How to Crate A Dog

Oct 30th 2009

Humans' natural instinct is to feel bad about crating a dog. Don't! Dogs are automatically drawn to den-like enclosures, which help them feel settled and secure. Crating provides many benefits to dogs and their owners. It can lessen separation anxiety, prevent destructive or dangerous behavior, provide a "mobile dog house" and help with housebreaking.

Here's all you need to know to make crating an easy, enjoyable part of both you and your dog's life.

- Start early. Crating should begin in puppyhood, as this is one trick that older dogs usually don't want to learn.

- Never use the crate for punishment. To insure lifetime use, you want your dog to think of the crate as a happy hangout place.

- Keep the crate door open when not in use to encourage the dog to seek it out independently.

- Outfit the crate with the proper toys and treats. Any chew toy kept in the crate should be large or hard enough to prevent swallowing.

- At the start, line the bottom of the crate with a soft towel and see if your dog likes it. Some dogs actually prefer resting on hard surfaces and might push the towel to one side, at which point you can remove it for good.

- Place the crate in a central location. A dog should feel like it still gets to socialize, even in its crate. Keeping the crate in a rarely-used room or faraway part of the house might make the dog feel like it's being punished. If you want to train your dog to feel comfortable sleeping or spending long amounts of time in the crate, move the crate into your bedroom at night.