#Destructive Dog

Don’t put tools on dogs inside of crates. Period. There’s no better way to get bitten than to reach into a crate to pet, or to put tools on a dog, or heaven forbid, try to grab a dog’s collar. Yet I see folks doing precisely this every single day. And here’s the thing—I’m not just talking about dangerous or sketchy dogs, even your happy-go-lucky dogs can get weird inside a crate. They can feel pressured, or guardy, or just unsure. The other thing that doesn’t get talked about, is that if every time you approach the crate to get an actual dangerous or sketchy dog out, and there’s some kind of friction/resistance/problem, you’re creating a crystal clear prediction/association that when you approach the crate… there’s going to be trouble. And that my friends is bad news if you’re trying to get a troubled dog into a better space. So what’s the answer? We simply put a leash or longline on the dog’s martingale collar (you can also use a very thin chain if you’ve got a dog who eats things they shouldn’t), and then simply leave a foot of leash sticking out through the crate door. If you use a chain, you’ll likely just leave it inside the crate. (The thin chain leashes with leash clips and a handle work great for this—just cut the handle off.) Then when you need to get the dog out, you simply walk up, open the crate a bit, grab the leash or line (or use mechanical “grabbers” to grab the chain or leash/line if it was pulled in), and simply guide the dog out. Dogs are so patterned to follow a leash or line, that once they just see the leash/line/chain picked up, they almost universally will follow it. No muss, no fuss. The amount of difference in reaction to trying to lasso them, entice them out, dumping the crate, or catch pole them… is frankly astonishing. And you’ll bang your head against the wall asking why you didn’t try this sooner. This is typically only needed for a few days until the dog relaxes into the pattern and the new environment. Then you can invite them out and put any leash, line, training collars etc on without issue. PS, for those worried about the… CONT 👇

Crating dogs keeps them safe. They can't chew on or get into anything they shouldn't. Your house isn't covered in pee or poop if they aren't potty trained yet. They have a safe, quiet place to call their own. I crate every foster we bring home because it keeps them safe, and our animals/ house protected. We crate Barley every time we leave because he'll tip on Buddy when he has his seizures. It literally saves Buddy's life. So crate train your dogs.

Most crate problems aren’t behavior problems. They’re structure problems. We turned our exact puppy crate + housebreaking system into a step-by-step guide you can use at home. Comment CRATE and we’ll send it to you 🐾

It’s important that your dog has the ability to chill in the crate for 5 minutes minimum. Not just because crate training is important for your dog’s overall mental wellbeing. But because there are times in your dogs life when they will be in crate not matter what. Vet visits, surgery’s, plane trips, boarding kernels, dog sitters and if they get a serious injury. The responsible thing to do is to make sure your dog is acclimated to the crate. Even if it is only for these scenarios ✅

I hate to say it, but it says something about you if you shame others for crate training their dogs… You can choose to crate your dog. You can choose to not crate your dog. But you do venture into judgmental butthole territory if you shame others for their choice. Now can people make unethical choices about how long to keep to keep a dog in a crate? Yes. Can other people make dangerous choices about leaving dogs loose and unsupervised? Also yes. Do you see how easy it is to judge other dog owners for their choices, no matter what they are? Crate or don’t crate. But make the decision thoughtfully. And don’t shame others for doing what they believe is best for their own dog. Do you crate train your dog? Why or why not? Please share in the comments. ⬇️ @thecaninedetective

I don’t know he looks pretty comfy in “jail” to me. If you don’t like kennels, just don’t use one for your own dog. Easy peasy👋🏻. There are lots of great reasons to use kennels. We started kennel training our dogs the day we brought them home. Our dogs kennels are their safe space. When we aren’t home, we kennel them for their safety. They have never given me reason not to trust them outside their kennels unattended, but dogs are opportunists. When you say your dog would never, they will never like they’ve never done before. My dogs are extraordinarily well trained, but there are things that are not worth the risk. Did you know that kenneled pets are more likely to be saved in a home emergency? They are easier to find. When pets are afraid, they tend to hide or flee the second a first responder enters a home. Pets hiding creates undue danger for a first responder trying to locate them. Dogs are allowed to have and want their own space. A dog is not supposed to live its life tucked up its owner’s ass. That is not emotionally healthy for the human or the dog and can create separation anxiety issues for both parties. When my dogs are tired or want to be left alone, they find their own spaces to rest. Sometimes thats with us and sometimes its where they choose to rest in our house. Reggie is very comfortable in his kennel. We leave the door open for him and he finds his way there. We are happy that our dogs know how to rest and that they remove themselves when they feel like they need the rest. Neither of them choosing to rest away from us means that they don’t love us. I love my husband, but I don’t want to spend every waking moment with him of every single day. I enjoy my alone time and my dogs do as well. Kennels are not abusive when used in the right way. Your vet, boarding facilities, or groomer will thank you if your pet ever needs to be kenneled in those instances. There are lots of reasons to use kennels, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Some random internet troll won’t be the one that convinces me to stop using kennels for my doggos. What works for me may not work for you and that’s ok. #cratetraining

A lot of clients come to us to help their dogs get over fear, anxiety, reactivity, etc. Quite often they have a ‘story’ as to why their dog adopted rescue dog is acting this way. On the flip side, owners that have had their dog from a puppy, don’t understand why their dog is afraid, aggressive, reactive to ______ fill in the blank (men with hats, beards, garbage cans, etc.). The reason doesn’t actually matter, but its rarely abuse, and almost always, lack of PROPER socialization. The video below shows Peter socializing Daisy to a new experience! It’s also very common for dogs to be startled by something (plastic bag blowing down the street is a popular one) and the incident was improperly handled (don’t soothe, pet, or tell your dog it’s okay!), or not addressed at all. Also, because of the dog’s associative memory, the trigger can be seemingly random when it happens out of context to the original incident that upset the dog. For example, we have a video on Fear on YouTube explaining how Ruby would hide and shake every time Peter was frying something, but not when I cooking. The reason, and we know what it was because we were there each time it happened, was the smoke alarm would go off more often than not when Peter was frying something. The result was Ruby running and hiding each time Peter started frying something - the smoke alarm did not need to go off the put Ruby in a state of panic. We worked through all of this by addressing the trigger through training. So, don’t keep feeding your dog’s fear/anxiety/reactivity - get professional help!

When Sky, the nine-month-old Shepard- Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, came to us, she was struggling with severe fear-based reactivity. As a puppy, she had been bounced around to different homes and was abused by one of her previous owners. As a result, Sky has been following her owners around the house, barking constantly. They tried to work her on their own using information they found online, but it only made things worse. Eventually, they reached out to some local trainers who recommended standard (and expensive) board and train programs. I was shocked when they told me that. Sky was already dealing with the trauma of abandonment and abuse. The last thing that she needed was to be “shipped off” again. We needed to address the cause of her fear reactivity, so I recommended a series of one-on-one sessions. I strongly believe that Sky being able to stay at home would allow her and her owns to build their relationship, connection and trust. At @bossk9services, it’s not just about the money. It’s about what’s best for the dog and their owners. Sky is a great example of why every training program should be custom. We usually use a balanced approach to training, but in this case, any form of punishment would have been detrimental to Sky’s progress. Instead, we focused on building her sense of safety, trust and confidence through positive reinforcement. She is already behaving more calmly and barking much less. Her program is still in progress, so check back for update updates on Sky! Visit us online at bossk9services.ca or send a DM to learn more about how you can achieve results like these with your own dog. #DogTraining #ReactiveDog #Reactivity #BrantCounty #OxfordCounty

🚨 This is something EVERY dog owner needs to do to potentially SAVE their dog’s life… 🐶🚗 If your dog is riding loose in the car with no restraint, you’re taking a massive risk. In a sudden stop or accident, your dog becomes a projectile. That’s not dramatic — that’s reality. 💥 A crate in the car isn’t just “extra.” It’s a LIFE-SAVING safety tool. 🛑🐾 Here’s how to do it based on your budget: 🔒 Want top-tier crash-tested protection? Look into Gunner Kennels. 🐕‍🦺 Want high quality without the highest price tag? RuffLand Kennels are solid. 💰 On a budget? Check Facebook Marketplace or eBay — I found one of mine for $50. There’s no excuse not to protect your dog. We crate our dogs at home for structure… why wouldn’t we protect them in the car? 🚙 If you truly love your dog, prioritize their safety. Don’t wait for a scare to make the change. 👇 Do you crate your dog in the car? Yes or no? Let’s talk about it in the comments. Follow for real-world dog training tips, safety advice, and practical ownership guidance. 🐾🔥 #DogSafety #DogTrainingTips #CrateTraining #DogTravel #ResponsibleDogOwner DogOwners PetSafety DogTrainer WorkingDogs GunnerKennel RuffLand DogLife

PLEASE DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU ARE SEEING!!!! This dog is extremely shut down, avoidant and in constant duress. EVERYTHING IS WRONG AND THIS DOG IS BEING ABUSED!!! #dogtraining #fyp #explorepage #aggressivedog #reactivedog

Behaviorally normal safe dogs don’t escalate within 15 second to biting. They don’t need to be catch poled to move them. And the shelters and rescues that adopt out dogs like this or warehouse them are wrong.

Do you crate train your dogs? Tell me about your experience in the comments…