As an owner of two very anxious dogs, I could talk for days about the many benefits of crate training your dog properly. I think by far the most important reason (for you and your pet’s relationship, well-being, not to mention wallet), is that it provides a safe place to keep them out of trouble while they are unsupervised. Many dogs can develop certain behaviours from separation anxiety, like destroying furniture, clothes, eating garbage, electronics etc. These could result in danger overall to your pet if they were to get into something potentially harmful and not to mention a messy cleanup after a stressful day at work. All of this can lead to tension in the animal-human bond and resentment, or a sick pup resulting in minor vomiting or diarrhea, all the way to an invasive foreign body retrieval surgery.
Another reason crate training is so essential as puppies are the training aspect, and confidence building. It gives the puppies a safe place to go, and should never be used as a punishment; otherwise, they could grow scared of their crate. Crate training is an easy place to start obedience training your pup. Not to mention if you should ever need a crate later for long drives or moving, your pup will already be used to them.
Making sure the crate is used with positive reinforcement every time, using a positive voice is the best way to make them comfortable. Leave toys for them in their crate, and leave it open to them all day so they can use it whenever they want. The crate will be more like a second home than a prison.
For a lot of new owners, crate training alleviates the nerves and tension between puppy and people and makes adapting to a new lifestyle much more manageable. Keep it in mind if considering a new furry friend or having any issues.
Written by: Jenna Mason, Veterinary Technician
