Crate training is one of the fundamental components of developing a balanced, well-behaved dog. Dogs who are crate trained feel comfortable and relaxed having a secure den-like space of their own. Some people feel that a dog would be sad in a crate, or think it’s like prison. But the truth is that most dogs who are left out of the crate are far more anxious and stressed out. They’re circulating around the house looking for ways to soothe themselves and cope with the stress – often by barking, chewing your things, or destroying your home.

Maybe you’re thinking, “But my dog is not doing anything wrong when I’m gone. They just lay on the ____ (rug, dog bed, sofa, my bed…) until I get home from work, so why do they need to be in a crate?

First of all, free roaming is a huge privilege that needs to be earned. Being loose can be a great reward after establishing a habit of fantastic behaviour and teaching your dog how to be calm. On the other hand, free-roaming can be overwhelming to some dogs who don’t know what to do with themselves, and try to cope by getting into mischief.

Permission-based training is all about creating healthier patterns and using what’s in your environment to help your dog learn how to behave well and to cope in the human world. A crate is an important tool to do that.

Crate training is a big component of teaching a dog to be calm on command. Most of the dogs who come in for training have been practicing anxious, nervous, fearful reactions, &/or bossy, pushy, bratty behaviours. Crate training helps to resolve all of these – not alone – but as one key component of creating structure and not allowing the dog to practice unwanted behaviours in your absence. It’s about the whole dog and changing the big picture for the better.

Arousal (a dog moving from a neutral, calm state into an intense readiness for fight, flight or over-excitement in the desire for something) is the main thing we want to reduce or remove in order to begin helping dogs. We do this by first changing their state of mind because a dog who is completely fixated on something else cannot possibly learn something new. What is one of the key ways to begin addressing arousal? Crate training. Teaching a dog to be calm on their own and to enter and exit the crate calmly and politely only when invited is one of the foundational exercises to begin creating a more respectful, tuned-in dog who is looking to you for direction and permission, rather than continuing to make poor choices or ignoring your guidance.

Here are 8 great reasons to use a crate.

1. Free-roaming gives your dog opportunities to make poor choices based on impulse, so your dog should be in their crate whenever you are sleeping, away from home, or cannot actively participate in or monitor your dog’s activity. If your dog hasn’t earned your complete trust to have free roam of your home, then s/he needs to be crated. If you don’t crate train your dog, you’re setting your dog up to fail. Crate training means that in your absence, your dog can’t make mistakes. This is setting your dog up for success. This is being proactive instead of reactive.
2. While safely in their crate, your dog won’t be able to practice bad habits, like stressing out, soiling your carpet, barking at the windows, pestering your other dog, fence fighting with the neighbour’s dog, chasing your cat, or destroying your plants, your home, or other treasures while you’re out. Stop bad habits from being practiced, or better yet, prevent bad habits from forming in the first place by using a crate.
3. Leaving your dog to their own devices when you’re not around can undo the training you’ve been working on. The best way to ensure that your dog’s state of mind and good habits remain the same way you left them is by using a crate.
4. The crate is NEVER to be used as punishment for bad behaviour for two reasons. a) the concept of ’time out’ does not work as an effective punishment for dogs. If your dog chewed your shoes, putting your dog in a crate does nothing to teach your dog not to destroy shoes in the future. b) you want your dog to associate being in the crate with being calm, peaceful, and relaxed, rather than being associated with your anger, frustration or disapproval. Feeding your dog in the crate helps to build their good associations with the space so they are more likely to enjoy their time in their kennel. The crate is a great option for your dog to have a safe, quiet space during parties, or whenever they need a rest. It’s not just for when you’re not home. 
5. A crate is a key tool in potty training. A dog is far less likely to go to the washroom in a crate. It is essential that the crate is not too large for this method to be effective. The crate must be big enough for the dog to lay down comfortably, turn around and sit up without their head touching the top. Like kids, puppies need lots of naps, or they can  behave badly due to being over-tired.
6. Crate training is an essential part of eliminating and preventing separation anxiety. Instead of letting your dog follow you around, pester you for attention, or continue to practice bad habits in your absence without being held accountable, practice teaching your dog calmness during rest periods when you’re home, so your dog builds the habit of remaining calm in the crate when you’re home – and then when you’re out. If you work long hours, you can hire a dog walker to exercise your dog and get your dog out for a potty break.
7. Crate training builds patience, impulse control and is a key part of the non-negotiable rules and routine of daily life. It’s a great place to rest quietly between training sessions to process the information they just learned. The crate gives dogs a place to unwind. It’s not healthy or normal to remain in an adrenalized, stressful state. Dogs need down time too.
8. Being crate trained ensures that your dog remains safe and can’t destroy anything in your home, or chew/swallow anything that may harm them (electrical cords, small objects, poisonous cleansers, your favourite items, etc.) while you are unavailable to supervise. Your dog could ingest something dangerous which could cost you a lot of money, which could make your dog very sick or even kill your dog.

Even if your dog is house trained and can reliably be trusted not to destroy things in your absence, a crate is an essential tool to help your dog if your dog is pushy, bratty, nervous, aggressive, anxious or stressed. All of the dogs boarding & training with us eat and sleep in a crate or kennel. When dogs aren’t actively training, they are in command – on their place cot or bed, in a down-stay, or in their crate. This kind of structure is so therapeutic to dogs. It helps them to feel safe and calm because they clearly know exactly what they should be doing, rather than stressing out or making poor choices. Crate training is a key tool in teaching dogs to be calm. It becomes a habit the more it is practiced. Calm, well-behaved dogs get included in more aspects of daily life. So, keep your dog safe and help them succeed by using a crate.

Most dogs are living in a constant state of over-excitement, which stresses them out! When dogs are stressed they get into trouble doing things people don’t like. Many people confuse a dog’s stress for signs of happiness (e.g. frantic excitement, running around, panting, jumping). A dog with a calm state of mind is not busy engaging in disruptive, disturbing or dangerous behaviours. Dogs THRIVE when given plenty of structure with clear guidance from their trusted & respected mentors & advocates (that’s you). Life with dependable rules and consistent patterns create a sense of security, increases confidence and reduces or completely eliminates most anxious or unwanted behaviours in dogs.

How do you create a calm state of mind in your dog?

Calmness begins with consistent habits at home. Establish structured routines with predictable, reasonable expectations that your dog can understand, learn & participate in.

By using the “nothing in life is free” method, your dog learns to earn your approval by behaving beautifully. You build a trusting & respectful relationship with your dog by controlling everything in life that your dog values – such as food, water, bed, play, toys, use of space. This makes you relevant to your dog, as you are the source of every good thing.

The Place command teaches doggy meditation, calm on command & impulse control.

Crate training is an essential component to keep dogs from practicing unwanted behaviours while you’re not there to supervise.

Build patience & impulse control by requiring dogs to ask permission to calmly cross thresholds, politely waiting for food, and teach them that all good things come from their calm advocates and respected mentors (you!).

If you’ve been overindulging your dog you may have created a demanding tyrant or even a dog with aggressive behaviours in dogs so inclined. All dogs have deep instinctive needs that must be met. They are not little humans trapped in fur. We can show you how to put your dog’s needs ahead of your own preferences so they’ll behave beautifully.

Calmness is a superpower for humans too!

Become aware of your own energy. Practice being a role model for your dog by demonstrating calmness. Practice moving calmly, without frenetic touching or patting. Practice talking a lot less to your dog and especially avoid loud, or high pitched baby talk or excited questions. Silence is golden while dog training. Actions speak louder than words. The less you talk, the calmer your dog will be.

And of course, satisfy your dog’s basic needs for healthy food, a reasonable amount of exercise, appropriate socialization and peaceful rest periods.

Here’s to your happy life with your relaxed dog!

The Place command teaches dogs how to relax in a specific spot.”Place” can be a dog cot, a bed, a rug, a chair – you decide – and you can change where & what the “place” is that you want your dog to relax. It is helpful initially to choose a location with distinct edges. Using a raised cot makes it easier to teach the dog to remain within the boundaries of this designated location, and it’s comfy so the dog will want to hang out there to rest.

The many Benefits of the Place command for dogs

Whether your dog is demanding & pushy, or shy & nervous, or anywhere in between – the Place command is a game changer.

Daily practice of Place work is extremely beneficial for dogs to learn to relax and it’s a key part of teaching a dog to be calm on command. With a little practice every day, your dog can become a zen master! This is super handy when you have guests visiting, or have household tasks to do.

We initially teach the Place command and then pair it with the Down command, so dogs learn to associate Place with laying down. Where the body goes the mind will follow. Since laying down is naturally a relaxing position that is related to taking a snooze, your dog will begin to calm down more readily in this position. Gradually your dog will be chilling out on Place for longer periods of time, (from an hour to several hours at a time) and as long as they stay on Place, they are free to stand, sit, or lay down comfortably. If they step off of Place, we simply say “no” in a calm tone of voice and lead them back into Place.

When a dog is new at this exercise, we begin with a leash and with very short duration and few distractions, while remaining close (distance) to the dog. With practice each of these 3 D’s are gradually increased until the dog is a pro at remaining on Place without constant supervision.

If your dog hasn’t mastered this skill yet and you need to come & go from the room, you can use a tie-back to tether your dog to something solid. This is to prevent the dog from getting too far or into mischief if they do step off while you’re not looking. However, never leave your dog unattended while tethered for more than a few minutes when you are home, and definitely don’t leave home with your dog still tied. It is illegal to tether a dog in Ontario for more than an hour in any situation. Besides that, the whole exercise is about teaching your dog to master their impulse control. The dog should not be spending any length of time with tension on a leash with them struggling to escape. Instead the dog is holding themselves on Place with their own will power. That is the magic of the exercise. The dog remains in place of their own accord. This is hard work at first. Dogs love to have a job to do and Place work is a fantastic job for dogs.

Transforming dogs with stress/excitement related issues

The Place command is an essential skill that every dog should master. Every noise, smell, or movement is not something a dog needs to be reacting to. No matter what exciting distractions are happening in the house, or outside the window, a dog can learn to chill out, because those things are not their concern. We show our dogs that we have everything under control so they don’t have to worry about that stuff.

This is how we create calm dogs that are not constantly in motion, persistently pestering people, or stressing themselves out with things they cannot control. Running and jumping around the home is not normal dog behaviour. Once your dog has mastered the Place command, you will be able to get things done around your home, such as vacuuming or other cleaning, laundry, cooking, eating, exercising, homework, projects, etc. If you want to stop a dog from getting underfoot and stressing out, the Place command is life-changing.

A dog cannot be barking, destroying things, pestering people, chasing the cat, or any other unwanted behaviour while they are resting calmly in place. Impulse control is a big part of growing up for all of us. Although many dog owners don’t realize it, training CALMNESS is the key ingredient missing in their dog’s lives.

Place work is ideal to rehab dogs with separation anxiety

Dogs need leadership and guidance to help them be really clear about what to do and where they should be. This is especially important for anxious and overly reactive dogs, but it’s helpful for everyone. It’s our responsibility to help dogs get it right. When they have been given clear information they can make the right decisions, then we get to praise and reward them and they can relax. The Place command is a key element of avoiding or eliminating separation anxiety, since Place teaches dogs that it’s okay to be away from you. The dog’s new job is to stay put and relax, rather than stressing out and following their human around like a shadow.

Interpreting emotion – Is your dog actually happy or just stressed?

Most people see an over-excited dog and say something like, “Look how happy that dog is!” However, excitement in dogs is more often an expression of stress and anxiety rather than joy & happiness. On the flip side, people may see a calm dog and wonder why the dog looks so sad when the dog is actually peacefully relaxing.

It is not healthy or natural to remain in an adrenalized state all of the time. There is a time for exuberant frolicking, rambunctious play and enthusiastic exercise. And then there is the normal state of calmness when nothing much is happening. For much of the time, nothing much is happening, so our dogs are not helped by remaining in a high-energy state during most of the day. The Place command is an essential tool to teach dogs how to meditate, remain peaceful and simply chill out.

Dogs who live in a happy, mentally relaxed space get to be included more in our everyday lives.

When dog trainers say that dogs need “structure” what we mean is **consistent rules**, dependable leadership & guidance. Structure means that the dog can rely on you to create a dependable routine in your household and out in the world.

Structure brings down their stress level (excitement/fear), which is the root cause of all problem behaviours in dogs. When a dog can rely on a safe routine, and they know that someone else (you) will take care of everything for them, they begin to learn to calm down and stop over-reacting. Dogs – and especially those with behaviour problems such as separation anxiety, fear, pushiness, aggression, and many more issues – are HUGELY helped by giving them massive amounts of structure. It’s actually amazing to see.

Having clear, unbreakable rules is extremely therapeutic for dogs. Dogs thrive on clarity. Consistent patterns and expectations create a sense of security and increase calmness and trust in dogs. Many unacceptable behaviours are reduced or eliminated by simply setting up consistent household rules that your dog can rely on, such as door manners, crate training and duration training with the place command to build impulse control & calmness.

Permission-Based Dog Training

In a structured environment **everything** in the dog’s life becomes permission-based. You either allow it – or not. Why should you do this? Because this shapes good behaviours in your dog. This teaches your dog right from wrong. When everything is free, dogs are not motivated to change bad behaviours. Once you take charge and hold your dog accountable for making good choices, you become relevant to your dog. Your dog learns to look to you for permission and listen to what you say, rather than ignore you and make bad choices.

Once you take charge of everything that your dog values, your dog learns that nothing in life is free. Your dog begins to earn all rewards such as: eating, drinking, playing, going outside, walks, affection, attention, space (e.g. access to specific areas in the home, free-roaming indoors, or access to furniture if you allow that at all), dog bed/cot, crate.

Use all of the things your dog wants to reward your dog for good behaviour. Don’t give these rewards unless they are **earned**. When you do this, your dog learns that everything and anything that they enjoy comes from you. You become the source of all good things! In order to get any of the good things in life, your dog needs to first behave well and listen to what you say.

Food is a huge motivator, so instead of using a dog bowl, you can use your dog’s meals to train your dog. Once your dog is perfectly obedience trained and has thoroughly developed the habit of being calm and listening to you, maybe you will choose to use the dog bowl again. Even then, getting food is permission-dependent. Your dog must wait patiently and calmly for their food. This cultivates respect and impulse control.

These good habits spread to being more calm, patient, and looking to you for permission and guidance in all other areas of your dog’s life. So that’s structure. It does wonders for dogs and humans love it too.

Everyday Dog Training

Dog training isn’t a “once and you’re done” kind of thing. It’s ongoing, like raising a kid, or like keeping in shape. You don’t just teach your kid how to behave for 5 minutes every afternoon, or for an hour on Saturdays. You can’t just go to the gym for a week or a month and expect to stay in top shape unless you continue to eat right and maintain your fitness. The same goes for dog training. Dog training is a lifestyle. It’s a regular part of your everyday routine.