Crate Training

[SeriouslyStrongCheddar]

Hiya

We're in the process of adopting a resuce dog who should be with us in the next few weeks. She is around 8 / 9 months old. I have a 'soft' crate (one of the ones that can fold down and pack away) and am undecided about whether to crate train her or not (I also suspect the crate is a bit big for her as wasn't bought specifically with her in mind). I can shut her in the kitchen with a child / pet gate until she settles and we don't have any 'accidents' but there's no heating in the kitchen and I worry she'd be cold, even with a snuggly bed & blanket!

Can anyone offer any advice or opinions on whether she would benefit from being crate trained, and if so what the best way to go about it is? I know it will keep her safe from chewing things she shouldn't, but I'm not sure if she's a chewer or not; guess we'll find out! As we have cats / a baby I'm guessing a place of peace and quiet would be a welcome retreat for her, but am not sure if this would work with the crate open or if she needs to be used to it being closed. Would it just be a case of feeding her in there and closing the door for increasing lengths of time while I potter around? I have a kong toy etc that I can leave with her to keep her occupied if we do this.

I'm probably over complicating this...

[foolonthehill]

Disclaimer I am not an expert....

But I like crates a lot...it gives a safe enclosed space to retreat to for the dog and it is easy to teach children to leave a dog alone when in there. If you are out you know he/she is safe and not chewing on an electric cable etc. You can also go out knowing that your bin/the food cupboards/the counter top are safe (my dogs have been remarkably resourceful in the past!. In the car they are safe and restrained if you are in an accident (no random loose frightened dogs for rescue services to deal with). All the dogs that I have had and trained to them have loved them (all rescues from10 months to 5 years)

Crate training requires the crate to be closed whilst training to it.

[foolonthehill]

Acclimatisation
Start by leaving the crate door open, and place all your dog?s toys just inside the door. Hence if they want a toy they will have to climb into the crate a bit and retrieve it. You can also use special treats as a further encouragement to enter the crate. Day by day, move the toys or treats further back. It will only take a day or two before your dog starts to go into the crate to lie down.
After a few days of napping and sleeping in the open crate, quietly close the door (preferably while your dog is asleep) and leave it closed for a few minutes or until they wake up. Once awake, open the door, praise them and release them from the crate.
Gradually build up the amount of time the crate door is kept closed. Eventually, you will be able to stay in the room, with the door closed, and your dog will lie there quietly until they fall asleep.
Once this is comfortable for your dog, leave the house, and then return immediately. Move on to leaving your dog for longer and longer periods of time (3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes, 1/2 an hour, and so on), until you do not hear any barking or crying at any point.
Continue increasing the time and work on trying to get a fixed routine of leaving the house (i.e. picking up your keys, putting your coat on etc)
-After acclimatisation-
Put your dog in its crate at regular intervals during the day up to a maximum of 2 hours.
Don't crate only when you are leaving the house. Place the dog in the crate while you are home as well. Use it as a "safe" zone
By crating when you are home AND while you are gone, your dog becomes comfortable in the crate and not worried that you will not return, or that you are leaving him/her alone. This helps to prevent separation anxiety later in life.
Give your dog a chew toy for distraction and be sure to remove collar and tags which could become caught in an opening.
Make it very clear to children that the crate is NOT a playhouse for them, but a "special room" for the dog,
Although the crate is your dog's haven and safe place, it must not be off-limits to humans. Acclimatise your dog from the outset to letting you reach inside at anytime.
Do not let the dog out of the crate while they are barking or they will think that barking is the key to opening the door to the crate. Wait until the barking or whining has stopped for at least 10 seconds before letting them out.
Finally, but most importantly: never use the crate as a punishment - it is their haven, a place of safety and security and should not be associated with any negative experiences.

hope this helps

[SeriouslyStrongCheddar]

Thanks fool.

So, I guess the way forward is to pop her in the kitchen for the first few nights with her crate, so she can at least sleep in it with the door open to start with, then, crate train during the day.

[foolonthehill]

The rescue will be able to tell you what happens and how she is at night. If she is anxious about separation you may want to give her a gradual increase in tiime on her own overnight (eg sleep on sofa in lounge with her in same room for most of the night) leaving her for just one hour and working up form there.

Of course she may have no separation anxiety and be fine straight away. Also she may have been introduced to a crate already depending on where she came from.