They’re Crrrrrate
Crate Training — Why It’s a Skill Every Dog Should Have (No Matter How Old They Are)
Crate training splits people. Some folks are totally against it, others are totally for it. I’m firmly in the latter camp — and here’s why I think it’s a skill worth teaching every dog, regardless of age.
Why Bother With Crate Training?
If you’ve got a puppy, the crate is your best friend. It massively helps you manage where they can go, stops them free-roaming into trouble, and prevents them from rehearsing all the daft ideas puppies tend to have.
Because let’s be honest — puppies aren’t exactly known for their sensible life choices. If they’re not in the crate, they should be on a house lead and with you so you can actually prevent the mischief before it happens. I’d also be limiting their access to the house, but I’ll save that chat for another post.
It’s Not Just for Puppies
The chances of your dog having to go to the vets at some point? Pretty high. The chances they might need to stay overnight after an op? Also high.
And when they do, guess where they’ll end up? Yep — in a crate. The vet’s not going to spend half an hour making sure your dog has a positive association with it first — so if they’ve never been in one before, that’s an extra layer of stress they don’t need on top of being poorly.
Same goes for kennels or boarding. Even if, like me, you avoid kennels altogether and board with someone you trust (in my case, Laura from West Country Dogs — she’s just shy of a 2-hour drive but worth every mile), your dog may still need to be crated there. With Laura, it might be because she’s got her own working line Shepherd puppy out, or because another dog staying isn’t very social or neutral. Either way, if Sam wasn’t already crate trained, that’d be extra stress for her — and extra stress for Laura trying to juggle dogs.
A Safe Space, Wherever You Are
Crates are brilliant when introduced properly — a safe space just for your dog. Somewhere they can choose to go for peace and quiet, or somewhere you can put them if needed.
They’re lockable too, which can be a lifesaver if you’ve got visitors who aren’t dog people, trades coming in and out, or in an emergency when paramedics or police turn up. Sure, shutting them in another room works — but you can’t exactly pack that room in your boot when you go away for the weekend.
Sam’s Toilet/Bin Habit (And How the Crate Fixed It)
When I got Sam at around 18 months old, she was house trained… in theory. But if I left her for even an hour, I’d come back to wee, poo, or the bin turned inside out across the kitchen floor.
At night it was the same. I tried all sorts — last toilet break before bed, feeding earlier, taking water away two hours before bed — none of it worked. It was doing my head in.
So I called in a trainer mate (also called Sam, from Sam’s Canine Academy). His advice? You’ve guessed it — crate train her.
I started small: crating her randomly during the day for 5, 15, 30 minutes at a time. I didn’t just crate her when I was leaving the house — that would likely become a recognised pattern and potentially work against me. She only came out when calm — whining and fussing didn’t get her anywhere (and this is where most people crumble).
Once she was comfortable, I crated her every time I left the house and still at random points in the day even if I wasn’t leaving, at night, and in the car. After about three to four months of this and being consistent every time, I tested leaving her loose at home for an hour. Came back — nothing. House exactly as I left it.
I didn’t just stop using the crate altogether — I mixed it up. Sometimes crated, sometimes not. Now, I rarely crate her at home when I’m out, but she’s still crated in the car and sometimes at night.
Why did it work? Because she literally couldn’t practise the behaviour anymore. No bin raids. No indoor toilet breaks. We broke the habit before it became so ingrained that it would have taken even longer to undo.
Not a Magic Wand — But a Bloody Good Tool
This wasn’t just the crate. I was also giving her the right exercise and genetic fulfilment. Shoving your dog in a crate and calling it a day won’t fix anything — used wisely, it’s part of the bigger picture.
A crate is a bit like a cot for a baby. It’s safe. It’s theirs. It’s where they rest and recover. You wouldn’t leave a baby in there all day, but you wouldn’t ditch the cot altogether either. Even if you co-sleep, the cot or playpen is there to do a job — to keep them safe when you can’t keep eyes on them for a few minutes.
Client Example — Sofa Nipping
I had a client with a 4-year-old dog who didn’t enjoy being petted and had nipped people on the sofa. Turns out the dog shared the sofa with the family — and that’s where the nips happened.
The fix? Give the dog its own space where no one bothers it. We set up a crate as a “do not disturb” zone. It gave the dog somewhere to fully decompress and get proper rest. And because it wasn’t sharing the sofa anymore, there was zero chance of anyone petting it at the wrong time. Nipping stopped.
Giving the dog its own space had other knock-on effects too — better rest led to better behaviour across the board.
Final Thought
Whether you’re stopping bad habits, preventing new ones, helping a dog through vet stays, or just giving them a safe retreat, a crate is an invaluable bit of kit.
It’s not cruel, it’s not lazy, and it’s not just for puppies. It’s a skill — and like any skill, you’re better off having it in the bag before you actually need it.