Every dog deserves their own private space, where he or she can just kick back, relax, and enjoy the finer things in life. A place where they can just be themselves. A place that is totally their own. And guess what? That is exactly what their crate is to them!
Here’s why a dog crate, or doggie condo is the best bit of real estate that you can invest in!
Dogs are den animals.
They naturally and instinctively seek out small spaces to sleep in, especially as young pups. Sled dog puppies will burrow into snow to sleep. Dachshunds and other small breeds will burrow under mountains of blankets to find just the right spot. Other pups will sleep under chairs, behind furniture or if outdoors, under brush or bushes, in order to feel more comfortable and secure while napping.
Crates can take the place or provide a den-like space for your puppy.
The crate is the place to be! It can be the space where they get the very best treats or crate-only toys for puppy to enjoy. Believe us, the association between food-pleasure-crate will be quickly established when you consistently provide a crate designated treat for your pup.
Crates provide a decompression zone for puppy to relax and recharge after a long training session, play period, or after a day of lots of stimulation.
A crate is the place where puppy gets the best treats, has their blanket or bed, and it is where every puppy is king or queen of their domain. Far away from noise, commotion and distractions, a crate is the perfect space to “zone” out and recharge.
Crate trained puppies are well rounded and healthy, and have clear boundaries.
Not only are crates a safe space for puppy, but it helps in teaching them house training, prevents unwanted damage to your home, and barking or other negative associated behaviors. We’ve seen many behavior issues over the years in our training program, and 99% of the dogs weren’t crate trained. We find this more with small dogs, as families tend to baby them more and not allow them to be a dog, experiencing the world at their level. Many dogs that give their breeds a bad rap (Yorkies, Maltese and Toy dogs) for being demanding, experiencing separation anxiety, or too barky, simply are the direct result of not being crate trained, and they have no way to self soothe. Their ability to do so has been taken away from them. First thing any trainer will do in this situation? Start crate training. Watch the confidence build in that dog! (note: Separation Anxiety is 100% human created, dogs do not develop this on their own, its the result of inexperienced dog handling and ownership. For help with this, reach out to our Training team at the Pup Academy)
Crate training your dog is very important in case of emergencies.
Imagine the peace of mind you will have (and give yourself a pat on the back!) knowing your dog is crate trained, when you have an emergency trip to the vet, have to fly somewhere, or travel! Can you imagine the kindness you will bestow on your dog if they are already trained and feel confident in their crate as a pup? I personally fly every month, and carry pups and dogs on the plane with me, and I receive praise and lots of amazed comments that they had no idea I had a dog with me. Because our dogs are crate trained and love it! They sleep peacefully during the flight, make no fuss or cry. They are totally content and happy. In fact one of the airline flight attendants was so impressed, she ended up adopting a Habibi Bear from us! You can see all about it on our Instagram account- check for the post of the little dog in the cockpit!
Frequently, there is resistance among some dog owners who look at the crate as a type of punishment because of the physical isolation of puppy from the rest of the family.
Some owners feel the crate is cold, or even cruel. As long as the crate can be seen in one central location, and one can hear if puppy is in distress, there is nothing further from the truth. Sometimes in our zeal and love for our dogs, we can put human feelings and emotions on a canine experience. The term for this is Anthropomorphism, the attribution of human behaviors to non-human beings, in this case, puppies. We understand this impulse stemming from love, but it really helps to understand things from a dog point of view, and remember that dogs are wired differently than humans.
An example of how humans tend to have human expectations of their dog’s experience ….
that I remember vividly, has to do with a close friend of mine and her Wheaten terrier, Rosie. Rosie had developed a type of cancer that needed the amputation of her right front leg in order to save her life. My friend was heartbroken and very worried about the quality of life after the amputation. She felt sorry for the type of life she thought Rosie would have to endure. To her surprise, when she picked up Rosie at the vet, she ran outside, tail wagging and as expected, joyously happy to see her. What my friend wasn’t expecting was the ease and grace of how Rosie moved and jumped into the car, ready to go home. There was no self-consciousness, no self-pity, no indication at all of Rosie acknowledging the removal of her leg. Just happiness at seeing her mom. Rosie lived for another two years and her three-legged condition never held her back.
We understand and know how much you love your pup. There’s no blame or shame in having in the past assigned human feelings to your pup’s situation. The good news is that when you get a trained puppy from us, they come to you already crate trained! How cool is that? All you need to do is keep up the suggested schedule from our training team. And if you’ve gotten off track, all you need to do is reach out to us and we can help with a virtual visit with our puppy whisperers. We’ve got you! Always cheering you on!