Raising a puppy without a crate

It’s on countless checklists in puppy books: get a crate before your puppy comes home. What often follows is a list of reasons why raising a puppy without a crate would supposedly be impossible. But did you know that you don’t actually need to use a crate during puppyhood?

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In this article, I’ll show you how you can do things differently. Using three common arguments in favour of crate use, I’ll explore alternative ways to approach the situations a crate is often recommended for. Along the way, I’ll share practical tips and advice to help you navigate puppyhood without a crate.

Scenario 1: “My puppy needs a crate to settle and sleep”

The adult dog needs around 10 to 14 hours of sleep a day. For puppies, that number is much higher: they may need anywhere from 16 to 20 hours of sleep! That’s the vast majority of their day. Many puppy guardians find it difficult to make sure their puppy gets all the sleep they need. After all, our often busy lives aren’t necessarily set up to provide that much peace and quiet in and around the home.

Unlike humans, dogs have a polyphasic sleep pattern. This means that instead of sleeping for one long stretch of around eight hours at night, they sleep in shorter periods throughout the day and night. They may sleep for two or three hours, wake up for a little while, change position, walk around, stretch or have a drink of water, and then settle back down for their next stretch of sleep. These periods tend to be longer at night, while during the day many dogs take more frequent, lighter naps.

A crate limits this natural ability to sleep, wake up, move around and then go back to sleep. There often isn’t enough space, for example, for a dog to move to a different, cooler spot. A crate can also restrict their ability to sleep fully stretched out. To enter REM sleep, a dog needs to be able to stretch out to their full length, with adequate support for their neck.

During the day, crates are often used to encourage a lively puppy to settle down. In my view, using a crate for this skips some important steps. I certainly wouldn’t deny that having a quiet space can help some puppies settle when everything feels a little too much. But it’s important to first understand why your puppy is so restless in the first place.

An overstimulated puppy may benefit not only from a quiet space, but also from having you nearby, something to chew on, or fewer stimuli in their environment. Learning to settle is also a skill that puppies need to develop. It’s something they need our support and guidance with, rather than something a crate can simply solve for them.

Scenario 2: “I want to stop my puppy from destroying things”

Puppies and chewed-up belongings often seem to go hand in hand. And I completely understand how frustrating that can be. You walk into the room just as your puppy sinks those razor-sharp little teeth into your beautiful new shoes!

Sometimes dogs damage things accidentally, but at other times the chewing itself is intentional. Not because they’re trying to annoy you, but simply because they’re expressing natural behaviour.

Dogs, and puppies in particular, explore the world partly through their mouths. Without hands, the mouth is an incredibly useful, sensitive and functional tool for investigating all sorts of things. Just like babies and young children, puppies put things in their mouths to discover whether they’re edible, what they taste like, and what their texture and shape feel like. And sometimes, in the process, they discover that your expensive shoes happen to be particularly satisfying to chew. The pressure, for example, may provide relief for sensitive gums while they are teething.

Holding something in their mouth can also have a calming effect on a puppy. It can be a useful way of coping with both positive and negative emotions, such as excitement, happiness, uncertainty or fear. In the midst of those emotions, whatever they’ve picked up may not survive the encounter with their teeth.

Chewing and picking things up are behaviours you can guide your puppy through. A good place to start is by puppy-proofing your home before your puppy arrives. So, what should you consider when puppy-proofing your home?

• Cables from appliances and lighting are safely tucked away.

• Electrical sockets are secured and covered.

• Areas your puppy definitely shouldn’t have access to are blocked off with a gate.

• Children’s toys and similar items are kept out of your puppy’s reach.

• Valuable belongings, or anything you really don’t want damaged, are safely put away.

• Toxic or dangerous items, such as certain plants or foods, are kept well out of reach.

  
  

Offer your puppy suitable alternatives, such as a teething toy. Raising a puppy who might chew or damage things isn’t about automatically turning to a crate.

Not sure whether your home is puppy-proof enough? Try looking around the room from your puppy’s eye level and see what catches your attention! You can also prevent a great deal of this behaviour by providing plenty of safe alternatives. Make sure your puppy has access to enough suitable toys and things to chew on.

Chewing is a natural need for dogs. This is particularly important during puppyhood, when teething and learning to cope with all kinds of stimuli play such a prominent role. Providing plenty of appropriate things to chew on gives your puppy an outlet for that need. Raising a puppy without a crate also means keeping a close eye on what they’re doing, so you can spot what’s about to happen and step in before something actually gets damaged.

Does your puppy’s destructive behaviour happen in response to something else? Perhaps they were left alone for longer than they could cope with, or they were startled by a loud noise or another overwhelming experience. In that case, look more closely at what triggered the behaviour. Where possible, address the underlying cause or offer your puppy the support they need. Isolating your puppy in a crate is certainly not the solution.

Scenario 3: “Using a crate will help house-train my puppy faster”

House training is a natural process, and every puppy develops at their own pace. You can help your puppy through this process by giving them plenty of opportunities to relieve themselves in the right place, but there isn’t much you can do to speed up the physical development involved. Becoming house-trained largely depends on your puppy’s physical development and on gaining the muscular control needed to hold their bladder and bowels.

One of the main reasons crates are recommended for house training is that puppies naturally prefer not to soil the area where they sleep. You can see this behaviour from a very young age. Puppies as young as two weeks old will crawl a short distance away from the nest after waking up to relieve themselves. This natural instinct remains with dogs throughout their lives.

In my view, we shouldn’t use this instinct as a way to make a puppy hold their bladder or bowels by confining them to a crate.

When raising your puppy without a crate, it becomes even more important to approach house training with consistency and predictability. As a general guideline, these are the moments when I recommend taking your puppy outside:

• Immediately after your puppy wakes up from a nap.

• Immediately after your puppy has finished playing, whether with you or on their own.

• Around 15 to 30 minutes after a meal.

• Otherwise, approximately every 1.5 to 2 hours.

  
  

Of course, no schedule can be applied to every puppy in exactly the same way. Observe your puppy closely to determine whether they need to go outside sooner or whether they can comfortably wait a little longer. As you get better at reading your puppy, you’ll also start to recognise the subtle signals and behaviours that tell you they need to relieve themselves.

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To sum up...

The crate is, first and foremost, a tool designed for human convenience. It isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for every growing puppy. In fact, when used inappropriately, it can seriously disregard the natural needs and behaviours of a young dog. Raising a puppy involves much more than closing the crate door and hoping they’ll manage.

Here are the key takeaways from this article:

• If your puppy needs more rest or sleep, take the time to understand what they actually need. The answer often isn't  being separated from you. Sometimes, what they need is your presence, or an adjustment to their environment or daily rhythm.

• You can help prevent your puppy from damaging your belongings by providing appropriate outlets for their natural need to chew and explore.

• Becoming house-trained is a natural process. You can support your puppy by following a consistent routine and closely observing their behaviour.

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Do you have questions about raising your puppy without a crate? Feel free to get in touch with me. 

And does this approach feel like the right fit for you and your puppy? My online course is available in both Dutch and English: 

• Bewust zonder Bench - je pup opvoeden vanuit rust, vertrouwen en nabijheid https://ophondsewijze.kennis.shop/pay/bewust-zonder-bench 

• Beyond the Crate - Raising your puppy at their pace, with trust and closeness https://ophondsewijze.kennis.shop/pay/beyond-the-crate

  
  

The course will help you put this approach into practice and guide you through raising your puppy without relying on a crate. 

As a reader of this article on the PDTE website, you can use the code PDTE5 at checkout to receive €5 off the course. 

Written by: 

Marieke van Berkel | Op Hondse Wijze | https://ophondsewijze.nl/ Welfare-centred dog behaviour consultant specialising in puppies and young dogs. Full Member of the Pet Dog Trainers of Europe (PDTE).