Is A Crate Really The Best Option For Your Dog?
Welcome to Confinement 101: Your guide to finding the products that will serve your dog(s) and your household.
Crates, gates, playpens, and more. There are literally hundreds of household management products. How do you choose what’s right for you?
We need to talk about effective household management. Having a functional household where all members have freedom of movement, access to resources, and adequate seperation when needed is key to having a thriving multi-pet or even single-pet household. If you are a parent, chances are you already know this stuff- because it goes for kiddos too. With toddlers- we don’t just let them loose and expect them to make good choices- and the same should go for your dog.
The kindest options offer the least limitations
Just so you know- puppies and young dogs or those who are new to living in a home can’t actually learn good household manners if they spend every waking moment in a box. Crate training is great and necessary for many reasons- but it isn’t the solution to all your problems…and it’s just plain unkind to overuse this tool to your dog’s detriment.
For general confinement when you are unable to tend to your dog, consider if these options will work for you first:
A large playpen
A gated off space like the living room or kitchen
A room with a closed door or baby gate
As a general rule of thumb, aim for the most freedom of movement as is possible while still keeping everyone safe and confined. For some dogs in some situations, this will be hard to achieve. In these cases, find ways to limit the amount of time the dog is required to be confined as much as possible.
Creating Enriching environments
Access to reinforcement is another big one to think about here. How can you make the space enriching for the dog? How much variety can you provide? What sorts of projects can I leave for the dog to work on? What sort of sensory stimulation can I provide? Can I play music? Put on a show? Leave them hidden treats or frozen enrichment? Fill a snuffle mat?
Finally, water access is essential in any confinement zone. Whether it be a crate or large area of the house- water should always be readily accessible. My favorite product to use is these water buckets with hooks which I can clip inside of a crate or on the inside of a playpen.
Supporting good habits
If being confined causes the animal to have a panic attack, screaming meltdown, or injure themselves- you must re-evaluate. Confinement isn’t easy for most dogs to cope with. Properly training confinement skills, gate manners, and self-regulation is essential for a stress free confinement space. Putting the dog in a box is not the only option and there are less invasive procedures to help you manage your dog’s behavior if necessary. However, if confinement is deemed necessary it is essential that we train the skills effectively.
Allowing the dog to scream it out is unlikely to be sufficient in changing their behavior- and is painful for everyone involved. Focus instead on fostering good habits and interrupt negative or undesired behaviors promptly. Much of the literature and teachings available on confinement training will not teach you this. I highly recommend you check out Sarah Stremming’s “Happy Crating” course as it is the kindest and most effective protocol for crate/confinement conditioning I have come across so far. It has done wonders for my dogs as well as my clients and it’s something I come back to time and time again in my work.
Playpens
My personal favorite- playpens provide versatility, movability, and are one of the most secure options outside of crates. I used playpens when I used to foster behavioral cases at the shelter and I had great success. The biggest pro is that playpens can be setup near the “action” of the home- allowing the dog to be involved and stay within arms reach of their people. This is one of the biggest factors in determining how well a dog will cope with confinement.
The second is the one I have which has been in my family for years. It can be opened up into a long chain that acts as a gate. It is fantastic for gating off a kitchen or living room- or the christmas tree. If the dog needs to be fully confined, it is easy to assemble and offers ample room for the dog.
gates
Gates are useful for doorways and otherwise narrow halls or walkways where you would like to block access. For any mildly athletic dog who is large enough- they usually can hop right over most styles. Especially if you are using a gate to block off a dog from something they find interesting/exciting, you must make sure it is high enough! This goes for pens as well, which is why I prefer the higher ones. This being said, gates are awesome and allow you to seperate spaces while still allowing for humans to maneuver through in most styles. I use baby gates often, but almost entirely as a form of secondary management. My dogs can jump over if they really feel strongly about what is on the other side.
Wooden Freestanding Gate- Wayfair
Pressure Mounted Baby Gate- Amazon
Crates
Crates are the heaviest hammer in your toolbox when it comes to confinement, and I suggest you don’t take that lightly. Crates offer very minimal freedom of movement. Yes, they are useful tools for many dogs and they are not harmful when properly introduced and used thoughtfully and minimally but they sure can be harmful without care and forethought. Once again, you can refer to Sarah Stremming’s “Happy Crating” as your reference to ethical and effective crate training procedures.
The situations a crate might prove useful are vast: travel, household management, mealtimes, sleeping, classes, competitions, houseguests, and more. The situations crates are not useful and potentially harmful are…also in excess. As a rule of thumb, don’t use a crate when you could use something else. This means no more puppies without any confinement experience spending time in a crate while you work or are out of the house. A playpen can be used in most situations where most would reach for a crate. And finally, you do not get to put dogs in boxes who have never learned what boxes are. Training is a non-negotiable pre-requisite for this.
Car/Travel ($$$)
Home ($$)
Budget ($)
Airline Crates/Wire crates can be purchased at local shelters
Local Buy Nothing Groups on FB
Buy used on FB Marketplace or a local thrift store
Notes on safety
Dogs will be dogs. If you have never seen a dog chew a hole through a plastic crate from the stress of an airline flight and end up loose in the plane…consider yourself lucky. If you have never watched a dog get a leg amputated from panicking in a wire crate and collapsing it on himself, I hope you never do. If you have never seen a dog jump off of a third story balcony after breaking through a crate and screen door and breaking a leg, I hope it stays that way. I tell you these stories not to scare you, but to make you aware that dogs do not come without risk and it is your responsibility to ensure safety to the best of your ability.
If you think confinement is the answer to all of your problems with your dog, I urge you to proceed with caution. In all the above scenarios, dogs experiencing extreme distress were confined to better manage potential or anticipated problematic behavior. This type of confinement is for us humans to feel safe about our belongings not being destroyed, being able to proceed with a full-time work schedule, and not having to clean up after puppies. Some cases require real help. A crate, a gate, or a box of any kind- isn’t always enough and isn’t always smart. Some dogs experience extreme seperation related distress or have severe issues with confinement. For those dogs, confinement is not the answer. Reach out to us and book a consult and we will refer you to someone who can help.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful.
