Should You Crate a Dog With Separation Anxiety?

We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Learn more

If your dog barks, chews the door frame or has accidents every time you leave, a crate can look like the obvious fix. It is not that simple. A crate helps some dogs feel safe when they are alone, and it makes other dogs more frightened. This page explains how to tell which group your dog is in, what to use instead of a crate, and why separation anxiety needs a training plan and often professional help, not just a box with a door.

The short answer: the ASPCA says crate training can help some dogs if they learn the crate is their safe place when left alone, but for other dogs the crate adds stress and anxiety. Test the crate while you are home. If your dog shows heavy panting, excessive drooling, frantic escape attempts or persistent howling or barking, a crate is not the best option, and the ASPCA suggests one room behind a baby gate instead.

How we wrote this: this page is general information from the ASPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals and Humane World for Animals, linked where it is used. It is not a diagnosis or treatment plan. Separation anxiety can look like other problems, and some medical conditions cause similar signs, so start with your vet. For moderate or severe cases, work with a veterinary behaviorist or a certified animal behaviorist.

What separation anxiety looks like

The ASPCA lists signs that may point to separation anxiety when they happen only when the dog is alone or apart from its people:

  • Urinating or defecating indoors
  • Persistent barking or howling not triggered by anything except being alone
  • Chewing, digging and destruction, especially around doors and windows
  • Trying to escape from where the dog is confined
  • Pacing in a fixed pattern

VCA adds salivating and vomiting, and uses the wider term “separation-related distress”, because research suggests some dogs are more frustrated or restless than anxious. The ASPCA warns that escape attempts by dogs with separation anxiety are often extreme and can cause self-injury, such as broken teeth, cut and scraped paws and damaged nails.

Rule out other causes first

The ASPCA asks owners to see a vet before starting behavior work, because incontinence and some medications can cause house soiling. VCA notes that pain and conditions that make a dog need to go urgently can also trigger distress, and that senior dogs may develop cognitive dysfunction. Other problems look similar too: incomplete house training, urine marking, young dogs who chew whether you are home or not, and plain boredom (ASPCA).

Does a crate help a dog with separation anxiety?

Sometimes, but it is not a cure. Humane World for Animals says using the crate as a remedy for separation anxiety will not solve the problem: a crate may stop a dog being destructive, but the dog may get injured trying to escape. It says separation anxiety can only be resolved with counterconditioning and desensitization, and to consult a professional animal behavior specialist.

That leaves two kinds of dogs:

  • Dogs who already like their crate. If your dog goes in on its own, rests there while you are home and stays relaxed, the crate can be the safe place the ASPCA describes. VCA also lists a crate or gate as a reasonable confinement area once a dog is comfortable with it.
  • Dogs who panic in it. For these dogs the crate adds stress. Do not keep crating them in the hope they will get used to it.

How to test the crate while you are home

The ASPCA advice is to watch your dog during crate training and when it is crated while you are home. A practical way to do that, using steps from VCA:

  1. Start with the door open. Make the crate comfortable, for example with a MidWest QuietTime crate bed, and let your dog go in and out freely. If your dog has never been crated, work through our crate training guide first. The steps work for adult dogs too.
  2. Close the door with something to do. VCA suggests a food-filled toy and coming back before your dog finishes it, so it does not finish and start barking or whining.
  3. Stay in view, then step out of sight briefly. Do something else nearby first, then practice moving out of sight and coming back, waiting a little longer each time.
  4. Watch for the warning signs. Heavy panting, excessive salivation, frantic escape attempts, persistent howling or barking (ASPCA). If you see them, stop: the crate is not the right setup for this dog.

VCA also recommends a camera when you start leaving the house, so you can see how your dog really copes and come home if it shows distress.

If the crate passes the test, size still matters. The AKC says it should be just large enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably. Our dog crate size chart shows how to measure. A sturdy wire crate such as the MidWest iCrate is a common choice for a calm dog, but no crate is “escape-proof” for a panicking dog, and the Humane World warning about injuries applies to every type.

Alternatives to the crate

  • One room behind a baby gate. This is the ASPCA’s suggestion for dogs who are stressed in a crate. Use a safe room with a bed and the chew items and puzzle toys described below.
  • A safe resting spot. VCA describes an “alone-time bed” or settle mat, a spot where your dog learns that resting earns quiet praise and treats. For calm adult dogs who are house-trained and do not chew things, VCA says free roaming the house can work.
  • Not being alone at all, for now. During treatment, the ASPCA says a dog with separation anxiety should not be left alone except during training sessions. Options it lists: taking your dog to work, a family member, friend or sitter, or doggy daycare. VCA notes that some dogs are calm with any person or pet present, while others need one specific person.

What actually helps

For a mild case, the ASPCA suggests counterconditioning: every time you leave, give your dog a puzzle toy stuffed with food that takes at least 20 to 30 minutes to finish, such as a KONG Classic, which can be frozen to last longer. Take it away when you come home, so it only appears when your dog is alone. The ASPCA notes this only works for mild cases, because very anxious dogs usually will not eat when their people are away.

For moderate or severe cases, the ASPCA describes a gradual desensitization program: very short absences, built up slowly over weeks, always shorter than the time it takes your dog to get upset. It says this is complex, can backfire if the dog gets frightened, and needs the guidance of a trained professional such as a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist.

Habits the sources agree on:

  • Keep hellos and goodbyes calm. A pat on the head and go; at home, say hello and wait until your dog is calm before giving more attention (ASPCA, VCA).
  • Take the sting out of departure cues. Pick up your keys or put on your coat several times a day without leaving (ASPCA, VCA).
  • Give your dog “jobs”. The ASPCA suggests at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day, ideally right before you leave, plus walks, games, training and food puzzle toys. It says chewing and licking have been shown to have a calming effect, so leave chew items and puzzle toys whenever your dog is alone. A LickiMat spread with a little food is one option. Supervise any toy until you know how your dog uses it.
  • Never punish. The ASPCA says anxious behaviors are distress responses, not spite, and punishment can make the problem much worse. VCA says to clean up quietly, ideally with your dog out of the room.

When to get professional help

Stop the training and ask for help if your dog cannot cope with even a short absence, or gets worse rather than better. VCA says some dogs become “sensitized” instead of “desensitized”, and further training can be harmful; consult a veterinary behaviorist and use a sitter, boarding or daycare meanwhile.

Both the ASPCA and VCA say medication can help some dogs, especially severe cases, alongside behavior work, not instead of it. Only your vet or a veterinary behaviorist can decide whether it is right for your dog. Do not give your dog any medication for a behavior problem without their advice.

For crates, crate beds and the rest of the setup, see our dog beds and crates buying guide.

FAQ

Should you crate a dog with separation anxiety?

Only if your dog is relaxed in the crate. The ASPCA says a crate helps some dogs and adds stress for others. If your dog pants heavily, drools, tries frantically to escape or keeps howling or barking in the crate, use a room behind a baby gate instead.

Will crate training cure separation anxiety?

No. Humane World for Animals says a crate will not solve separation anxiety and a dog may be injured trying to escape. Separation anxiety needs counterconditioning and desensitization, ideally with a professional.

Is there an escape-proof crate for separation anxiety?

We do not recommend one. A stronger crate does not lower your dog’s stress, and the ASPCA and Humane World both warn that escape attempts can cause injuries such as broken teeth and damaged nails. Talk to your vet or a behaviorist instead.

Should I cover my dog’s crate?

The AKC notes that some dogs settle better in a darker, den-like crate, while others prefer to see out. If your dog shows distress in a crate, covering it does not fix the problem, so follow the alternatives above.

Who can help with my dog’s separation anxiety?

Start with your vet to rule out medical causes. The ASPCA recommends a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, or a qualified Certified Professional Dog Trainer with experience treating fear.

Similar Posts