Used properly, a crate is an effective short-term tool for managing and training your dog. If you train your dog to be content in a crate, you’ll provide a safe, cozy place that she can call her own and sleep in at night.
It also gives you a safe way to transport your dog and travel with her to motels, to friends’ homes, when on vacation, etc. Crates are especially helpful when introducing a new dog into your household. You can also use a crate to efficiently house train your dog and prevent her from being destructive
Crates can be easily misused, however. They’re best used as a relatively short-term management tool, not as a lifetime pattern of housing. Your goal should be to work on any behavior problems and train your dog so that it’s not necessary to crate her 8 to 10 hours every weekday throughout her life. Please see our crate guidelines below, under How Long to Crate Your Dog, to avoid over-confinement and inadvertently causing behavior problems from a lack of exercise, training, socialization and companionship.
Some dogs are never happy in crates but can tolerate them when necessary. Others panic when closed in a crate (please see more information below under When NOT to Use a Crate). However, most dogs readily adjust to their crates, preferring to sleep or take refuge in them when they’re tired or things get too hectic.
This information is provided based on experiences we have encountered working with shy or fearful dogs. Please consult your personal trainer before starting any rehabilitation or training with your shy or fearful dog.
The foster caregiver of your adopted dog has been working to help your dog build their confidence and to become more comfortable with new people and new environments. We do not place our shy dogs until we have seen drastic improvement and feel they are ready to begin their new life.
We may have had your dog in our program for only a matter of weeks while others, we may have for months. We do not rush their rehabilitation, we look for the ideal adopter for these dogs, and we will not place them in their adopted home until we feel they are ready.
When we evaluate shy dogs for our program, there are certain attributes we look for. We want to make sure we have a foster caregiver that is experienced capable of helping and rehabilitating the dog. We look for dogs that would rather turn away, hide, or may be slow to seek out attention, rather than strike out and bite. These special dogs are only placed in the most experienced hands to guide them to feeling safe and building their confidence.