Barking in the Crate

When accompanied by eliminating in the crate, drooling, or self-injury, barking in the crate can be a sign of separation anxiety.

Dogs with separation anxiety have been compared to people that have anxiety attacks.

Separation anxiety is an emotional condition fraught with panic and fear.

Crating a dog with true separation anxiety is never a good idea.

Even if your dog exhibits only two of these symptoms, he could be truly distressed. If this describes your dog or you are not sure if your dog has true separation anxiety, ask your vet for the name of a canine behavior counselor.

Barking and whining can be normal signs of protest or a true alarm. I’ve met pups who bark to tell their people there’s been (or about to be) an accident.

In some respects, a crated puppy can be compared to a baby, alone in a crib. If your pup is not wet, hungry, thirsty, or ill, let him cry.

Slowly introducing your pup by pairing the crate with meals and special treats usually removes most objections to being crated.

Even after you have properly introduced your dog to the concept of the crate, your pup may bark for short periods.

This is normal. Ignore the barking; don’t make eye contact; say nothing.

For if you do, your dog will think he is on the path to freedom and will continue barking.

It’s important to stick to your plan when teaching pups about crying in the crate.

If, after 30 minutes, you give in and release your crying puppy, he or she will learn that crying for 30 minutes is a good strategy for freedom.

Wait until your pup is quiet and relaxed before you praise and/or release him. This will teach him that being quiet and relaxed has good dividends!

If your pup barks for long periods of time, it is always possible that you are not meeting your pup’s exercise requirements, crate-time is too long, or he is genuinely anxious. Review your exercise regime and review your introduction sequences.

Most normal, well-exercised dogs and pups that are gradually introduced will discontinue their barking strategy after a few episodes of being crated.

If this does not describe your pup or dog, start the introduction routine from the beginning or consult with a professional.

Eliminating in the Crate

When accompanied by drooling, self-injury, and barking, eliminating in the crate can be a sign of separation anxiety.

Other common causes are urinary tract infections, medical conditions, and medications.

If your pup or dog eliminates in the crate, first rule out medical and behavioral issues that might contribute to inside elimination.  Visit your vet first!

Most people limit crate time to include only the periods when they are gone, asleep, or unable to supervise their dog. If these periods are too long for the individual dog, then it’s best to arrange for someone to exercise the pup.

An alternate plan is to set up the crate or confinement area with a bathroom as discussed previously.

Sometimes a puppy or dog has already formed poor elimination habits. These guys eliminate inside their crates and are not offended by the presence of their own waste. Here’s how I address these situations.

Purchase a different style of crate.

Here are two different styles of crates you can buy at Amazon with free shipping.

Get an exercise pen. Move the crate to another location and place it inside the exercise pen. Cover the floor of the entire area with newspaper or house training pads.

Here’s a great, black epoxi exercise pen,
for sale at at Amazon. Select the Super Saver Free Shipping!

Here’s a suggestion I read in one of Ian Dunbar’s books.

Place plastic on the entire floor of the confinement area and cover the plastic with grass sod.

Buy extra sod so that you can rotate the soiled sod outside for cleaning and replace it with clean piece of sod from the outside.

Place a crate inside the confinement area with the door removed. Follow the same instructions as newspaper training and slowly remove the grass sod from the area.

For even tougher cases, set up the confinement area with sod and discard the crate.

Happy Training!

Alan J Turner – Companion Animal Behavior Counselor and Trainer, Canine Specialization

How’s Bentley – Memphis, Collierville, Germantown TN

21st Century Canine Relationship Solutions

Group Dog Obedience Classes

Private Dog Training in Memphis TN

Reactive Dog Specialist

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Crate Introduction

I’ve met many people who did not take any special steps to introduce their pups to a crate and their pups learned to relax while crated.

Most people just place their puppy in the crate, give the pup a treat, and ignore any signs of protest. After a few days, the pup begin to relax while crated.  Assuming the puppy’s physical and emotional needs are being met, this method is okay by me.

Other pups require a more thoughtful approach.

The concepts for teaching a dog to remain calm in a crate can be adapted to teach a dog to relax when alone in other areas, such as the back porch, another room in the house or briefly tethered to a piece of furniture or door knob.

Before you lock your pup inside a crate and leave the house, introduce your pup to the crate in small doses.

This is best achieved over a long weekend. I like to remove the door at first, so the pup doesn’t get spooked by the swinging door. In some instances, I might even remove the top portion (airline type crates) and present the crate without the top or door attached. It depends on the dog.

Toss some treats inside the crate and let your dog find them without any input from you.

The idea is to form an association between the crate and good things, such as surprise treats.

Feed your dog in the crate. Place water bowl in the front of the crate.

If your dog is hesitant to enter the crate, start by placing the food bowl or treats inside the front edge of the crate so that your dog can eat without entering the crate.

Once he is comfortable eating with his head inside the crate, move the bowl just a bit farther inside the crate. Gradually move the food farther back inside the crate over the next few days. Always remove the bowl with any leftover food after 10-15 minutes.

Once the dog will readily enter the crate to eat, introduce him to the concept of the crate door. Here’s how to do it. With your dog outside of the crate, attach the door and let your dog investigate it. Swing it open and latch it shut several times. Tell him “this is door”.

Naming things that interest your dog is a great method to teach your dog about the environment.

Feed him inside the crate with the door attached. After a few meals, he’ll be accustomed to the door.

Now it’s time to introduce him to the closed door when he is inside. As soon as he is happily eating, tell him, “I’m closing the door” and swing the door shut and latch it. Wait a moment and immediately open the door.

Say nothing, just watch him eat and let him come out when he’s finished.

Repeat this sequence during the next few meals, but increase the amount of time the door remains closed.

As you progress through these steps, begin to walk a few steps away. Gradually increase your distance from the crate over several sessions.

In addition to introducing your pup to the crate during meals, start crating your pup late in the evening or mid-mornings. Assumedly he will be tired and ready to rest.

For this exercise I like to place the crate near my favorite chair, in the family room or in the kitchen.  This will teach your dog to relax in the crate when people are nearby. You can move the crate farther away in small increments during this introductory period.

Get a Kong®. Amazon stocks all the Kongs at great prices. If you have a puppy, get a puppy kong. They are softer and easier to compress.

Place a bit of wide, silver duct tape over the small opening to seal it off.

Place a few treats or pieces of dog food inside.

Pour some water and a bit of chicken broth inside the Kong®. Stand it upright in the freezer and let it freeze.

Remove the frozen Kong® from the freezer, remove the duct tape and give the Kong® to your crated pup. Once he is engrossed in the Kong®, tell him, “I’m closing the door” and then close the door. He’ll spend 15-25 minutes stimulating his mind and his body while he is foraging inside his crate.

If he has been well-exercised before this “Crate-Kong” sequence, he’ll probably fall asleep soon after he’s finished.

If, after several crate-Kong sessions, your pup is still anxious in the crate, ask your vet for the name of a qualified behavior counselor.

If your puppy just barks and doesn’t want the Kong®, try again later when he is hungry.

Happy Training!

Alan J Turner – Companion Animal Behavior Counselor and Trainer, Canine Specialization

How’s Bentley – Memphis, Collierville, Germantown TN

21st Century Canine Relationship Solutions

Group Dog Obedience Classes

Private Dog Training in Memphis TN

Reactive Dog Specialist

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Crate Selection

There are several styles of crates on the market. Some are large metal cages and others are tents or plastic carriers.

Tents and crates made of fabric can easily be destroyed by an active puppy.

Some dogs have a difficult time relaxing in the metal cages because they are constantly monitoring the environment outside the cage.

Since they can see in all directions, every movement or noise places them on alert. I’ve met several dogs that learn to constantly spin in these large wire crates.

I prefer the plastic, airline type carriers. These are more like a cave than a cage. They are portable, can be easily moved, and can be used in vehicles and on trips. In addition, the protection of closed sides offers a more secure environment for a resting dog. The dog only has one direction to monitor.

Amazon sells crates of all sizes at great prices. Here’s my favorite. Select the size that fits your puppy!

If you already have a cage, place a blanket over the top and sides or place it in a corner so your dog isn’t shouldered with the task of monitoring all directions.

People often buy the largest crate that will fit into their space. This is not necessarily the best choice, unless you will be leaving your dog for extended periods or you install a divider.

Pups with large crates may use the crate for a bathroom, when in fact they would not eliminate if restricted to a smaller area.

Crate Size and Setup

People often buy the largest crate that will fit into their space. This is not necessarily the best choice, unless you will be leaving your dog for extended periods or you install a divider.

Pups with large crates may use the crate for a bathroom, when in fact they would not eliminate if restricted to a smaller area.

Large crates with a divider are an economical choice for large breed pups.

The adjustable divider allows you to modify the size of the crate as your pup grows!

Home with Pup

If you are home during the day and can provide your pup with regular access to the outside, choose a crate that is just large enough for the dog to stand up without restriction, to turn around, and to lay with legs extended.

If you never leave your pup in the crate too long and you have already chosen a larger crate, place a barrier inside to reduce the area.

Natural tendencies for cleanliness developed as a very young pup should prevent your puppy from soiling the small area unless you wait too long between trips outside.

For extra protection, line the entire crate with newspaper.

Pup Home Alone

It would be nice if we could stay home and play with our puppies every day, but that’s not realistic, is it?

If you are like me, you may not be able to arrange for a neighbor or pet sitter to come over and exercise your puppy.

Install a Bathroom and Newspaper Training

If your pup will be left in the crate for longer periods, select a larger crate. Set up a bathroom in the crate.

Place your dog’s water and bedding in the front of the crate and cover the floor of the entire crate with newspaper or training pads.

An alternate setup for people that will be gone for extended periods is to use an exercise pen and a ‘just large enough’ crate with the door removed.

Place the crate with bedding inside the exercise pen. Place pads or newspapers inside the crate. Place pads or newspapers on the floor around the crate, making sure to cover the entire room or area.

Something should be covering the surface or your dog will associate the floor with an appropriate area to eliminate.

Expect your pup to shred the newspaper. It is not necessarily a problem unless he ingests it. If your puppy shreds the newspaper as soon as he is confined, examine his exercise schedule. See if you can squeeze in a bit more exercise. Tired pups don’t usually spend hours shredding newspaper.

After three weeks have passed and your pup has not eliminated inside his crate, remove the newspaper/pads from the inside of the crate.

Wait another week and then move the newspaper/pads one or two inches away from the crate each day.

Position the paper towards the door or closer to the permanent destination. If your pup eliminates off the paper, you moved it too far, too soon. If this happens more than once, start over and cover the entire floor.

Place some of the used newspaper outside where you take your dog to eliminate. The odors will prompt your dog to use it again.

Anytime you notice pre-elimination behaviors such as sniffing, circling or squatting, say “let’s go potty” and take the pup outside to the desired location.

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When it’s cold outside, when traveling, or anytime you are about to leave the house, it’s wonderful when your dog will eliminate or potty on command.

It’s easy to teach your dog two different commands or cues, one for urination and one for defecation.

It helps if you are already familiar with your pup’s potty signature. Observe your pup closely so you’ll recognize when he is about to eliminate and you will recognize if he is going to urinate or defecate.

Choose three words or phrases– one for the act of moving to the bathroom area, another for urination, and a third command  for defecation.

I use “let’s go potty”, “pee“, and ”poop”. Choose phrases or words that suit you and your family.

Label Each Behavior

First, teach your dog the phrase for moving towards the bathroom area.  Before you go out the door with your pup, say “Let’s go potty”. When you are leading your dog to your preferred area, again say, “Let’s go potty”. This works best if you refrain from adding other comments. Just speak the three words, “let’s go potty”.

Many people repeat phrases over and over as they are walking around with their pup. It’s not helpful to repeat your commands over and over, two times is enough.

Watch your pup closely for signs of pre-elimination. When he is committed to the act, tell him what he’s doing.

For example, suppose your pup is sniffing, circling and is about to squat and urinate. Softly say “Piddle”. After he urinates, say “that’s piddle”, and immediately deliver the after-elimination rewards (treat and praise).  Play a quick game of ball or act silly and let your pup chase you.

Repeat the sequence for defecation; just replace “piddle” with your word for defecation.

Label the behaviors for the next day or so.

I’ve found that 4-6 instances of labeling are enough to teach most dog the names of the acts.

Teach your pup that good things happen immediately after he eliminates outside. Praise him; give him a special treat and initiate a game of fetch or chase – immediately after he eliminates. For now, deliver all food treats outside, at the elimination area, right after you praise your pup for eliminating outside.

After potty area conditioning occurs, delivering treats (as well as the timing of the delivery) won’t be important. You can give your dog a treat outside, after he comes inside – or not.

Cue the Behaviors

After a day or so of labeling each of the behaviors, you can transform the labels into commands or cues.

Perform these steps when you know your dog needs to eliminate. The first trip of the day is usually a good time.

Before you open the door, say “Let’s go potty”.  Lead your dog out to the area. Say “Piddle” and wait. Do not repeat the command. After your dog urinates, throw a party! Play a game. Toss your dog a treat. The idea is to teach your dog that fun stuff happens after elimination!

If your dog doesn’t urinate when you give the cue, don’t repeat the command. His hearing is better than yours!  He heard it; he just hasn’t caught on yet. Repeating the cue is not helpful. Just back up in this program and repeat the labeling sequences.

Once your dog learns the labels, he will eliminate on cue.

Most dogs always have a bit of urine in their bladders, so urinating on cue usually happens right away. Teaching your dog the cue for defecation requires a bit more planning. You’ll want to deliver that cue only when it’s time for your dog to have a bowel movement! Refer to your log and only deliver the cue for defecation when your dog is due a bowel movement.

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Dogs are den animals and contrary to misconceptions, (when introduced and used properly), dogs will readily enter their crates and relax, regardless of the level of activity near the crate.

Dogs should never be crated or left unsupervised while fitted with any types of harnesses or collars, except a break-away collar.

Please fit your dog with a break-away collar for any events or activities that do not include direct supervision by a responsible adult.

Here are some examples of why and when to use a crate.  Use a crate:

• for house training
• to protect your property
• to keep your dog safe
• when traveling
• for overnight outings
• to rotate two dogs while training
• for stays at vet clinics, groomers
• to provide a den or safe spot for resting
• to restrict dogs’ access to visitors
• to limit activity during medical recovery periods
• to give yourself a break

Confinement Overview

During my consultations with clients, I meet people who use laundry rooms, garages or back porches instead of crates. Some in this group report that their dogs constantly bark or whine. What they don’t realize is that dogs, like humans, are social mammals.

Most dogs want to be near us! A simple solution is to kindly introduce the dog to a crate and place the crate in a room with people. This often solves the barking problem.

Opposition to the proper use of crates is more often a reflection of how we feel about confinement (as humans).

Millions of dogs live full, happy lives with a crate as part of their daily routines.

If you are opposed to crating your unsupervised dog, use other, less effective, confinement tools such as laundry rooms, baby gates and exercise pens.

If you don’t use any barriers, expect problems with house training. Expect soiled carpets and destruction of your property.

Many people only confine their dogs when they are away or at night. Pups and dogs normally relax when away from their people in these low activity situations.

These same dogs may bark and whine if confined when their people are home and moving about.

This is because the dogs were not introduced to the concept of being confined when people are home and active. More than likely the dogs were placed in the crate immediately before the people left the house or went to bed.

A crate trained dog:

• will not eliminate in the crate
• readily enters the crate when asked
• relaxes in the crate when alone in the home
• relaxes in the crate when people are home and active
• relaxes in the crate when other animals are not crated

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Frozen Kong®

Sometimes the weather or my schedule prohibit outside adventures. Sometimes I’m too lazy or tired to exercise. I’ve found ways to entertain Bentley without walking or playing fetch.

Here’s how you can exercise your dog when you are busy.

Get a Kong®. Amazon has excellent prices on these famous Kong toys. You an get a large kong for under $8. Order two or three and keep them loaded in your freezer. The frozen kong provides excellent foraging and entertainment value. If your dog is an aggressive chewer, order the ultimate black kong!

Place a bit of wide, silver duct tape over the small opening to seal it off. Place some dog food and a few treats inside. Pour some water and a bit of low sodium chicken broth inside the Kong®. Stand it upright in the freezer and let it freeze.

Now you are prepared to exercise your dog without leaving your chair! Remove the frozen Kong® from the freezer, remove the duct tape and give it to your pup. He’ll spend 15-25 minutes stimulating his mind and his body while he is foraging.

You can use the frozen delight to teach your puppy to relax in the crate, laundry room, or in the back yard, alone.  To change your puppy’s perception of being isolated from people, give the frozen kong only when the puppy is alone. After several pairings. the  puppy will begin to enjoy the alone time!

Happy Training!

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Go to Place is one of my favorite behaviors. I use it to keep Bentley, my AKC registered, Australian Terrier. from licking the dishes while I load the dishwasher, irritating my guests, pestering me during dinner, or any other times I want him to relax in one spot.

Before you begin training your dog, you’ll need to learn a bit about communication and motivation. Please visit the Dog Training Start Here Category. There you will learn about markers and rewards, two excellent topics for communicating and motivating! A prerequisite for “stay” is “Attention on Cue”. It doesn’t hurt if your dog already knows “Sit” too!

You can have more than one “place” for your dog. Bentley has 2 places in my 14X14 den! I have a crate pad placed on top of a ottoman, and he has a comfortable dog bed on the floor. I like to use a dog bed because it’s portable. I can place it in my car, on my back patio, in a hotel room or wherever my dog is welcome.

Here’s a good crate pad type of bed made of synthetic sheepskin. I like these because they are easy to wash and have a raised edge for the dog’s head. Hey, those guys like a pillow too!

Purchase an inexpensive bed, like this one, if your guy or girl is still a puppy.

The more expensive beds are for dogs that don’t treat the bed as a toy.

Before I teach any behavior, I always like to outline the steps necessary for success.

What are the individual behaviors that make up go-to-place? The dog must go to the place, then lie down and then stay. You could break it down into many smaller pieces.

For example, before the dog can go to the bed, he must first look towards it. Before he can lie on the bed when asked, he must know the command “down”. And, before he can stay on the bed for say, 15 minutes, he must be able to stay for 15 seconds.

There are many ways to teach go-to-place. Some require more thought than others. I have written a short description of how to teach your dog to go to place AND how to use Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning to condition your dog to like his or her place!

Go-To-Place

There are many ways to teach go-to-place. Some require more thought than others. I’ve found that luring is the easiest for most of my clients.

Feed the Birds

Before we start, I say, “Think about feeding pigeons in the park”. First you toss bird seed. Before long, pigeons find the food, land on that spot and start feeding. Then you toss more seed as they are feeding. Do this every day at noon.

After a few days, the sight of you approaching will attract the pigeons. They are already in place waiting for the food! Do the same with your dog and your dog’s bed.

Get your dog’s dinner out and instead of placing the bowl on the floor, place it next to you on the dinner table, coffee table or kitchen counter.  Place the dog bed in a spot a few feet away.  Toss a few pieces of dog food on the bed.

Do not speak to your dog during these steps.

While your dog is eating, toss a few more pieces to keep him busy looking for food.  As soon as he finishes and starts to walk off the bed, toss more food on the bed.

After he eats all the food on the bed, your dog will come towards you. Before he reaches you, toss a few more pieces over his head and onto the bed. Say nothing.

Repeat this sequence a few times. Wait until he starts to walk towards you and toss a few pieces over his head, onto the bed.

Soon your dog will be on the bed waiting for the food to rain down around him!

Add the Cue

After your dog catches on, speak your “go-to-place” cue when your dog is walking towards you and before you toss any food. Some of the commands I like are “Your Spot” and “Cozy Mat”.

You may need to help your dog by walking towards the bed and pointing to it or touching it with your hand.

When your dog gets all four feet on the bed, mark the instant (with your reward marker) and then toss a food treat. Walk a few feet away. If your dog follows, give the cue and move towards the bed. Mark the instant he gets on the bed and then toss a few pieces of food.

Once he is going-to- place on cue, ask him to “down”. Toss a few pieces of food after he goes down. Over several trials, increase the periods of time in-between tosses of food.

Condition Go-To-Place

Chewing helps dogs relax. At this stage you can add a special chew treat into the routine. After your dog is on his bed, give him a long lasting, high value, unique, chew treat.

Here’s the best treat for conditioning GO-To-Place. This free range chew will not stink up your house, nor will it stain your carpet, like the ones you find at local pet supply stores. CAUTION, This chew has the potential to turn Fluffy into Cujo! Read about Food related aggression by clicking anywhere in this sentence.

By pairing a special chew treat with the bed, you are taking advantage of classical or Pavlovian conditioning. The bed will elicit the same physiological calming response as chewing.

If he gets up from the bed, say nothing, just take the special treat away.

The sequencing is important. The dog must be on the bed before receiving the unique chew treat. The instant he gets off the bed, remove the treat.

By following this sequence, you are teaching your dog that lying on the bed predicts the delivery of the chew treat, and leaving the bed predicts the loss of the chew treat.

At first, you’ll always give your dog the unique treat once he is on his bed. After several sessions, you won’t always give the special chew treat. Sometimes you will, other times you won’t.

The act of lying on the bed will elicit the same calming effect as the chew treat, even when he does not have the treat.

A common mistake is to give the dog the special chew treat when he is not on the bed.

In order to maintain the association, the unique chew treat should only be delivered when the dog is on the bed.

Happy Training

Alan J Turner

Companion Animal Behavior Counselor & Trainer

Private and Group dog training services in Memphis TN

http://howsbentley.com

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Excessive vocalization
Salivation
Inside Elimination (for a house trained dog)
Destructive behaviors directed at entry and exit points

For separation anxiety to be considered, some or a combination of these symptoms must occur ONLY in the absence of people. The behaviors most commonly occur within 45 minutes of departure. 

If your dog destroys your furniture when you leave, it is less likely due to separation anxiety and more likely due to too much freedom and not enough exercise. Dogs with separation anxiety destroy items that are in the path of their escape, not couch cushions in the middle of the room! 

If your dog barks and whines in the crate this may or may not be separation anxiety. Does your dog bark and whine in the crate if crated at the same times of day when you are home? 

Elimination in the crate or in the house is not necessarily a sign of separation anxiety. Is the dog house trained? Will the dog eliminate in his or her crate when you are home? 

Treating dogs with true separation anxiety is challenging. It will take several days or even weeks. It depends on how much time you have to dedicate to the treatment. The main obstacle is that every instance of separation perpetuates the condition and offsets progress. For example, suppose you make great progress over the weekend, but you go back to work on Monday and leave your dog alone. Your progress will be lost. 

Treating separation anxiety is a process not an event. First you’ll teach the dog to relax before you leave the house. Then you’ll leave for very short increments while your dog relaxes. As the exercises progress, you’ll leave for longer and longer periods. If you decide to treat your dog for separation anxiety, you’ll need to make arrangement to never leave the dog alone during the treatment period. Day care, friends’ homes and other babysitters can be helpful during this period.

Click here for detailed instructions for treating separation anxiety in dogs , compliments of the ASPCA virtual behaviorist.

Happy Training!

Alan J Turner – Companion Animal Behavior Counselor & Trainer, Canine Specialization

How’s Bentley – Private and Group Dog Obedience

Memphis, Collierville, Bartlett, Cordova, Germantown TN

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My initial suggestion is to place the crate in a corner of a common area. This presents the puppy with a safe resting spot near his people.

Placement depends on the individual pup’s personality and when the dog will be crated.

If you use a crate primarily when you are away or asleep, a laundry room or basement may be a good choice.

Keep in mind that it is better to teach the dog to relax in the crate when you are gone and when you are home. This is not accomplished if you only crate at night or when you are away.

Don’t be shy about experimenting with crate placement. Find the best spot for you and your dog.

Sometimes, moving the crate to another location resolves problems such as barking and eliminating in the crate.

A crate trained dog / puppy:

• will not eliminate in the crate
• readily enters the crate when asked
• relaxes in the crate when alone in the home
• relaxes in the crate when people are home and active
• relaxes in the crate when other animals are not crated

Start Off Right!

Visit the products page and purchase, Puppies for Thinkers – crate training, housebreaking, house training, meeting basic needs, play-biting and much more.

Happy Training!

Alan J Turner – Companion Animal Behavior Counselor & Trainer, Canine Specialization

Private and Group Dog Behavior and Training Services

Memphis, TN

How’s Bentley

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