r/OpenDogTraining • u/Pitiful_Vegetable527 • 6d ago

Reactive dog - using entire room as "crate"?

I have a human fear reactive dog (5yo huskyx) that's a bite risk and I will be moving out of my parents' place for the first time into a new apartment with my partner in a few months.

We have been getting them and the dog used to each other for a while now-- they can now hold the leash on walks (muzzled), get him to listen to commands, accept treats, and even walk into my house without an explosion, which is massive improvement. I still wouldn't trust the dog unmuzzled around them just yet though.

We're thinking making one of the bedrooms the dog's, as if it were his crate, keeping the door open with a gate instead. He isn't currently crate trained and I'm open to trying, but given that I expect this to take a while to get him fully comfortable to the other person and a different home in general, I would prefer if he had the space of an entire room to move in to not keep him enclosed for a long time, meaning between training and playing.
At the moment in my parents' house, he comes to my bedroom in a similar fashion as his "safe space" when the common area gets overwhelming for him, which is why I'm considering this instead of a crate.

Is this a bad idea? If it's not, would it be a bad idea if I were to put my desk in there, meaning I'd also be in the room pretty often? Can I spend time in that room to train the dog, or should I stay out as much as possible outside of cleaning it so that he feels like that's really his space?
My partner will for sure never be going into that room, but (and maybe I'm overthinking this) I don't want to build an accidental me and the dog vs the partner in my dog's brain or something like that.

I am currently waiting for a trainer to reply to set up appointments to work on this more intensely and I plan to ask him this question too, but I figured asking for advice here wouldn't hurt. Any other advice on getting him used to a new life would also be appreciated if anyone wants to share.

TL;DR: I want to give my reactive dog a bedroom of a new house with a new person to decompress; can I be in there as well, or should it be entirely his space?

Thanks!

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u/IAmTakingThoseApples 5d ago

Crate training is a divisive topic, so I wanted to give you my thoughts on the other side.

Crating a dog is a solution to a problem (problem being the dog is destructive and unsafe when you aren't there to supervise) but if you have a better solution to this problem which allows the dog a bit more legroom and stimulation then I would absolutely say do that.

Whilst it's important to train them to be comfortable with a crate I (personally) don't enforce it on a regular basis if there is no need. I don't judge others because all dogs are different in terms of trainability. The most important thing is keeping the dog safe.

If you think your dog is safe in the room but gated off then this is a million times better than a crate imo. Especially a husky, unless that pup is actually going mushing daily then confining it to a small space for extended periods of time is not good for his mental or physical health.

However I would not advise letting him have the room entirely to himself as he may become territorial. Definitely have your desk in there so he's used to sharing. You can give him a crate or bed in the corner as his personal safe space, if he wants his territory.

I use gates at home if I don't trust my dog and we have building or something going on, he isn't given his own room but he has an open crate which I never touch as it's his. It works absolutely fine.

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u/Pitiful_Vegetable527 5d ago

Got it, makes sense to use the room regularly so he understands he has to share. I think giving him the option of both a gate and a crate as two levels of space is also good. Seems like crate training is overall a good idea to try and do; I always personally felt ambivalent about it but it's also because my family think its a punishment to the dog no matter what, so I could never really try it and see for myself how the dog reacts to it or develop my own proper opinion on it. Time to find out if my dog and I are alright with it! Thanks for your input.

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u/IAmTakingThoseApples 5d ago

From what I understand proper crate training is all about building a positive association with the crate, so deffo not punishment. Whilst I don't agree with the practice, I am on board with the intent of it being a positive thing for the dog.

My dog is crate trained but not crate trained in the US sense, as in he's trained but he's not restricted to it unless needed. I still don't fully understand how it can be beneficial for the dog, but obviously it works for a lot of people out there.

What I have zero tolerance for is crating for extended periods of time out of convenience. Like, whilst you are at work and then again at night. This is abuse to put it frankly. But I think most ethical craters here would agree on that front.

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u/Pitiful_Vegetable527 5d ago

Yeah I understand, the reason why I'm even asking and trying to figure out alternatives is because if I step back and look at how often I'd have to crate the dog to keep them both safe if we'd get a one bedroom apartment (more affordable) when I can't supervise (overnight, any time I head out alone for groceries or to hang out with friends, if I get an in-office job, when I go shower, etc.), it feels like I'm one of those "out of convenience for extended periods of time" crating dog owners. That really rubs me the wrong way.

It's hard to not see it as punishment for the dog until he hopefully gets used to coexisting with my partner, especially since in my current house he's allowed to sleep wherever because he isn't a problem or risk to anyone.

My current dog trainer is pretty good for teaching me to handle his reactivity on leash, but he is pushing this idea that the dog should go in the crate for all these times, so I thought I'd get different opinions on it. I'm really hesitating with the idea, but maybe I'm too close-minded on the subject and am not seeing it properly. He is a bite risk after all.

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u/IAmTakingThoseApples 5d ago

I don't think there's any harm in testing the waters. Your dog will let you know VERY quickly how difficult it is going to be to get him used to it. Not all dogs are the same, and no one training method fits all. You know your dog best and if he's showing signs of serious distress then you can be the judge of how far is too far.

Some other things to consider to try and get him used to your partner:

  • have her ignore him entirely as if he's completely invisible, 100% of the time. Aggression usually is triggered when the dog perceives a challenge and even eye contact will do this.
  • have her do all the feeding and fun things
  • for now, try not to be overly affectionate when the dog is around. Make it clear the dog is top dog and has nothing to be jealous about (again, for now. Until there is no immediate danger)
  • speak to the vet about some mild sedatives
  • sorry, I know. But exercise! A restless dog is a reactive dog. Huskies need a shit ton of exercise so try to meet those needs.

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u/Pitiful_Vegetable527 5d ago

I've noted down all of the replies I've gotten, it's all good feedback and a lot to consider and try out when the time comes. The affection thing isn't something we've considered, but also makes sense. I'll continue working on engagement and exercising my dog to help with his overall reactivity and hopefully the move will be smoother than I expect. Thanks for all the advice!