Should You Crate Train Your Puppy?

13 Apr | Posted by Kim Ortiz | no comments |

Crate training can be the most effective tool in your arsenal to make having a dog better. While some people might cringe at the thought of putting their precious little baby dog into a crate, the truth is the dog is not a little person.

It is easy to forget that dogs aren’t people (but we can love them like one). You would never put a kid in the crate, but it’s A-Ok to put your dog into one.

A dog is going to view it’s crate as a den and a shelter. Somewhere cozy. Somewhere good. Like we might want to relax in front of the fire in our den at night, a dog will be happy to have it’s own little place as well.

This is because genetically and in the wild, canine animals naturally make a den. They view this as their home. A female dog will make a den to give birth in and raise it’s young. They will return to it to sleep.

Your pet dog retains this same denning instinct. That’s why your dog will go to bed under a table, a chair, or even your legs as you work on the computer.

So the essence of crate training is to use this natural drive to our advantage to help your dog feel secure and well behaved.

To read more on crate training and how to train your puppy properly, visit Dog Manners.