We all know basically what we need to do to raise a young baby. We put diapers on them, not underwear, because they don’t have control of their bowels. We put them in a crib, not a bed, because they could soil the bed, or fall out of it. Babies need naps during the day because they tire quickly, and may become cranky. Children have baby gates, and so do puppies. It’s all about keeping them safe from injury when we are not supervising them. Children also have playpens. This is a way to have the babies with us and not in their cribs.
The crate performs three very important functions:
- It teaches a puppy how to control it's bowel movements. Most dogs are very clean animals, and do not want to soil themselves, or especially there bed. When they are in the crate for a period of time, it teaches them to hold it until the owner returns to take them outside.
- It keeps the puppy safe while we are not home from such things as wires, cords, cleaners, etc.
- It helps the puppy develop emotional bounce back to alone time. When the puppy is alone for a period of time, they learn to accept the idea that we cannot be around all the time, and therefore, the crate helps gaurd against separation anxiety.
A crate is a diaper and a crib to a puppy. Consider this, the side of the crib, what does it look like? It has bars like a cage so that a baby cannot get out or fall out, like a puppy cannot get out of his/her cage, yet for the most part we feel guilty about crating a puppy. We feel we are being inhumane and cruel to the animal. But we don’t feel that way about putting a baby in a playpen or a crib for a nap. Even when the baby cries, we know we are not being cruel. We might not be happy that the baby is crying, and we might feel sad, but we can deal with it emotionally. Why can’t we get passed this cratephobia? Here’s why:
When we bring a newborn home from the hospital, we immediately put diapers on him/her, not underwear. We would immediately think strangely of someone who didn’t. We know a crib is just common sense. It keeps the baby from falling out and injuring itself. Its easy doing this with a baby because they are, besides the fact that we love them, infinitely less entertaining then a puppy. Puppies come home walking, and talking, human babies don’t. On an entertainment level, puppies are far more interactive, so we perceive any vocal complaint as a plea for us to stop being "mean."
We teach our clients how crating early in life, along with evolved owner training, feedback, interaction stimulation and socialization, accomplishes the following:
- A calm, relaxed dog (everywhere)
- A socialized dog with human and animals
- A bathroom trained dog
- A dog who does not vandalize
- A dog that can emotionally deal with alone time
- A dog with no issues or bad habits
- A dog who will, after the owner and dog training is all done, no longer need a crate
NB: A room, a gated kitchen, or a backyard is not a crate. Why not?
If you were given the choice to spend tonight in a hotel, (and your privacy and luxury was guaranteed) or you could have your bed put in the middle of an 80,000 seat stadium, where would you feel more comfortable?
We know that it is up to us to teach our kids good behavior. We teach them to speak, use utensils, potty train, share, walk, grace and manners, values, and how to brush their teeth. To think they could develop these behaviors on their own would be preposterous. And without realizing it, we also socialize them to the environment. Family and friends visit our newborns in the hospital and home. Babies are socialized to the sounds of the world in the womb, on walks in strollers, to social or family events, and religious events. They need to be taken everywhere. How healthy would their development be if we never took them out of the house or off the property. How well adjusted would they be? But we do this with our dogs, then get irritated and surprised later when we take rover out to our friend’s house and see restlessness, agitation and, even worse, fear induced aggression. Babies need to be held, hugged, kissed. They need to be talked to, played with, and stimulated with games, toys, and fun activities. So do our dogs.
Developmentally, it is said that a human being’s personality is formed between they ages of three to five years of life. That same period, developmentally, in a dog is eight to sixteen weeks of age. This period is called the socialization of the predator. Remember that all dogs are predators, whether it is a Chihuahua or a Great Dane.
There is approximately seven years to one human year. Now consider these two statements, and compare your answer to each:
- Tomorrow I’m starting obedience puppy class with my six-month-old puppy. Would this statement shock most of us? Probably not, in fact, we’d think, " good, that’s an early start."
- Tomorrow I’m going to start teaching my three and a half-year-old healthy child how to walk, talk, and I’m going to take it out of the house for the first time.
Most of us would be horrified once we understand that they are both the same statement.
Puppy training and socialization with home, people, animals, and public begins at the age of eight weeks, or forever hold your peace. If we get a puppy at six, seven, or eight weeks of age, why don’t we begin this process at that time?
- Our own antiquated beliefs and myths
- Advice from our friends, family, neighbors, and other dog owners
- Dated dog books
- Breeders, and some trainers
- Veterinarians
- Our ignorance
Do you ask you friends, family, neighbors, and other dog owners for legal, medical, financial, or insurance advice too?
Sadly, there are very few good books available in most bookstores. But if you have the right information, you will know which books to look for.
Breeders and trainers - I was a dog trainer for four years before learning about the socialization period, and how much of a "use it or lose it" period it is in any dogs development. I suspect a lot of trainers and breeders might be in the same boat. This very point should scream to the world the necessity for a system of certification of dog trainers worldwide. We need to understand the nature of the beast as much as we know how to teach obedience. When this happens, dog training will become more humane, gentle, fun and universally more successful than ever before.
Veterinarians are caught in a real no win situation. They have a legal obligation to warn us about the dangers of parasites, kennel cough, and parvo virus, and that we need to keep our puppies away from other dogs, and public parks until they have had all their vaccinations at sixteen weeks. But wait… I have to keep my puppy away from other dogs and parks until it is sixteen weeks of age, then how do I socialize it? Well, you can’t. At least not easily, or in a way that will guarantee the final reliability of the dog’s behavior in every circumstance throughout its life.
We must not blame the Vets for this. Why? They have not been formally trained in the critical stages of development in a puppy’s life. Their job is to cure illness, injury, pain, and other physical problems that may arise. Before 1998 in Ontario, there was no formal teaching of dog behavior in Veterinary programs or any Vet with this knowledge. They exist, but we need more of them.
You will know these Vets when you meet them. They’ll warn you about parvo virus, and other ailments, but will also warn you that you do have to socialize your puppy. They will also tell you not to walk, but to run to a good puppy program and at what age a puppy will and will not be allowed to attend. They should also send you home with a puppy kit with information about crating, and socialization.
To most of us, our Vets are the most trusted professionals in our dog’s life, but they are not Gods. We have to also think of what makes the most sense. Keep in mind that life is full of risks. We don’t remove our children from society or public because they have not had all their vaccines yet. They still need to develop socially, both children and puppies. We’ve met many clients who have hidden their dogs from society for the first part of their lives, and now have to do double the work to fix it. It is one thing to be safe. No one is saying not to be a responsible pet owner, but you should not take it to the other extreme either.
Our own beliefs, misunderstandings, myths and misinformation about dog training ahs dramatically changed in the last fifteen years. Particularly, for a lot of trainers and instructors in the past ten years. We have a much more evolved understanding of the behavior and needs of a dog. New dog owners and those of us that have had good dogs all our lives can benefit from this.
It is common to hear people say that your pets are like children, but do they really see the similarities? Hopefully you now have some clarity that will help you make informed, responsible decisions for you and your puppy.
