CRATE REST CRAZIES - and how to avoid them.
?Keeping your dog entertained during confinement.
Has your pooch just had surgery or been diagnosed with injury or disease, and been ordered crate rest?
For many owners and pups, this becomes a very trying time.
How do you keep a dog that is meant to be confined and rested stimulated enough to prevent or manage those “Crazies” that come from crate rest?
Speaking from experience, my little pooch Poco has been ordered crate rest several times in his 6 year (current 2018) lifespan. This is due to a form of back disease that he has – treatment has been epidural injections, physio, pain relief, acupuncture and rest. However keeping the little dude mentally stimulated during these crate rest episodes has been challenging. Without the mental stimulation (and obviously lack of physical exercise) he develops obsessive compulsive nail and paw licking – this in itself can and has led to further physical disease.
So, what can you do when your dog is on crate rest?
Has your pooch just had surgery or been diagnosed with injury or disease, and been ordered crate rest?
For many owners and pups, this becomes a very trying time.
How do you keep a dog that is meant to be confined and rested stimulated enough to prevent or manage those “Crazies” that come from crate rest?
Speaking from experience, my little pooch Poco has been ordered crate rest several times in his 6 year (current 2018) lifespan. This is due to a form of back disease that he has – treatment has been epidural injections, physio, pain relief, acupuncture and rest. However keeping the little dude mentally stimulated during these crate rest episodes has been challenging. Without the mental stimulation (and obviously lack of physical exercise) he develops obsessive compulsive nail and paw licking – this in itself can and has led to further physical disease.
So, what can you do when your dog is on crate rest?
Play classical music
Play classical music as this has been scientifically proven to reduce stress in dogs and promote relaxation. Through a dogs ear is a CD or album available for download that can be used.
Use Adaptil
Use ADAPTIL (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) to help your dog relax and reduce stress. I use the collars as they are with the dog at all times, don’t need to be replenished every couple of hours (like the spray does), and won’t be affected by drafts etc in the home.
Play classical music as this has been scientifically proven to reduce stress in dogs and promote relaxation. Through a dogs ear is a CD or album available for download that can be used.
Use Adaptil
Use ADAPTIL (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) to help your dog relax and reduce stress. I use the collars as they are with the dog at all times, don’t need to be replenished every couple of hours (like the spray does), and won’t be affected by drafts etc in the home.
Stop feeding from a bowl
Your dog may be used to feeding from a bowl. And if this is the case, when home from surgery, for a day or two stick to the same routine until they are appearing comfortable.
However, as soon as they are – and usually it shouldn’t be more than 48 hours later, start implementing other enrichment forms of feeding.
Your dog may be used to feeding from a bowl. And if this is the case, when home from surgery, for a day or two stick to the same routine until they are appearing comfortable.
However, as soon as they are – and usually it shouldn’t be more than 48 hours later, start implementing other enrichment forms of feeding.
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Things you could use are:
Kongs – the red, black or blue rubber conical shaped toys – perfect for packing meat/wet/dry (soaked) dog food into. Greenfeeder – a bowl with rounded spikes – the dog will spend at least 10 times longer eating from this than a standard bowl Snufflemat – make your dog a snufflemat – a rubber mat with fleece loops tied through (all ties on one side) that your dog has to snuffle through to find dry food (ask for instructions on how to make it). Foobler – great if your dog is confined to an exercise pen – a treat ball that has compartments and a bell to indicate when the next compartment is open. Cardboard Tubes/Boxes – use empty boxes or tubes to hide food in by folding over the edges/ends. Any eaten cardboard should not pose a problem (if your dog is recovering from abdominal surgery or gastro intestinal disease please check with your veterinarian first). Scatter Feed (carpet/grass) – if your dog is allowed some time outside (on lead or in an exercise pen), or is inside use astroturf or carpet and scatter some dry food for them to “hunt”. Empty bottles – empty bottles are great for putting dry food in – depending on your dog they will flip, push, pick up and toss etc the bottle to empty it and gain their reward. |
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Scent and Outside enrichment
If your dog is small enough purchase a pram or borrow one, and take them for walks/rolls. Getting out and about and having sensory input from the outside world helped immensely with Poco. Does your dog like going for a car ride? Take them for one, providing it is safe and comfortable for them to do so. Another thing I did with Poco, was collect some old rags, and take 10 or so with me on my regular walk with the other dogs. During our walks, when the other dogs found a particularly interesting telephone pole, or fire hydrant I would rub the rag on it. It is important to rub the rag in the location the dogs are smelling and not too high, otherwise you will miss what they found so interesting. After that rag had picked up its “scent” I’d put it away and be armed and ready with the next one. Yes I was the crazy lady walking a bunch of dogs and polishing telephone poles. Poco loved sniffing the scents and catching up on his Facebark posts and Pee mail. |
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Husbandry Training
I'm passionate about teaching our companion pets husbandry behaviours. These are behaviours that the animal wouldn't normally do, however something that we as pet owners we will find useful.
I'm passionate about teaching our companion pets husbandry behaviours. These are behaviours that the animal wouldn't normally do, however something that we as pet owners we will find useful.
Target (Nose/Paw/Shoulder/Hip)
Targeting is teaching your dog to put a body part on something.
Teach your dog to put his nose on your hand or a target stick (target stick, wooden spoon, fly swat) – a way to move him around without having to grab or drag.
Or his hip, shoulder to a wall/hand – can be used in physio post recovery as an aid to get your dog side stepping and moving (be guided by your canine physio).
Paw targets – does your dog shake paws? Guess what, if you said yes, your dog is doing a paw target. Why not teach your dog to step up onto a low block (if guided to do so by your veterinarian or physio), or move from a coaster, to a coaster.
Sustained Target
Teach your dog to put their nose/chin on your hand and build up the duration they are required to do so for. Once you are able to get your dog to hold position for 10 seconds, have someone else move by them, then touch them etc. If the dog removes his/her nose/chin and breaks the target, the reward is not given until they re-engage and continue the behaviour. This is a way of giving your dog some control and choice over future exams.
Watch Humphrey in the Ready Vet Go video.
Roll Over/ Belly Up
Okay, so a lot of dogs roll over already. And that is great. How about teaching them to do it on an elevated surface (remember safety), or on a different surface. Proofing the behavior this way will make it easier for grooming, abdominal suture removals, ultrasounds etc.
Ahhhhh
I have taught my dogs to say ahhh, as a means of assessing the insides of their mouth & teeth without having to physicaly restrain them and open their mouths. Now my dogs aren’t huge, so if I needed to I could, but what if you own a Mastiff or Bull Terrier – trust me, if they don’t want to open their mouth, they are not going to open their mouth, no matter how strong you are.
How do you think they examine Polar Bear, Tigers, Sea Lions etc and their teeth without sedation? They use an open mouth target or say Ahhhh cue.
Teach your dog to target their nose or upper lip to your first finger, and their chin or lower lip to your thumb. Hold your thumb and finger together initially, and gradually spread them apart as you do so your dog will start to try and target to both, and eventually open their mouth. This is a hard one, so don’t expect to have it mastered in a day or two.
Reward your dog initially for any micro mouth movements, and quickly increase your criteria for how open the mouth is, and then how long the dog holds it open.
Muzzle
Many dogs will need to be muzzled at some stage during their life. Why not make muzzles a fun thing and turn it into a game.
All mine are muzzle trained, though none have needed it yet. I prefer the basket muzzle – start by putting peanut butter on the outside and allow your dog to lick off. Then reward your dog for looking at the muzzle and making movements toward it.
Next cup the nose of the muzzle in your hand and drop a couple of treats in.
Next ask your dog to muzzle up and reward them with treats from your other hand through the muzzle (it’s important the treats only come when the muzzle is on).
Gradually build up duration and expect the muzzle to be on for 1sec, 3sec, 5sec etc before giving the treat from the other hand.
Next pretend to do up the bands and reward.
Then do up the band and reward.
Then when they are comfortable with that, once the muzzle is on, ask your dog for another behaviour (sit, down, shake a paw, come when called), and reward with muzzle on.
If you have broken the muzzle training into small enough components and made it a fun experience, your dog will not be trying to paw the muzzle off. If they do begin to paw at the muzzle, go back several steps, and make sure not to reinforce the pawing off by giving a reward. Rewards only come when the muzzle is on and dog is relaxed.
Paw Presentations
Can you think of a reason it would be handy (get it?) for your dog to give you his/her paw?
How about for nail trims, or blood draws?
Teach your dog to give his/her paw to you for nail trims rather than you, the vet or groomer grabbing it out from under them.
Or, even better, teach your dog to scrape their nails on some sandpaper and wear them down while they can’t actually get the physical exercise to do so naturally.
Trick Training
Teach your dog some cool tricks to show off to your friends and family.
Teach your dog some cool tricks to show off to your friends and family.
Name Game
Teach your dog to pick the letter that their name starts with.
Purchase some of the kiddy floor mat letters, or make some out of cardboard. Pick different colours.
Teach your dog initially to drop in front of, or to touch with paw/nose the letter that matches with their name. Once they are reliably dropping/touching when presented with the letter, add in a second and so forth. Remember to mix them up in order of placement.
Teach your dog to pick the letter that their name starts with.
Purchase some of the kiddy floor mat letters, or make some out of cardboard. Pick different colours.
Teach your dog initially to drop in front of, or to touch with paw/nose the letter that matches with their name. Once they are reliably dropping/touching when presented with the letter, add in a second and so forth. Remember to mix them up in order of placement.
Reading
No I’m not talking about reading to your dog, though you can if you wish. Teach your dog to “read”.
This is easily done if your dog has a solid verbal “sit”, “down” or “stand” cue. Write the words Sit, Down or Stand (or anything else your dog does reliably on a verbal cue) on different pieces of paper/card (use big black letters so they make an easy to read shape).
Now with your dog in front of you, flip the card over so that the word is presented to your dog just as you give the verbal cue. Do this a few times, and then try flipping the card over so they can see the word without saying the verbal cue.
If your dog does the behaviour jackpot them. Repeat repeat repeat.
Then add in the opposite word (so if you did Sit to start with, to Down or Stand as the next word), and repeat the process.
Test their understanding of the word shape, by using one of the two word cards and seeing if they do the correct behaviour.
How many words, can you teach your dog?
No I’m not talking about reading to your dog, though you can if you wish. Teach your dog to “read”.
This is easily done if your dog has a solid verbal “sit”, “down” or “stand” cue. Write the words Sit, Down or Stand (or anything else your dog does reliably on a verbal cue) on different pieces of paper/card (use big black letters so they make an easy to read shape).
Now with your dog in front of you, flip the card over so that the word is presented to your dog just as you give the verbal cue. Do this a few times, and then try flipping the card over so they can see the word without saying the verbal cue.
If your dog does the behaviour jackpot them. Repeat repeat repeat.
Then add in the opposite word (so if you did Sit to start with, to Down or Stand as the next word), and repeat the process.
Test their understanding of the word shape, by using one of the two word cards and seeing if they do the correct behaviour.
How many words, can you teach your dog?
Bowling
Purchase a kids set of plastic bowling pins and ball (or use a bigger ball if needed).
Teach your dog to push the ball toward you. Then stand behind the pins and ask the dog to “push”. Reward when the ball makes contact with the pins.
Purchase a kids set of plastic bowling pins and ball (or use a bigger ball if needed).
Teach your dog to push the ball toward you. Then stand behind the pins and ask the dog to “push”. Reward when the ball makes contact with the pins.
Painting
First you will need to modify a paint brush by making a T-Piece on the end so that your dog can hold it and push on it without posing a risk to itself.
Next teach your dog to target the brush to a piece of paper.
Next add water to the brush and teach your dog to touch the paper.
Finally add paint. And then you will have your own Puppy Picasso pictures.
First you will need to modify a paint brush by making a T-Piece on the end so that your dog can hold it and push on it without posing a risk to itself.
Next teach your dog to target the brush to a piece of paper.
Next add water to the brush and teach your dog to touch the paper.
Finally add paint. And then you will have your own Puppy Picasso pictures.
Stacking Cups
Teaching your dog to stack cups is fun, and relatively easy.
First teach your dog to target his nose to the inside of the biggest cup.
Next teach your dog to retrieve the other cups and while still holding the cup, target their nose to the bottom of the bigger cup.
It will make sense once you have fiddled with it for a bit.
Teaching your dog to stack cups is fun, and relatively easy.
First teach your dog to target his nose to the inside of the biggest cup.
Next teach your dog to retrieve the other cups and while still holding the cup, target their nose to the bottom of the bigger cup.
It will make sense once you have fiddled with it for a bit.
Quoits
Teach your dog to pick up a ring and put it over a pin. This one is harder and takes more time.
You can try teaching this through shaping or targeting. Whatever works best for you and your dog.
Teach your dog to pick up a ring and put it over a pin. This one is harder and takes more time.
You can try teaching this through shaping or targeting. Whatever works best for you and your dog.
Rubbish
How about a dog that can pick up rubbish. Teach your dog to retrieve a scrunched up piece of paper, bottle cap (if size appropriate), or empty bottle from the ground first.
Once your dog is good at retrieving, then stand on the side or behind the bin and hold out your hand just over it. When the dog goes to give it to you move your hand away and reward for the item going into the bin.
Gradually move the bin away from you and teach your dog to go to the bin with the rubbish.
How about a dog that can pick up rubbish. Teach your dog to retrieve a scrunched up piece of paper, bottle cap (if size appropriate), or empty bottle from the ground first.
Once your dog is good at retrieving, then stand on the side or behind the bin and hold out your hand just over it. When the dog goes to give it to you move your hand away and reward for the item going into the bin.
Gradually move the bin away from you and teach your dog to go to the bin with the rubbish.
Basket Ball
Much the same as the rubbish trick, except in this one, I teach them to catch the ball first and then put it in the hoop. I prefer a soft ball for easier catches. Remember if your dog is on crate rest, you shouldn’t do this unless they are allowed, and avoid any crazy jumps to catch the ball.
Much the same as the rubbish trick, except in this one, I teach them to catch the ball first and then put it in the hoop. I prefer a soft ball for easier catches. Remember if your dog is on crate rest, you shouldn’t do this unless they are allowed, and avoid any crazy jumps to catch the ball.
Object Discrimination
Object discrimination is fun. This involves teach the names of individual objects and asking your dog to retrieve them.
Start small - with 1, then 2, then 3 objects and so on.
You can teach your dog anything from shapes, to colours (remember blue and yellow are their best colours and everything else is shades of grey), names of tools in a tool kit, fruit, numbers etc.
Arthur can recognize 10 numbers in bean bags that all look similar, have colours with the same numbers etc – how do you think I taught him? Each number has a different odour.
Object discrimination is fun. This involves teach the names of individual objects and asking your dog to retrieve them.
Start small - with 1, then 2, then 3 objects and so on.
You can teach your dog anything from shapes, to colours (remember blue and yellow are their best colours and everything else is shades of grey), names of tools in a tool kit, fruit, numbers etc.
Arthur can recognize 10 numbers in bean bags that all look similar, have colours with the same numbers etc – how do you think I taught him? Each number has a different odour.
Switches
You can also teach your dog things like turning on and off switches. Remember, if you are doing a light switch, start at a level that your crate confined dog is allowed to work at, and gradually build from there once you are given the OK by your dogs doctors.
You can also teach your dog things like turning on and off switches. Remember, if you are doing a light switch, start at a level that your crate confined dog is allowed to work at, and gradually build from there once you are given the OK by your dogs doctors.
So being on crate rest doesn’t have to be boring. Spend time with your dog, and get them learning and interacting with their environment in ways other than walking/running.
If your dog is anything like Poco, you may even have trouble convincing them that the crate time is over and they are allowed out in the rest of the world.
If your dog is anything like Poco, you may even have trouble convincing them that the crate time is over and they are allowed out in the rest of the world.