The Pet Connection's Pet Talk: Training your dog

Heel, Sit, Down and Come are some basic commands your dog should be aware of and do! Over the vast many years when I'm out with my dogs, either at my shop, doing my Pet Therapy at the VA Hospital or nursing homes, or having them just in the car, people will always say, "I WANT A DOG JUST LIKE YOURS" !! !!! Sadly, I will have to explain that my dogs don't just come behaved or trained, that it's hours of spending time with them and doing the work that it takes to make them the dogs you see before you.

This will be a series on training an awesome dog, what you 'Il need to do to start, how to pass a CGC (Canine Good Citizenship) or how to train a Therapy Dog (Delta Society).

When I first start my training it always begins with Crate Training! I'm always surprised at the reaction from people when suggesting that they do this with their dogs. Usually their first comment is, "that's cruel to leave them in a crate or kennel, followed by I just can 't do that and listen to them bark"! My response is, that by training them that their kennel is a safe place, their kennel is their home, using the kennel not as a punishment, but as a happy place. HOPEFULLY it will change not only how YOU, their owner looks at it, but how your pet will respond. No matter how old the rescue dog is that is coming into All Creatures Sanctuary and Rescue, they are immediately introduced to a hardsided Pet Taxi or Pet Crate/kennel. I will not use a Wire Crate when training a new dog for safely reasons. If you look on those Wire Crate Boxes, it'll say, DO NOT USE ON PETS NOT KENNEL TRAINED. These Wire Crates seem to be very popular, but are not safe for a new dog learning to kennel. For me, I want my dogs to feel like they are being protected and safe. With a hard-sided kennel it's a quieter feel, they are not surrounded by open wires and spaces. With a hard-sided kennel they have less area to bite and try to tear through as with a wire kennel, thus hurting their mouths, breaking teeth, or even worse escaping. The majority of the crates I use are Petmate Crates and I buy the largest kennel with a door that locks four ways. One selling point with Petmate is that I can buy replacement kennel doors if needed. The Crate that you get for your dog needs to be large enough for them to stand and turn around. My thought is, if you have a puppy that will become a larger dog, then buy ONE TIME. I'd buy a kennel large enough to fit him or her when they are an adult. The kennel I love cost around $250 and I can use it for any size dog, small to xxx-large.

You ask, so how do it get my dog used to the kennel and how long does it take? When training a new dog, I'm always mindful that each dog is different and what may have worked for one dog or breed may not always work for the next. I have learned that whenever I'm doing any training, being CONSISTANT is always the main key. If you are training only one dog in the household or multiples don't change up who goes in what kennel. Be consistent by putting the same dog in the same kennel and don't change them up. This will also protect your dog from any type of cross contamination of diseases. My dogs, your dogs or any dogs get used to having and knowing which kennel is theirs and by randomly changing where they go and stay can detour your training.

You want the dog to enjoy being in their kennels and nothing is better than feeding time at my house. With the many dogs that I have in the rescue, it's easier and safer for me to feed everyone in their kennels. This helps eliminate any type of food aggression that might arise and it helps me stay on top of any surprise illnesses if someone doesn't eat their supper. You can purchase feeders/ waters that will attach to the front kennel door, giving your pet more floor space in the kennel. This again is an option to think about, I have a couple of dogs that I use wire bowl holders for who will leave them hanging on the door and then I have others that will knock them down off the kennel door and I have to pick them up. I would suggest trying different ones until you find the one that works best for your pet. They come in many different types and sizes, some you can attach with just hangers made for that size of bowl and others come where you can secure them to the kennel door with a locking mechanism. When feeding in the kennel, I do not put in a water bowl. Over trial and error I've learned that having access to water in their kennel leads to more work and bigger messes to clean up. My dogs are in and out of their kennels several times a day, giving them access to water and helps prevent any potty messes, Crate training is also an excellent way to housebreak your new member of the family. In most normal cases, your dog will not urinate or defecate where they stay, eat and sleep. Again, it's all about being consistent and really watching your feeding and time schedules.

When crate or kennel training, I'll start out using pee pads or sometimes newspapers in the bottom of my kennel. This allows me easier cleanup and gives me a chance to evaluate the dog. Some dogs will chew and tear up a blanket or nice new dog bed and that can be costly. By using a pee pad or using newspaper, this will give me a chance to allow the dog to adjust to it's new surroundings and saves me the cost of a dog bed. I would caution on using newspaper if you have a white dog, newspaper ink will transfer onto their white coats. Hopefully, over time and as the dog learns this will now be their new home, I'll be able to invest in a kennel mat or bed.

Don't be surprised if your dog doesn't take right off to it's new environment and yes there may be some barking too! When starting out especially with a younger dog, I'll place my kennel in a low traffic area, maybe in a back-bedroom, laundry room or bathroom. This will allow me to close off the area, keeping it quiet for the dog to relax and adjust to it's new home. Barking does occur, but usually doesn't last too long before they settle down and go to sleep. If I'm having problems with a dog barking while in the kennel, with a hard-sided kennel I can use a blanket to cover the kennel making it dark inside, giving the dog time to decompress and relax. Using a wire kennel I have more problems with the dog pulling the blanket into the kennel and tearing it to shreds, making it difficult to pull the blanket out of the wire squares. This will also happen with the hard-sided kennel at the door, but it's much more difficult to do. Like a small child, your dog will learn that if it keeps barking and you keep checking in on it and letting it out of the kennel, then it has now become a learned behavior.

Dog barks, someone will let it out so the dog never really learns to love it's kennel. As your dog becomes accustomed to his new housing you will be able to bring it into a high traffic area such as the living room and allow them to be a part of the family. My kennel doors are left open and I'm never surprised to find a family fur baby sleeping in a kennel and enjoying life.

I mentioned that schedules are everything, not only to your pet but to you also. Like any baby, when they first wake up it's potty time. When your alarm goes om it's time to take the dog outside to potty. I'd suggest staying out with them just to make sure and then back inside while you get ready for work. If you're working with a small puppy or young dog, most vets will recommend feeding twice a day. Back into the kennel we go, feed and then be sure to let them back outside to do their business before leaving for work. Just as soon as your feet hit the household floor after work, it's time to go outside to potty. Remember your dog has been sitting in it's kennel, quiet for however long it's been and just as soon as they wake up and get moving it's potty time. Feeding the same time every day, bathroom breaks at the same time and keeping a routine helps with housebreaking, especially when crate training. Remembering also that using a crate isn't for disciplining, a crate is used for positive reinforcement.

If you're a working dog mother or dog father and don't like coming home to a destroyed house left by your fur baby, then crating is the only answersafety is a top priority with any new or old dog in the household. Dogs do what DOGS do, they get into things, trash, chemicals under the sink, chew electrical cords, tear up bedding, rugs, pillows and even chew your phone charger! This is where all the blame is on YOU and not the dog! This is where had the dog been crated, the dog is safe and the house is safe. Had the dog been trained, both would have been safe and out of danger.

Training your pet to a kennel can be a life saving measure also. If you were to have a house fire or natural disaster and needed to be housed where your dog couldn't just run free, a pet crate could just save your pets life. If you want to travel with your dog, some hotels require that if left alone in your hotel room, your dog must be in a kennel. Even in the car traveling, a pet taxi could save your pets life if you were in an accident. Having a well-trained, well-behaved dog in a crate or kennel is taking the first step to more rewarding and wonderful times with your BEST FRIEND.

Please Don't Litter, Spay and Neuter.