Many owners choose to crate their dogs when they leave the house–especially puppies, due to their high energy levels, teething habits, and lack of full potty training. Even adult dogs may need to be crated if they tend to be destructive when bored or unsupervised. Some may never be able to be left alone, and that’s okay! Every dog is different, and crates are not inherently bad. They’re an excellent way to protect your dog and your belongings when you aren’t home.
If you think you want to give your dog more freedom while you’re gone, consider these key factors:
- How does your dog act when you’re there with them? If your dog behaves well while you are home with them, this can be a sign that they are ready to be trusted with more freedom while unsupervised. However, if you find they still manage to get into trouble (i.e. having accidents or ripping up items) by sneaking off into another room of the house even when you are home, they still need more time and training. Don’t be discouraged; continue patiently working on their training and self-control. They may eventually stop doing these bad behaviors and graduate from their crate, or they may not.
- Are they properly exercised? Pent-up energy is a big reason that dogs turn to destructive behaviors. To decrease the chances of bad behavior while you are gone, make sure that you take Fido on a nice long walk or play a good game of fetch together beforehand. This way, your pup will be tired and content to chill out until you return.
- Do you have time to take it slow? It is not recommended to let your dog go from fully-crated to full-house freedom immediately. You need to have time to slowly increase the time they are left alone. The first week or so of sessions should be just 15-20 minute absences; if your dog does well during these, then you can progress slowly toward longer periods. You may also want to slowly increase their access to different rooms of the house. For the first few sessions, try letting them have access to just one room of the house. Once they can be trusted in that room, open up access to another room or two. This gives you better control over what they could get into while you’re gone.
Understand that for some dogs, being left alone uncrated is simply not an option. This does not mean they are naughty dogs, or that they cannot be trained in other areas. In fact, many dogs quite enjoy their crates. These are safe spaces in which they can relax while unsupervised. You should never use the crate as a form of punishment because you want your dog to enjoy the time they spend there. It may help to give them a long-lasting treat, such as a dental treat or rubber chew toy, when you leave so that they are happily occupied for a while. Your top priority should always be the safety of your dog and home, and so for many families that means keeping your pup safely crated when you’re gone.
Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training provides professional dog training and obedience classes to Sarasota and Manatee dog owners and their pets.
