dog behaviourist

Dos and Don’ts of Crate Training

When used properly, crates are wonderful inventions for dogs and can really help with their training. I often work with owners who have recently brought home a puppy (or older dog!) to crate train their new family member as there are numerous benefits to doing so. Crate training helps with toilet training, separation anxiety and getting your pooch into a routine – as well as preventing any destruction while you’re not there to watch! However, there is a lot of misinformation out there surrounding crate training so I thought I would share my “dos and don’ts”.

Do

Set up a comfortable space

When using a crate, it is essential that this space is set up as a cosy space where your dog will feel safe.

The crate needs to be big enough for your dog to stand up and turn around comfortably but if it is too large, then your puppy may have accidents. If you don’t want to be buying a new crate every few weeks as they grow, then there are crates on the market which have a divider.

Make the space cosy and comfortable. Many pet stores offer crate covers, as dogs are den animals and often enjoy the safe feeling of an enclosed space. But a sheet or blanket over the top of the crate will also do the job; just make sure that your pooch isn’t one who will pull the material through to chew on.

Some dogs enjoy a bed to sleep on, others like a blanket and some even like the cool floor of the crate itself. You don’t want to leave your pup in a crate with bedding if they are going to shred/ingest the material so listen to your dogs behaviour and fill the space accordingly.

Keep your pup close by

When we bring home a puppy, they have left everything that they have ever known. They have left their mother, siblings, breeder and all the sights, smells and comforts of their first home. This is stressful and scary for our dogs and so we want to make sure that we are making this transition as easy as possible for them.

At this stage, you are their only comfort – and they don’t know you yet! Personally, I believe it is too hard on a puppy to leave them alone to sleep. They need comfort and we are the only ones who can give that to them. You can put their crate in your room or set up camp next to their crate in another room, while they’re getting used to their new home.

Make the crate a positive place

To start you off, begin by throwing some high value treats around the entrance to the crate. Allow your pup to explore at their own pace. Once they are happily taking the treats around the entrance to the crate, chuck a few pieces inside. Let them go in and get the treats in their own time, without forcing them inside. Leave the door open so that your pup can go in and out the crate as they please. Repeat this several times, several times a day.

Take it slow

The next step is to close the door while your pup is inside the crate. As above, throw some tasty treats inside and once your pup is in, close the door for a few moments. After a few seconds, open the door again. We want your pup to learn that the door closing isn’t scary and that it means positive things are to come. Repeat several times, as before. Try to feed your pup their meals in their crate as part of this process, to really increase the positive associations.

Next, you’re going to want to start leaving the door shut for longer periods. Instead of treats, now you want to be giving your pooch something longer lasting. Kongs, lick mats, frozen slow feeders, tasty chews – anything delicious that will take a while to deal with. Now, you can close the door on your pup while they’re busy with their treat. Once they’ve finished, be sure to let them out.

Practise small separations

Finally, you’re going to want to start leaving your pup alone while they’re in the crate. Start small, a few seconds or so, and you need only leave the room. We want to teach your pup that you are always going to come back and that being on their own isn’t a problem. You can incorporate the separations with your pup having their treats in the crate as well. Gradually build up the time that your pup is left alone.

Don’t

Choose a “hot spot”

Make sure you don’t choose a spot that sits in direct sunlight at any part of the day. Nor should it be placed in an area that is particularly draughty. Similarly, you don’t want to put your crate in an area of the house that is particularly busy, where your pup will be regularly disturbed.

Remove water

There is conflicting advice here: some state that removing water close to bedtime will aid with toilet training. However, as a positive based trainer, I do not believe that we should be removing our dog’s access to something as essential as water in order to get them through the night.

Sleepless nights and disturbed sleeping schedules are part and parcel of having a puppy and it doesn’t last forever. More often than not, a pup is able to sleep through the night (8 hours or so) without a toilet break by around 16 weeks, especially if they are a larger breed.

Push it

Properly crate training a dog, to the point where they can be left alone whist crated for a few hours, takes time. It usually takes around 6 months to have properly cracked crate training. For some dogs, crate training won’t work at all. My own dog, Kenny, did not take to his crate. He cried and cried, even when we were sat right next to him, and was very distressed whilst in there. So we listened to him and got rid of the crate. He was happiest sleeping under the counter in the kitchen, so that’s where we moved his bed! If you really feel crate training isn’t progressing, it might just not be the right fit for your dog’s personality – and that’s okay! Just like not every dog will excel at agility, not every dog will excel in a crate.

Let your dog ‘cry it out’

Again, there is conflicting advice on this – especially if you’re tempted to try a Google search. Some say that if you leave a pup to cry, they will eventually settle. Similarly to removing water, whilst this may work in the short run, allowing your pup to do this does not fall within the remit of positive training. In order for crate training to be a success, the crate needs to be a really positive place that your dog willingly goes into and is happy to be left in. Allowing your dog to get to the point that they are crying and distressed will only create negative associations with the crate – undoing all of the positive work that has been done so far. They may settle eventually, but you can bet your bottom dollar that they aren’t going to be skipping into the crate the next time you ask. The key is not to let your pup get to the point where they cry, if they start to become distressed, you’ve “pushed it” too far and need to go back a step.

Leave it too long

Dogs should be crated for 4 hours as an absolute maximum during the day – it is fine to leave them in there for longer overnight. Crates are fabulous for helping keep puppies from having accidents and getting into mischief while you’re gone but they shouldn’t be left for any longer than this. It’s really important that your puppy gets access to the toilet frequently and is getting lots of mental enrichment and physical stimulation to aid growth and development.

Use the crate as a punishment

If you want your dog to be happy about spending their time in their crate and really see it as a positive place that they love being, then it cannot be a place that they are put into as a punishment. If your dog exhibits a behaviour that you don’t like and then they are shut away after, for example, being scolded by you, then they are going to associate the crate with negative things happening. For crate training to work, our dogs need to love their crates and so we need to avoid these negative associations from forming.

…that’s it!

This process is a long one and at times, if can feel impossible. However, with time and patience, your pup will get there!

If you are finding it hard adjusting to the night time routine, if your pup just can’t crack toilet training or if you’re coming home to puppy destruction whenever you leave, then I am here to help! Click here to make an enquiry for a 1-2-1 session or here to find out about puppy classes.

Kong Filling Mastery

Kongs are fabulous inventions for dogs. With little, large, puppy and extra tough versions, there really is something for every dog to get their teeth into. They’re a great alternative to food bowls and add enrichment to your dogs life as they’re having their meal (for more tips on how to move away from the food bowl, check out No More Dog Bowls).

As well as stuffing Kongs with raw and canned dog foods, they can be prepared ahead of time and frozen as a tasty treat. I thought I would share my how I prepare Kongs for my dog.

Plug

Create a seal in the top of the Kong to prevent all the other stuffing from falling out. Peanut butter is my go to; I add a couple of teaspoons. It doesn’t have to be ‘doggy’ peanut butter (there’s a massive markup on these products) but make sure it’s 100% peanut content. There is some concern out there that creating a seal may cause a vacuum on the dogs nose/tongue while they’re licking. Cases of this are extremely rare but it’s always a good idea to supervise your dog while their Konging, just in case.

Gooey goodness

Next, we want some gooey stuff that’s easy for your dog to scoop out the bottom with their tongue. Banana, cooked white rice, natural yoghurt and cream cheese are all good options.

Sweet treats

Fruit is great for our dogs (in moderation because of the high sugar content). Blueberries are an easy, no-hassle option to pop in but if you don’t mind chopping then pear, strawberry, apple and melon are all delicious choices.

Meaty stuff

Up next we want something really delicious to get your dog super motivated to get stuck in. Cooked meat, dried treats, canned tuna or normal kibble work well.

Healthy bits

Time for veggies. My dog likes peas, carrot, squash and broccoli but there are loads of different veggies that are great for dogs. Experiment and see what your pooch likes!

Topper

Fill the remaining space in the Kong with a liquid. If your dog isn’t fussy, you can simply use water but I find my dog enjoys a topper of low-salt stock.

Freeze

The last step is to freeze your Kong, for maximum longevity. I freeze mine inside mugs to keep them in position but muffin tins also work well – if you have the freezer space!

Depending on the Kong type, size of your dog and their Kong technique (some dogs are better than others at this!) then I’ve known a well stuffed Kong to last anywhere up to an hour.

That’s a whole hour of independent, calm time where your dog is self-soothing, lowering cortisol and releasing endorphins. Happy days!

If you want to find out more about enrichment for your dog and the benefits it brings, you can get in contact with me here.

Puppy Socialisation

As a dog trainer, I see time and time again the negative effects on dogs of improper socialisation. At worst, a lack of socialisation can result in a dog who is fiercely reactive to a number of triggers. However, a lack of socialisation can also present itself as a dog who is nervous about being left alone, doesn’t want to go in the car, will refuse to walk, will bark at children or doesn’t like guests coming to the home.

With this in mind, I thought it would be useful to get to the root of what socialisation is and what we should be aiming to expose our puppies to in order to give them the very best start in life we can.

Socialisation is the process where puppies start getting used to interacting and recognising people, dogs and animals. All animals go through this period and it is vitally important as it provides the blueprint for your puppy’s life. The socialisation period in dogs runs roughly between 3 and 16 weeks. During this period, your dog is learning what they do and do not need to be scared of but crucially, they go into interactions with new things with an open mind. After this period, they are closed off and are much more likely to be fearful of anything new that they encounter.

Due to these time constraints, it’s important to get your pup out and about as soon as you bring them home, as waiting until vaccinations are complete often means you have missed the socialisation window. You can carry your puppy in your hands, get them a sling, backpack or even a doggy-buggy. As long as their paws are off the floor, then they are not at risk of picking up a disease left by another animal. Similarly, vaccinated dogs do not pose a risk to your pup.

Socialisation is not about playing with and meeting lots of different dogs. Any encounter with an unknown dog poses risks to your puppy, with bites from other dogs being all too common. Socialisation is about having good experiences in the presence of other dogs as well as learning to ignore their presence. We don’t want our pups thinking they get to greet every dog they meet.

Perhaps just as important as socialisation is habituation. This is when an animal learns to ignore non-threatening stimuli (objects, sights, sounds, smells etc). Our dogs are constantly having stimuli thrown at them (noise of a playground, smell of car fumes, ticking clock, doorbell going, someone walking past) and they need to learn what is worthy of a reaction and what is not. So what should we be aiming to introduce our dog to during this key sensitive period?

Socialisation checklist:

Children of different ages: baby, toddler, children, teenagers
Elderly people
People with beards
People in high-vis/working gear
People wearing rucksacks, scarves, hats, glasses, high heels, boots
People with walking sticks, mobility scooters, wheelchairs
People coming to the door with deliveries
Other dogs – big dogs, little dogs, flat-faced dogs, in-tact males/females
Other pets – cats, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, fish
Other animals – horses (including people riding horses), cows, donkeys, ducks, chickens, pigs, sheep

Habituation checklist:

Noises – thunder, fireworks washing machines, lawnmowers, vacuum cleaners, tools (drills, saws etc), bangs in the kitchen, building sites
Objects – push chairs, wheel chairs, bikes, buses, traffic
Car travel
Grooming – being bathed, spray bottles, brushing, nail clipping
Textures – grass, gravel, lino, carpet, concrete, sand, slippery floors
Smells – pet shops, pet groomers, vets, the sea
Cafes, shops, restaurants, bars, pubs, friends’ houses
Handling of paws, tail, ears, mouth, claws
Being on the lead, wearing a collar/harness

This list is by no means exhaustive and you need to think about what your dog is going to come up against in its daily life. A working farm dog is going to have a completely different experience to a dog who lives in the city.

Similarly, it is important to let the puppy approach things in their own time and make sure that they can always move away if they want to. Body language should be soft and wiggly. Make sure not to overwhelm your puppy; children should not be allowed to crowd your dog and other dogs that are introduced to them should be chosen carefully. Small bursts of socialisation are best, with plenty of time to sleep in between to process the information.

Socialisation is so incredibly important to set your puppy up for a successful, stress-free life and, as owners, we have such a small window to work with. This work has to start with the breeders and be mindfully continued at home with us. It is very easy to get it wrong and this can have implications for both you and your puppy later down the line.

If you have recently brought home a puppy and are wanting to make sure you get their socialisation right, click here to drop me a message or give me a call.

Inappropriate Play In Dogs

As a dog trainer, I spend a lot of time with my clients unpicking what their dogs are trying to communicate. Generally, we are nowhere near as good at understanding dogs as they are at understanding us. They can read our faces, emotions and even understand some of our language. However, dogs don’t have their own language so instead, they use their bodies to communicate what they want to say. So often, we miss vital signs that our dogs are uncomfortable, overwhelmed or about to make a bad decision.

Understanding our dogs’ body language is perhaps most important when they’re playing with other pooches as after all, dog play is mock battle and can go badly wrong. We need to keep our eyes peeled for ‘red flag’ behaviours that indicate play is becoming too rude and escalating.

These red flag behaviours include:

Uninvited body contact. A dog may constantly be in another dog’s face or bottom.
Scent marking. Play should be stopped if this is observed as this is an indication of high arousal, stress, nervousness, discomfort or fearfulness. Simply pausing play is not enough because once the dog returns, they will still be over threshold.
T-shaping. This is when a dog puts it head over another dog’s head, neck or shoulder area, which can be threatening. The dog underneath will often respond with a snap; dogs shouldn’t be allowed to t-shape unfamiliar dogs.
Mounting. If this occurs, play should be stopped; dogs mount when they are overexcited and aroused or because they are stressed, fearful or uncomfortable. It may also be a coping mechanism for some dogs.

Body slamming. This boisterous, rough play is when a dog runs and slams into another. If a dog is doing this, then they are more than likely at their threshold level. If a dog is slammed into, then it may have an effect on them for a number of days.
Uneven play. Dogs should be balanced in their interactions. For example, if dogs are chasing each other, we don’t want to see one dog constantly being chased.

Further red flag behaviours include focused bites/neck biting, deep growls with bared teeth, pinning and barking in the face of another dog.

These behaviours do not always mean that play needs to stop but we should be seeing green flag behaviours outweighing the red flag ones. Click here to read more about green flag behaviours.

If you would like to find out more about your dog’s body language then click here to drop me a message.