Crate training your dog… your greatest asset in cultivating balance, for life.

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It’s such a shame when we humanize another species, the damage we do is frequently as serious as life and death. When we impose our limited, emotional, or even self-serving views on another species, we disrespect their rights, and the gift that they are to the planet. Think of the recent dolphin death due to a swarm of selfish humans clambering for ‘selfies’ and deadly physical contact. Such a violation of that gorgeous creature. Such a waste. What does this have to do with a crate nap? The invaluable nature of this tool cannot be overstated, and yet so many refuse to see it for what it actually is, because they don’t respect that dogs are not human. With respect for the species, I invite you to actually stand in the paws of your dog when it comes to how they not only function, but actually thrive.

Too often the crate is judged like a style of shoe, a choice of sports team, religious position, dietary preference, or brand of car you could drive. All of those ought to be up to the individual to determine personal taste or relevance, but do not have a universal or global truth that is embraced among every person equally. Viewed as utterly wrong, ugly, optional or unnecessary, the rejection of a crate is a rejection of science, a universal truth among an entire species. They’re den animals. Period. Even if they have a traumatic experience around crating, then they have a “bad association” with that tool, they are not suddenly any less a dog, or any less a den animal. You may have a bad experience with a church, or gluten free pancakes, but you’re still a human and you’ll still have human needs to connect with others and eat delicious carbs. Right? It will be optional HOW or where you find your faith, or what you have for breakfast, but you will still need to eat and answer to your innermost self. Even the crate resistant dog will still need resources to cultivate what the crate represents; structure, stability, clarity, comfort.

So often the decision to stop using a crate is the beginning of cumulative stress and attitudinal anarchy in our young dogs. After weeks or months of structure, clarity, accountability and leadership for your puppy, suddenly the world becomes flexible, uncertain, over stimulating, and overwhelming – as they’re left loose to spin their wheels, and guess at what’s coming next. Because you didn’t want to look at it in your bedroom anymore? Because you thought human logic could trump canine behavior? It can’t.

For puppies who never have the opportunity to see a crate in their tool box, an unnecessary struggle to potty train, self-soothe, build confident independence, and respect boundaries ensues. These struggles can end up landing them in terrible states, and often mean rejection by the family who set them up to fail in the first place. I don’t say this to be mean, I say it because it’s true. I see these rejected dogs every single day in shelters, rescues, and rehab training programs.

Let’s go ahead and humanize a little more, for the benefit of self awareness. Just because YOU became potty trained, your need for massive continued learning and stability did NOT diminish, yes? In this way, potty training for humans and canines alike, is only a TINY step towards independence and self management. Had someone left you to your own devices at a toilet trained three years of age, then went to work for eight hours, you might not have lived to tell! It would certainly have been unreasonable for them to be angry if they returned to find you had destroyed something, injured yourself, or fallen apart emotionally. It is as unproductive to open up the excessive freedom and uncertainty we often heap onto our dogs when we go away, only to come home and be offended at the destruction or mental instability they display due to a lack of our consistency, and boundaries appropriate for their age and/or disposition while we were gone.

The same faulty logic of crating only for the purpose of potty training applies to removing naps for little ones, time outs, reasonable and consistent bed times… all tools to cultivate self management, and provide calming structure to OUR species as we grow. So why are we removing those comparable resource from our dogs? Dogs are even more desperate for their sanctuary and the structure that a cozy crate can provide, as they do not have the multitude of alternate resources you and I reach for every day to cultivate our continued learning, and calming internal space. They are transplants to our world, working hard to fit in among foreigners. Not learning to potty train properly is a HUGE stress for your dog too, it’s not just hard on you, so that’s absolutely a number one reason to implement crating to begin with. Keep it going though!

All of this a very long way of saying that I want you to see the crate as your partner in crime. Your right hand woman, and the key to unlocking greatness in your puppy or dog. Don’t let your human-ness invalidate your dog’s canine-ness. We are a different species, both desiring to be related to as such, and respected for the unique avenues needed to achieve peace.

Special note (because this post isn’t long enough already…):

This post isn’t about those few dogs who have extreme anxiety and absolutely cannot be crated due to the physical harm they have learned to inflict from their traumatized state. There are definitely those dogs. Truly though, those dogs are exceptional, and often CAN be helped. Don’t give up too easily. Yes, you may have inherited an exception to the rule, but 9/10 times your dog is just begging you to see that the whole of their life is out of whack, so much so that they can’t even be the den animal they’re genetically designed to be. That’s a big fat opportunity to be a hero right there, and I’ve seen that done a everyday too.

For more practical information about how to crate train your dog, here’s a step by step tutorial video.

“Will my dog ALWAYS have to wear his remote collar?”

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Whether or not training your dog on e collar will result in him ALWAYS having to wear the collar or not, is a very common question we receive. I so appreciate a recent client bringing this valid concern up, and spurring me on to write about it, because I know there are thousands more pet parents out there with the same question or concern.
First, I’ll start by saying that I believe as a species we are constantly looking for the easy route. Our desire to innovate and “work smarter not harder,” is regularly responsible for incredibly important ingenuity and human progress. On the flip side, if we apply that same desire to expedite, simplify, or experience only ease in personal development and relationships… it doesn’t usually work out quite as well for us. Dog training, and the tools you use to do it, are a part of your relationship and personal development with your dog. There’s no corner cutting, only things that work better or worse for you in your pursuit of reaching certain goals, and it’s an ever evolving and continuous process. You are never done with a friendship if you desire to keep it, and your dog work is never fully done if you desire to keep, maintain, and enjoy your dog to the fullest.
So getting back to whether YOUR dog will have to wear his/her collar forever? That depends on you and your dog.  Every dog is a little unique, just like us, and their needs will vary organically based on the ebbs and flows of life, your involvement and input, and their ability to move through the world on an individual level. Think of the e collar like a safety rope for a climber. When you’re first learning to climb, you rely on that safety rope a lot, in fact, you definitely need it. As you practice and spend more time climbing, you become more proficient, your muscle memory starts to develop, and you default to experienced choices that propel you forward with ease. Your need for the rope greatly decreases with practice, but you still clip in as a safety backup just in case. As your skills and understanding of the wall or rock face get better, you think less about the rope and aren’t bothered by it’s presence, but it’s a tool, you want it there to motivate and back you up even if you go many sessions without reaching for it.
The e collar is about accountability and comfort, ensuring that in a pinch, you have the communication and a plan at your fingertips to be successful. At first, it’s because it makes it literally possible for you to progress (see that safety rope in your mind’s eye?), then it becomes your safety backup. If you put in the time to communicate to your dog what you expect, practicing consistently how you guide and advocate for him in the ways he needs, he will develop new default behaviors and rely on the information/tools/guidance less and less. You will find yourself accidentally forgetting to bring the collar for example, because it’s charging or you were in a rush to get outside, and everything will still be OK because your dog will default to the choices you want him to make, the choices he has practiced with you and been accountable to many times before with the collar in place.The key is not to look at an end date for no longer using the e collar, but to think in terms of it being the tool that safely empowers your dog to develop his climbing limbs, to keep growing and maintaining the great things he has learned, and to be safe if he “slips” (this includes solving issues of situations that ambush you and aren’t predictable or controllable). Very commonly in fact, your dog will do so well when you apply the e collar beyond board and train, that you’ll actually be tempted to stop using it after awhile, thinking it isn’t needed any longer. The tool helps you achieve the results though, just like running or weightlifting sculpts the body and the terminating of those habits causes little steady shifts backwards toward a less finely tuned vessel. If you always begin a health overhaul and clean eating trend with the desire to go back to eating processed food and sugar-filled drinks as soon as possible, you will sabotage yourself and be perpetually starting over again.
Aim for a highly trained dog who is connected, reliable, calm and comfortable. Use the tools that empower you both to get there, then let your dog tell you how much he needs his backup “rope,” and be OK if he always needs it there to help him keep his focus on the climb.

Home2K9 Helpful Hint: “You get what you pet.”

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Affection is an important part of our human/canine experience, but for your dog it has very different consequences when applied too liberally, or without intentional timing.

Sharing affection and praise can bond, build confidence, feed energy (read: excite), and soften dogs, but do you want to build confidence in misbehavior? Do you want to feed energy to an already unfocused, disconnected dog? Do you want to soften (i.e. distract, encourage silliness or anxiety in) your dog in a moment when they should be sharp and responsive?

Counter intuitive applications of affection occur every day in millions of households, resulting in dog behaviors that are the opposite of what an owner wants. For example, excitement and praise upon returning home to a dog (who is likely aroused, anxious, and excited already), most surely encourages separation anxiety, and chaotic behavior such as jumping, barking, and rushing through doors. Praising and physically petting a fearful or nervous dog, affirms that state of mind, and builds confidence in their fear. You’re effectively saying, “it’s ok, you’re right to feel that way,” instead of “you’re alright, but let’s move right through this and I’ll show you how I have your back.”

So many moments we instinctively want to comfort, encourage, coddle, or cuddle our dogs are moments when we are saying the wrong things to their brain. There’s a way to balance drawing a fearful dog out and showing them the path of confidence, without keeping them stuck in their neurosis by applying misguided affection. Alternately, it’s much easier on an excited or anxious dog, if you’re quiet and executive, giving instructions and clear information about what they should do to calm down and wait patiently until being greeted. It’s not about NEVER praising or petting your dog, but the key to being seen as the comforting and reliable leader your dog craves, is in calculating well timed praise and affection that you dole out sparingly, so your dog values it more, and learns to earn it.

Home2K9 Helpful Hint: Name calling.

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A great big no-no in working with dogs is repeated “empty” name calling. This is such a common habit, and unfortunately one that gets a LOT of owners in trouble (often very early in the relationship with their dog or puppy). What I’m talking about is repeatedly calling your dog’s name, without any follow up instruction or action (come, sit, leave it, no…), as it only really serves to teach your dog to ignore you.

Ever heard a kid say “mom” a trillion times in a row, but “mom” has tuned out entirely out of self preservation? She forms a deaf ear for several reasons, but the main contributors are because the calling of her name is incessant, and/or its lacking in new or valuable information. Your dog is feeling similarly when he/she hears “Fido, Fido, Fido, FIDO!” over and over without any new or valuable information to explain what you want, or what they might need to know.

Follow up the name. If you’re going to call your dog, then call your dog. “Fido, COME!” Or “Fido, HERE!” If you want your dog to calm down and sit, then tell him “Fido, COME. SIT.” Better yet, establish an understanding of the “place” with your pup, and reach for that awesome command. “Fido, PLACE.” Voile! Instruction. Directive. A way to make progress through information. The more you repeat a name, particularly without following it up with instruction, the more you serve to annoy, frustrate, or utterly lose your dog.