Crate Training as Preventative Medicine

Crate Training as Preventative Medicine

Close enough...

Not everyone wants or needs to crate their dog when they are out and that's okay.  Crating can certainly help with housetraining, preventing unsafe or destructive behaviours, and keeping pets from getting into things they shouldn't.  It can be a temporary management strategy for young pets who can be gradually given more freedom as they get older.

Even if you never have to crate your pet when you're out, crate training is still beneficial.  If your pet requires surgery or has a medical issue requiring strict kennel rest or restricted activity, if you need to travel with your pet, or if your pet needs to be crated to go to the vet (your cat or other small animal, for example), it's best that your pet is familiar and comfortable with the crate.  This is particularly true of small animals who only go in the crate to visit the veterinarian.  If they've had unhappy experiences at the vet or on car rides, they may associate their crate with these things.  Do your cats run and hide whenever you break out the crates?  Leave them out all the time (you can take the doors off so they don't accidentally close on your pet), make the crates a normal part of their environment, you can even toss a treat inside every once in a while as a nice surprise for them.

Crate Training

Putting your pet in a kennel or other confined space
 (such as in the kitchen with a baby gate) is not meant to be
 a punishment. If done correctly, your pet can learn to feel comfortable and secure in his crate and will likely go into it voluntarily.


Step One

Toss some treats in the kennel and keep the door open.  Start with a treat right at the entrance, then further back, then all the way back.  Do not close the door.  Do a few sessions each day (perhaps before his meals when he is hungry and after a good, long walk or play time when he is more relaxed), each session only needs to last about one to two minutes.


Step Two 
(Note that progressive steps may happen after a few minutes of training or after a few hours or even days of training, depending on your pet's previous experience with the kennel).  Please be patient and don't rush the process.  

Once he is going into the kennel without looking nervous about it, or is anticipating and going in the kennel on his own, then you can put a name to it (i.e. “go kennel” or “go to bed”).  First, say the word, then pause, then toss the treat.  Next, say the word followed by a gentle hand gesture towards the crate.  This time he doesn’t get the treat until he is already in the kennel.  Click or say “good!” and give him a treat, then let him exit, still do not close the door.

Remember, you want this kennel to be one of the best places he knows, so keep it positive!

Step Three 


Once your pet is entering the kennel on cue, shut the door for a very brief time (two or three seconds), feed a treat through the door, then open it right up again.

Step Four

When your pet is comfortable with the door being closed for three or more seconds, cue him to go inside, then close the door and give him some treats through the door.  Do this for five or six seconds and praise your pet for being inside the kennel, then open the door.  Keep everything calm and relaxed.

Step Five

Once your pet is in the kennel with the door closed comfortably, gradually increase the length of time (i.e. from 6 to 10 seconds), and start taking one or two steps away from the kennel, then coming back to him.  Slowly work your way up to going around a corner out of sight for just a second, and then returning.  If your pet starts to vocalize when you move away, or starts to paw at the door, slow down and go back a step.  We don't want your pet feeling anxious about the process, we want this to remain a positive experience.  

Step Six

Start preparing stuffed Kongs or other stuffed toys or treats that take a long time for your pet to eat, but are safe to chew unsupervised. 

For my dogs I like to fill a Kong and keep it in the freezer for when I need it.  It’s a refreshing treat for the pet, and takes him a longer time to work on it.  For cats or small animals, you could just put a few crunchies (wet food, kibble or treats) in an extra small Kong, let them eat it, then let them out of their carrier.  

Ask your pet to go into his kennel, give him the Kong, close the door, and let him enjoy.  

For dogs, if you are working on increasing the time in the kennel for when you are out, leave the house for – you guessed it – 10 or 15 seconds, and then return to your dog.  Gradually increase the length of time you stand on the front porch, and when you come back to your dog, remove the Kong.  He’ll start thinking that it’s better to be in the kennel because that’s where he gets the yummy stuff, and when mom or dad returns, the yummy stuff disappears. This is good, because he’s learning to like his alone time! 

*Important:  In order to prevent resource guarding behaviours, if your dog still has food in the Kong when you return, trade for something else (i.e. a soft, chewy treat or piece of meat).  This way he doesn't start to anticipate you returning and taking away his resource.  If your dog already struggles with resource guarding, please contact a qualified trainer to help you.

Steps 7+

Now all that’s left is very gradually increasing the time you are away and leaving your dog in his kennel with a yummy treat.  Start with a walk around the block, then a drive to the corner store, then a quick grocery trip, etc.  The more tired and relaxed your dog is when you start doing this, the better, so take him for a good long walk first and he may just have a little nap while you’re gone.  Some people find their pets are comforted by leaving the TV or radio on, or leaving a piece of their clothing in the kennel with their pet.  

The Key to Success

The key to success with crate training is to not push your pet before he’s ready and to keep everything relaxed and positive.  Each step can take a day or a week or a month to complete; it all depends on your pet's previous experience with the crate and his personality and learning history. Keep the sessions short (one to two minutes at a time) and sweet with lots of treats and praise for being in the kennel. 

The End Goal:  Never force your pet into the crate, especially if you are frustrated with him. You want the pet to learn that crate = GOOD STUFF!

Important

If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, isolation distress, or confinement distress, please seek out a qualified and compassionate trainer for help.  Ensure the trainer you find plans to help your pet feel more comfortable with being crated and/or being left alone, rather than correcting the behaviours stemming from his anxiety or distress.  For more information on this, see Jillian's blog post "You Cannot Correct The Fear Out of Your Dog".  This blog post also has some suggestions for good places to find a trainer if you are struggling to find one in your area.

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

To learn more, please visit or website, or visit us on Facebook.

www.Facebook.com/PawsPetMB

You Cannot "Correct" The Fear Out of Your Dog

You Cannot "Correct" The Fear Out of Your Dog

Seriously.

First of all, fear isn't logical, it's a primal emotion meant to keep us safe.  If you feel afraid this will hopefully help you to avoid a dangerous situation.  Unfortunately sometimes our warning systems go a little awry and we become scared of things that can't actually harm us in any way.  Or sometimes we just feel a little wary or nervous about something because we don't know enough about a situation - also important evolutionarily, so that we gather enough data before we proceed with something that may or may not be risky.  Sometimes our brains make connections between things that aren't actually connected, as I described in a previous blog post, "pawsitive = fear free".  

Some scientifically inaccurate information has been floating around for quite some time advising us to not comfort or show affection to our pets when they are afraid because we will "reward" the fear.  This similarly misinformed advice also encourages us to "correct" our dog when they are afraid to somehow put them in a different frame of mind.  Now, it's one thing to pleasantly distract a dog when they have to endure something they don't like (i.e. feeding a dog treats while the vet staff have to take his temperature), but it's something different if you're trying to correct the fear out of your dog.  This won't work and will likely make the fear worse.  Think of a time when you've been afraid or nervous.  If someone gave you a smack on the shoulder and said "snap out of it", or stepped on your toe and said "stop that!", would that help you feel any better?  You might just feel annoyed at the person, not to mention have a sore shoulder or toe.  You may even try to hide your outward signs of anxiety to avoid another smack from your friend, but here's the problem: suppressing emotions or their resulting behaviours is certainly not the same thing as changing them.  

If your dog is feeling afraid and you yank his leash or poke his side, you're likely to put him more on edge and create further negative associations rather than "correcting" his emotions.  Even if he stops doing whatever behaviour you disapproved of, this only suppresses his ability to communicate his discomfort to you and does not improve his internal experience.  You can, however, do something called counterconditioning.  This is a wonderful process by which you take something the dog doesn't like and help him make positive associations with it.  

One example happened recently without me even having to do anything (it's kind of nice when things work out that way!)

Recently our son started taking the bus home from school.  We meet the bus at the end of our laneway, which is a few minutes' walk from our front door, so I decided to take my dog with me for a little sniff and potty break on the way.  The first time the bus pulled up, our dog that tends to be nervous of new things, was of course unsure.  The bus is large, makes noise, and she's probably never seen one up close before in her life.  She tucked her tail and hid behind my leg a little bit.  Then our son came off the bus.  Our girl (Phoenix) just loves our son.  They have a great relationship and she is always happy to see him.  When she saw him come of the bus her tail began to wag, her body relaxed, and she moved towards him (and the bus), excited to greet her buddy.  

The next day I took her with me again to meet the bus.  When she saw the bus, instead of cowering or tucking her tail, she immediately looked relaxed and happy: her tail wagging, moving towards the bus.  

What happened?

Yes, she learned that our son comes off the bus and she likes him, so she was happy to see the bus because it brings him.  More importantly though, a connection in her brain between a school bus and a good thing formed.  If we repeated this many times, then one day the bus came with out our son, she would still get the good feeling because of the positive association that has developed.  This is because of classical conditioning (something I also discuss in my blog post, called "Remember Pavlov?").  

If I had "corrected" her fearful reaction, forcing her to come out from behind my legs, or jerking the collar and telling her "no", I probably would have made her fear worse.  Her brain could make a connection between bus arriving and experiencing an aversive (an unpleasant consequence), and the next time the bus arrived she may act even more fearfully or defensively.  This is why aversive training of a fearful dog can lead to an aggressive dog.  

So, if your dog is fearful of something, please be patient with him or her.  He is only responding to his brain warning him of danger and is acting the only way he knows to try to keep himself safe or avoid something unpleasant.  If you want to help him through his fear, think of ways you can make it easier for him and ways you can create positive associations.  This can include yummy food treats, favourite toys, comfort from his family members, or the ability to move away and have control over the situation.  If the fear is significant, you  may need to break this down into very small elements, or find a competent, compassionate, qualified trainer (yes, I wrote a blog post on that too!).  

Remember, your dog does not have the benefit of the education you have received and certain situations may be very scary for him.  You can build his confidence by giving him a sense of control and security, by being his source of comfort, and by building trust. 

If you need help, please find a trainer that uses positive reinforcement and understands the counter-conditioning process.  

You can visit our website to learn more about our training services, and if you are outside of our service area, we can certainly try to connect you with a qualified and compassionate trainer in your area.

Some good places to look for a trainer are:

Fear Free Pets 

Pet Professional Guild

Certified Professional Dog Trainers

The International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants

About the Author 

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

Visit us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PawsPetMB


More Resources

For more information on helping fearful dogs, visit Debbie Jacob's website, FearfulDogs.com

And check out Dr. Marty Becker's latest book, "From Fearful to Fear Free"

Another anecdote for those who like examples :) 

Another personal example of classical conditioning and counterconditioning (helping to change the dogs' emotional response to something).  

My dog Phoenix recently had knee surgery and as part of her recovery she has to take some medications.  Dogs tend not to like pills, and who can blame them, really?  They don't understand that this yucky-tasting strange object we're giving them is to help them.  So, to make it a little easier for her, I would always follow each pill with a delicious piece of meat leftover from dinner.  

Initially when I would start preparing her medications she would show signs of discomfort: lowered head, moving away, looking nervous, general avoidance.  After a few times of getting a very special reinforcer (meat!), she started getting excited while I was preparing the medications.  She actually started doing a little happy tap-dance and woo-wooing in excitement, wagging her tail, sitting nice waiting for her food.  Initially she was trying to avoid swallowing the pills and would spit them out.  Once she realized something really good was coming, she voluntarily swallowed the pills and waited nicely for the pay-out.

This process of counterconditioning doesn't just apply to pills and school busses, it can apply to more complex situations as well.  However, if a dog's fear and/or resulting behaviour are severe, please consult a professional for help.  Above I listed a few organizations that are good starting places for finding a qualified, compassionate trainer.  

For more training tips, information, and great pet pictures, like and follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/PawsPetMB

Kong Stuffing

 Stuffed Kongs!

Frozen stuffed Kongs are among the best and easiest ways to enrich your dog by giving them something tasty and fun to do that will last a while.

If you've never made one before, here are some suggestions/ideas: 

Measure out one meal for your pet.  

 

Yes, you can do this for cats too!  

Just use their kitty kibble with some canned wet cat food, 

or use their usual canned wet food all on its own :) 

Mix in about a 1 /2 can of canned wet food.

No canned dog food on hand?  No problem, simply pour a small amount of water over your kibble - just enough to soften it - then let it sit for a few minutes while the water is absorbed.  Alternatively you can use puréed vegetables (mix a bit of water and carrots in the blender, or purchase sugar-free puréed pumpkin, even unsweetened apple sauce works in a pinch).  For cats we definitely recommend using their canned wet cat food as they require a higher protein diet and you don't want them having too many carbohydrates.

Spoon the mixture into Kongs and place in the freezer.
For dogs, you can add a spoonful of peanut butter over the top to seal it off if you like (I prefer to use all-natural peanut-butter with no sugar added).

Why the freezer?  This way the mixture freezes and takes longer for your dog to work through.  The bonus is that you can make up as many Kongs as you have as far in advance as you want and they will stay fresh in your freezer and are ready to go any time you need them.  This is fantastic for unexpected thunderstorms or any situation in which you need your dog to keep busy or distracted.

If your pet gets frustrated too easily and gives up you can start out without freezing the Kongs, then freezing half and adding fresh food on top, and then gradually make the Kong more difficult as they become more skilled at getting the food out.  You can mix in a few more tempting treats or something with a stronger scent to really entice your pet.  The idea is to keep them engaged and having fun! 

Our dog gets 1 cup of kibble per meal.  This mixed with a 1/2 can of wet food and some carrot chunks fills two large Kongs and two small Kongs, plenty to keep her busy for quite some time! 

Other options for filling Kongs or other stuffable toys for dogs: 

• canned puréed pumpkin - high in fibre (make sure you get 100% pure pumpkin and not pie filling!)
• all-natural peanut butter (keep in mind this is high in fat and be sure it does not contain xylitol) 
• all canned wet food (without the kibble) can be done up more quickly for dogs or cats if needed
• diced bits of your dog's favourite vegetables or fruits (some fruits, such as grapes, are not safe for dogs - if in doubt, as your veterinarian!)
• anything safe that your pet enjoys - treats, left-over cooked turkey, etc. 

Final step: The best part!  Serve and watch your pet enjoy :)

For more ideas to keep your pet busy and having fun, 

visit our boredom busters blog post.

About Us

Pawsitive Pet Care has been providing dog walking, dog training, dog boarding, and pet sitting services to Headingley and West Winnipeg since 2010.  We also serve the R.M. of Cartier including Headingley, Elie, St. François Xavier, and Springfield.  

To learn more about us please

Visit us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PawsPetMB

or visit our website at PawsitiveCare.ca

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.