Crate Training Your Dog

We all need a special place to call our own – a sanctuary of sorts. Your dog is no different. Part of raising a healthy dog is providing it with its own sanctuary or “den”, and crates are a perfect solution. Most dogs can be trained to enjoy the retreat of their crate.

Crate training is neither cruel nor unfair, provided your dog has sufficient exercise and an opportunity to eliminate before you place it in the crate. However, allowing a puppy to wander through the home unsupervised to investigate, chew, and eliminate is unwise and potentially dangerous. Most crate trained dogs will go to their crates on their own when they want to rest or just to be alone.

In the wild, members of the canine family are denning creatures. They give birth and raise their young in a den. Their den provides them with safety and security. Domestic dogs that are trained to a “den” are more sure of themselves, and more trainable in other ways. Crates prevent costly damage by curious puppies, help with house training, make traveling easier and improve dog-owner relationships by solving many discipline problems.

Because dogs are social animals, the best location for the crate is in a room where your family spends a lot of time, such as the kitchen, den, or bedroom. Avoid isolated areas like laundry or furnace rooms. Never use the crate for punishments. It should be a place of comfort and refuge.