To Crate Train or Not to Crate Train My Dog?
“Should I crate my dog?”
“Crating my dog seems cruel. Won’t he be sad?”
“I’d prefer if my dog slept in her crate at night rather than with me. Is that ok?”
These are some of the common questions I get asked pertaining to crate training a dog. In fact, the topic of crating a dog can spark some pretty polarizing debates.
So, should you crate your dog or not? Well, like many dog training questions, the answer is, “it depends.”
Is It Separation Anxiety, Isolation Distress or FOMO?
As a certified separation anxiety trainer (CSAT), I get calls all the time from people concerned and confused about their dog’s alone time behavior and what’s causing it. They want clarity and answers and if you’re anything like them, you do too. So, let’s shed some light on things so you can better understand and help your dog relax when alone.
The Story of How Training Saved My Dog’s Lives
A couple of years ago my dogs gave me quite the scare by putting their dog training to the test. It was shortly after moving into our (then) new home and we were so excited because Shiloh and Roxi finally had a beautiful, fully fenced backyard to run in. All was good! That is, ‘til one morning, while I was outside on a Zoom call letting the dogs play in the sun, when I realized it was WAY too quiet. Something wasn’t right.
Help! I Think My Dog Has Separation Anxiety!
Does your dog bark it’s head off when you leave the house?
Or, maybe you’ve come home to your house utterly destroyed (how can they do THAT much damage in such a short period of time!?)
And what the heck, now they seem to have suddenly forgotten all of the potty training you’ve taught them because you’re finding puddles and piles upon your return. You took them out right before you left, surely they could have held it!