utilized at key points of the day.

  • After Meals

    After your dog finishes a meal, they should not be allowed to run around and play. Their stomachs are like a big zip-lock bag with an entry and exit at opposing corners. When running and playing with a full stomach, it can flip over vertically, closing the passageways. The weight of the contents within the stomach holds it in this flipped position. This is called bloat, which can be fatal and is more prevalent in larger dogs. Crate training your dog after meals ensures they can relax and sleep, allowing their food to digest properly. Alternatively, a calm walk can help them digest their food more effectively.

  • After Training Processing

    This allows your dog to process everything from basic behavior training to challenging encounters.

  • When you cannot devote time to training

    If you are unable to decor

Walks and training sessions are your new normal with your dog. Using the crate after these events encourages calm in the home, allowing them to relax, sleep, and decompress. Dogs, especially puppies, may decide to follow you and try to engage instead of taking the opportunity to recover. Moreover, taxing walks and training sessions that involve heightened stress, the acquisition of a new skill, or exploration can benefit from the crate, as your dog will be allowed to process these experiences.

Crate Sizing

The size of the crate that you use for your dog is primarily dependent on the size of your dog. This might mean that you may need to upgrade to a larger crate size as your dog grows. An appropriately sized crate is large enough for a dog to stand and turn around in, though not enough room for them to play in or soil, and comfortably lie at the opposite side. Though not true denning animals like the wolf, dogs naturally seek out small spaces to shelter in, for short-term use. The crate must be sized to reflect a small den that a dog would utilize in the wild.

After a crate has been conditioned and entirely normalized, the importance of size diminishes, particularly in terms of it being too large. However, during the conditioning phase, particularly with puppies, a crate that is too large allows them to seek reinforcement by pacing, jumping, and exerting energy, running counterintuitive to the overall purpose of the tool. Moreover, a larger space will allow a puppy to soil in the crate and avoid the mess.

Crate Style

Wire Crate

This is the most common crate style on the market. The construction consists of coated metal wires that form a rectangular cube. This style is available in several variations, including an extra door (one in front and the other on the side) or a removable divider. This style is naturally open on all sides, allowing a dog to see out easily from all directions. These crates should be avoided if your dog is aggressive or likes to chew at things when stressed, as there is a risk of their teeth getting caught on the wire construction. Fitted covers and wood tops can be purchased for these, making them more functional and serving additional purposes.

Plastic Crate

This style typically consists of a top shell and a bottom shell that attach in the middle. Other than the wire door that comes with these, there is very little for a dog to chew on or injure themselves on when inside.

Wooden Crate

Wooden crates are typically more expensive than the wire or plastic crate, and come in all sorts of shapes, incorporating everything from wires to bars.

Metal Crate

Though wire crates are made of metal, this particular style is more heavy-duty, consisting of full metal walls, floor, door, and ceiling. There are companies that offer these crates with a foldable and locking design. Due to its heavy-duty construction, this style is the safest for travel inside a car, but it will occupy a considerable amount of space.

Crate Training Theory

As we’ve established, the crate is a place for your dog to sleep, process information, digest, and be managed. We want the crate to be a positive and relaxing place for your dog, particularly in the conditioning phase. To begin, you’ll want to help your dog associate the inside of the crate with reinforcement, meaning that when they go inside, good things happen. There is a popular sentiment that is spread, which states that crates should not be used as punishment for dogs. This is half true. If done correctly, the crate isn’t a punishment; rather, it is the removal of them from the situation they want to be in. With that said, do not use the crate with punishment unless guided by and with DYAD.

Crate Training

As we’ve established, the crate is a place for your dog to sleep, process information, digest, and be managed. We want the crate to be a positive and relaxing place for your dog, particularly in the conditioning phase. To begin, you’ll want to help your dog associate the inside of the crate with reinforcement, meaning that when they go inside, good things happen. There is a popular sentiment that is spread, which states that crates should not be used as punishment for dogs. This is half true. If done correctly, the crate isn’t a punishment; rather, it is the removal of them from the situation they want to be in. With that said, do not use the crate with punishment unless guided by and with DYAD.