Separation Acclimation & Crate Training

It is a weird time to be alive folks.  I don’t think there is any other way to put it.  Life as we know it has changed overnight in an extremely drastic way – but the good news is, it isn’t all negative.  We are being given the opportunity to spend a lot (so so much) more time at home and have a great deal of free time on our hands.  This may have been the chance some folks have been looking for to bring a new furry family member into the mix, or to try out fostering for the first time, which is AWESOME!  If this is you, congratulations for helping to be part of the solution of the homeless pet epidemic – you rule!  We are so excited to see more people adopting dogs and fostering dogs while in quarantine. Not only do pets help keep us sane with their adorableness and silly antics, but the amount of love they have to give is endless and can help with mental health and life satisfaction in these uncertain times.  I know my two puppers offer me a lot of stress relief during this unprecedented time and boy oh boy are they enjoying having me home ALL THE TIME. 

Even though it may seem like this new way of life is FOREVER, it is important to remember that eventually stay-at-home orders will cease and we will gradually get back to more regular hours of work, and events outside of our homes, leaving our new pets/fosters for more extended periods of time alone.  This change could potentially raise problems for our new pets/fosters who are used to our uninterrupted presence creating stress for them, and result in bad behavior when they act out due to routine changes.  Despite us having tons of time to spend with them now, we need to make sure we are prepared and preparing them for the return to more regular routines. Getting our pets ready will be the key to success all around.  How do we do that?  Crate training and separation acclimation is where the answer lies, and starting on a gradual training schedule is KEY, so they have time to get used to the eventual changes now, versus trying to plunge them into a cold turkey approach. 

We’re going to outline some common training  techniques that you can try at home with your furry friend. Please keep in mind that every dog is different and unique and will respond to training differently. This approach works for lots of dogs, but if your pet is responding to something different, that’s okay too. Our goal is to provide ideas and resources, not all the answers. Because we’re just not that smart. 😉

Let’s start with separation acclimation:

Dogs are routine oriented beings, so they get used to whatever is being done in their lives, but that does not mean they do not feel stress with major changes.  To avoid drastic change, starting with short periods of separation of you from your dog(s) allow pets a chance to get accustomed to being alone in a more realistic way, while mitigating the associated stress and thus lowering the chance of bad behavior.  Dogs cannot tell us with words when they are upset, so their stress manifests in bad behavior (chewing, digging, constant barking, etc.)  Allow your pet to have alone time every day, starting with short durations of separation.  Leave them in a different room with a high value treat while you work from home.  Leaving the house to be outside while your dog is inside and slowly increasing the amount of time you are away is another great route – even if you are just out enjoying a book, washing the car, or gardening out of their sight, it is good to allow your dog time alone to show them they will be ok without you, as well as them gaining reliance in their new routine slowly.  Starting with shorter segments of alone time and gradually increasing that time will provide a more successful routine change for them to acclimate to.  Making sure your dog is properly exercised before leaving them alone is also a great tool… tired dogs are typically more well behaved dogs.  Consider hiring a dog walker even before returning to your out-of-house/back-to-work routine – this allows your pet time to get used to a new person in a less stressful way, as well as offering them independence from you/your family (just make sure to disinfect the leash and walking gear before/after use by a new person). 

Crate Training:

A common misconception is that crates are unfair for dogs.  When done correctly crate training is a very positive experience for a dog, creating a safe space for them, as well as your home (especially for dogs who tend to chew or tear up household items which can lead to safety issues for them as well as an expensive new redecorating method for you).  Dogs are den animals so having a clean and safe space is a good thing for them mentally and physically.  There are some key steps and ways to go about crate training to make sure it is successful and stress-free for your pet (and you!), and the major piece is starting slowly, gradually increasing the time in a crate and having patience with your dog.  A dog CANNOT be expected to start sitting in a crate for 8 hours on the first round.  A dog also cannot be expected to be in a crate 100% of the time…not cool.  Here are some great steps to take to begin the crate training process:

1. Choose the right crate – Seems reasonable right?  You want to get one that’s durable, comfortable, and flexible with whatever training you’re doing. For dogs that prefer to sleep or find comfort in the dark, a kennel or airline crates (which are more enclosed), are good, while wire ones work best for other dogs. It’s important you don’t buy a crate that is too small OR too big for your dog.  Depending on how big your dog is going to get, buy the right crate for their estimated adult size that also has a divider so you can build the space and grant them more and more space as they grow.  A dog should be able to comfortably stand and turn around in their crate.
2. Establish the proper mindset for your pet – Creating a positive experience around their crate is clutch.  A crate should never be used as punishment.  The more the dog(s) associate the crate with a relaxed mindset, the more they’ll ultimately enjoy hanging out in there. If you put the dog in the crate when they’re playing, then they’ll want to come back out and continue to play. But if you bring them in it when they’re calm, they will likely view it as a place of rest. One great method of getting your dog used to their crate in a gradual way is by placing their food and water dish in it so they associate the crate with a positive experience.  Also playing “treat fairy” is a great option.  The best way to do this is to start with the crate being in a room with it open, allowing the dog to walk in and out of the crate at their leisure, and then occasionally leaving tasty treats in their crate for them to find creating a notion of positivity around the new crate for them to get used to it.  Do this for a few days for them to get used to the new device before starting to leave them inside of it. 
3. Start Slow – The best way to get a dog used to a crate is gradually.  After feeding them (with the crate door open) for a couple meals, start by putting them in the crate while you are home, in the same room for 10-15 minute segments of time (letting them out for about a half hour in between).  Do not let your dog out when they are barking or whining…this will reinforce that the behavior works for them. If they start barking or whining, do not acknowledge them.  AS SOON as they cease whining or barking, even for a very short time, give them a treat and praise them.  Do this repeatedly until they get comfortable and gain confidence that they are safe in their crate.  Also using a command when putting them in the crate helps create a routine (“go to your crate”, “go to bed”, whatever is your jam).  When they go inside the crate on their own, give them a treat and/or praise the command success.  Gradually increase the time they are in the crate over the course of several days with you at home (15 to 30 minutes, then 1 hour, etc).  After they are used to that, begin leaving them in the crate alone (you out of the house or in a different room) for short periods of time, increasing the amount of time they are in the crate.
4. Determine how your dog will be most comfortable – Some people use dog beds or towels to create a comfy environment, but that may not always be the best option. Once again, it’s trial and error.  Depending on the dog you have, they may tear a dog bed apart or they may use it to pee on. It’s not a bad thing for them to just sleep on the crate mat itself.  Some dogs actually prefer hard surfaces.  Trying one way and adjusting will be your best bet to find a successful comfort level for your pup. Also be cognizant of what toys or materials your leave your dog alone with in the crate. If it has the potential of being eaten, choked on, etc it should only be used when you are home to supervise.
5. Keep your dog “naked”­ – Dogs should not have collars or tags or anything on when they’re in the crate, if the tag gets caught in the crate the dog could choke themself.  Safety first.
6. Consistent Routine & Rewards­ – Again, positive association is KEY.  Make sure they potty before putting them in the crate, and after they are removed**, creating a routine.  Even though it is hard, when you let them out, do not pet and play with them immediately, as that can create the impression of positivity coming OUT of the crate, which can be counter intuitive for training.  Instead, let them out of the crate and immediately take them out to the bathroom right away with minimal talking, and after they potty, go nuts with petting, snuggles and all the love.  Consistency is key for doggos. (**Don’t forget, if you have a small puppy, that equates to a small bladder and they should not be expected to hold their pee-pee all day.  The rule of thumb to start by is 1 hour for every month old they are, so if your puppy is 4 months old, they should only be expected to hold their bladder for about 4 hours, no more, so you will need to make arrangements for a walker or someone to come relieve your dog so they don’t have accidents in their crate.)
7. Be Patient! – Prepare yourself for at least six months of training.  There will be ups and downs since dogs aren’t linear learners, but success will come. Even when it feels like you’re banging your head against a wall, as long as you stay calm and consistent in your methodology, your dog will eventually look for the reward and you’ll have the opportunity to reward them.

Keep in mind you may not always have to utilize crates for your dog.  For instance, with my two dogs Nola (a terrier mix) and Mika (a Brittany Spaniel mix), we utilized a crate for each of them for different periods of their puppy-hood.  Nola was crated while we were at work or out of the house until she was about 8 months old, at which time we slowly let her stay out of the crate when we were away (starting with an hour and gradually increasing the time we were away to make sure she didn’t get into mischief).  She proved a-ok immediately and we never had any issues with her destroying our home or getting into trouble.  Mika took a little longer and we had to crate her until she was about 1.5 years old because she was a chewer and we didn’t want her getting hurt.  Both dogs are now, at ages 3 and 5, able to be left uncrated for the duration of our work day without incident or safety concerns.  Some dogs, however, require crating their whole lives.  If you have the opportunity to start crate training you’re your puppy right away ….always do it. It is so much easier to train the behavior at that age then in an adult dog that has never experience confinement or had a positive experience with it. It’s a tool you will have in your toolbelt should you need it at a later date. You may never need it again, but you’ll be grateful you have it. Again, this is a trial and error process to see what works best for you and your fur-kids.

Hopefully these tips and training techniques help you create a consistent, healthy and happy environment for you and your dog!  We love feedback and questions so feel free to leave us some love, comments or inquiries and we will help in any way we can to make sure life is successful for all members of your house, both 2 legs and four.