‘Can you crate one dog and not the other?’ – if you’re a pet parent who loves their family big and happy, this question has definitely crossed your mind.
While crating both your dogs will reduce your stress and guilt a little, you don’t want to refrain your well-trained baby from their freedom, do you? Let us share the good news with you: it is okay to crate one dog and not the other, as long as you do it right.
There are several intricacies, a set of dos and don’ts when it comes to crate training a dog, some of which we will discuss in this post. So, if you want to crate only one of your dogs, read on to find out how to make crate training a positive experience for your new dog. Later, we will also discuss the pros and cons of crating only one dog, followed by brief instructions on how to do so correctly.
Is It Bad to Just Crate One Dog and Not the Other?
If you have recently added a furry member to your family, it is completely fine to crate the new pooch if you need to train them or if the dog is young and needs protection. Unless and until your pup is whining and crying all night and absolutely despises being confined in a crate, it is okay to crate one dog and not the other. Once your new fur baby is properly trained and you can trust them indoors, you can then stop crating your pooch.
To create a positive crating mindset in your doggo, make sure you confine them in a comfortable dog crate while you relax in the same room. If you confine the dog only when you leave, the anxiety of not being able to follow you might discourage the dog, and therefore, they might associate the crate with you leaving.
However, in case your dog isn’t comfortable with being crated, you can discuss with a dog behaviorist a different way to train them. As for their safety, make sure you provide your pooch with a teether, especially if they are in the phase where they chew almost anything on their way. When it comes to potty training, you can train your dog to potty outdoor during walks or on a pee pad.
What Are the Cons of Crating One Dog and Not the Other?
Dogs are playful by nature and love to roam around the house and always break stuff; though it is tough to deal with, sometimes crating might not be an optimal solution. Dogs feel emotions the same as us humans, and crating only one of them for hours might cause psychological and physical problems that they might not recover from.
Long time crating one dog and letting the other free can also cause your confined dog’s behavior to change. Imagine being cooped up for ten hours straight; anyone will become agitated and restless. Generally, crated pups tend to have an extremely aggressive or impulsive side. Contrary to popular belief crating, could sometimes induce bad behavior among dogs.
Being crated for a long time could also lead your pooch to have physical problems like tense and sore muscles, which could eventually lead to muscle atrophy. It may deteriorate its physical health slowly in the long run; therefore, in case of any abnormal behavior, make sure to get in touch with a dog behaviorist. Your pup will be extremely hyperactive after release and could cause more damage later.
What Are the Pros of Crating One Dog and Not the Other?
Although dogs are social animals that live and thrive on interactions, sometimes pet parents see no other option but to crate them, especially if they have to go to work and cannot look after their fur babies. Crating one dog and not the other doesn’t only ensure the security and proper potty etiquette of the new pup but also ensure that the pets are cordial during your absence.
Whenever you leave one dog confined and the other dog free in the same room, there’s likely to be less physical violence, especially if they have a track record of not liking each other. Also, the new dog will have a safe space to themselves, which will help them relax and not care about the other dog’s whereabouts.
Moreover, crating a new pup also ensures their safety during the hours you are gone. Young pups are likely to be curious, have more zoomies, and are prone to accidents. So, unless you’re forcefully confining your one dog for longer hours while allowing the other the privilege to roam around, the pros of crating a dog definitely outweigh the cons.
How Do You Crate Train when You Have Another Dog?
When you have another dog freely roaming around, crate training a new dog needs a proper strategy. Suppose your new doggo seems too anxious about having to get locked inside while the other one is free outside. In that case, you need to ensure minimal distractions outside and focus on creating a more enjoyable indoor environment for your pooch. Make sure that the crate is spacious enough and carefully decorated with comfortable bedding, exciting chew toys, and dog crate training aid toys.
Furthermore, if the new dog is too uncomfortable with the idea that they are the only one enclosed and starts barking whenever they see the other pet, try to keep enough distance between the dogs at all times. Also, if the privileged one outside keeps badgering the dog inside the crate, please ensure that you crate the dog in a different room, possibly your bedroom, if the pup is small.
Having said that, as long as your dogs don’t act as life-long enemies and are quiet and friendly around each other, many recommend crating the new member in a room that the old dog can easily access. Please note that if both the dogs are being crate trained, you should always crate them in spacious and comfortable dog crates separately. Another great tip is to start the training in short sessions to acclimate your doggo comfortably to their crate.
Conclusion
If you were feeling guilty about having to crate one dog and not the other, we hope this post has provided you with enough comfort. There’s no shame here; being a pet parent is tough, especially whenever there’s a new pup addition to the family. It is completely fine to crate train a new dog for a few hours, even if your other pet has already graduated from their crate training. You must be mindful enough to crate train the dog as positively as you can, as you want the dog to see the crate as their comfort zone and not a prison.
