Dogs: To Crate or Not to Crate?

The practise of crating pet dogs, that is keeping them for short periods of, usually unsupervised, time in a type of cage, is popular with a number of pet dog owners.

The dog who is crated is generally safer, and like a small child in a play pen, carries the major advantage that the owner knows where he is. He is unable to get into major trouble or danger as he is in his crate. Crating is very popular in the US but not so much amongst the UK dog-loving population. That's not to say that Brits find the practise cruel, but beyond puppyhood it seems to go against the grain for many British people to contemplate keeping their house dog in an indoor kennel. It is more common for the dog to have the run of the house.

Crating the dog is a sensible move and can prevent housetraining or housebreaking problems when the owner is out. It can keep the dog out of mischief when the owner is cooking or doing anything else which is distracting and possibly dangerous for their pet dog. When the dog is introduced to the crate properly and with patience and rewards, the crate can be seen by the dog as its sanctuary, a place of its own, where it can find peace and quiet. The dog, like the family who owns it, should be relaxed about the crate.

The crate should never be used as a punishment. If your pooch has chewed your favorite slippers, it's so tempting to banish him saying "get in your crate!" but this should be avoided at all costs as you don't ever want the dog to regard the crate as a negative thing in his life, or his enemy. The contented dog will spend time in his crate of his own accord and can be expected to go in there with the door left open, so he is in it purely from choice.

One thing you must watch for is the dog becoming possessive of his crate. If you have more than one dog then one of them may resent the other going in it. Conversely if the crate or pen is big enough and the dogs get along really well, they may go in there together by choice. This is more common of a dog and a bitch, spayed or otherwise. Do watch out for growling and snapping though and be prepared to intervene if necessary. Remember growling is a dog's way of warning another dog - or you - to back off, and usually the other dog will be wise to this and do just that. Don't punish a dog for growling - he is telling you where his boundaries lie and avoiding biting by the use of clear vocal and body language.