To crate train or not to crate train? That is an important question when raising a puppy. There are many puppy owners who choose to crate train their new bundles of fur but there are also some new dog owners who don’t feel comfortable locking their new best friends in "puppy jail". Many more come to me, completely lost on what they should do and looking for advice. I believe there are many more reasons TO crate train than reasons NOT to crate train and I would like to share them with you.

First, dogs are den animals. This means that they feel most comfortable when they have a place of their own they know they can go to get away from all the chaos of the world. Not unlike ourselves, right? Isn't it nice to come home every night and relax? There is something wonderful about walking into your house after a long day at work. Some of you are thinking but there is a big difference between a dog crate and our house. Yes, there is, however we are not den animals by nature so we cannot fully understand the comforting feeling of a den to a dog. How many of you have gone to the zoo, full of excitement to see the animals, only to discover they are nowhere to be found. Very few of them are actually out in the wonderful, spacious, outside section of their enclosures but are tucked away in the "den-like" part of their enclosures just out of our eyesight, right? Well as much as we don't like to admit it, our wonderful puppies are more like the animals at the zoo than like their human parents. If crate trained properly, not only will a dog enjoy being in it's crate but it will use it as a source of comfort during times of stress or simply as a refuge from the bustle of the rest of the house for a quick nap. It still amazes me how often I find my own dog curled up in her crate sleeping when she has the run of the entire house.

The second reason I believe crate training is so important is that it makes our  lives easier when we are potty training our puppies. I have already stated that they are den animals and with that come some natural tendencies that we can use to our advantage while house breaking. Most puppies learn the foundation of their "toilet manners" before they are weaned from their mother. She begins to teach them that they should leave the "den" ( usually a whelping box) to do their "business". If we use the crate as a variation of that whelping box then we build on the foundation they already have. "This is your den, you do not potty in your den." It is quite simply, the most effective way to communicate our goals to our dog in a way they can understand. There are many variables when it comes to using a crate to housetrain your dog such as where you got your puppy from and what they were doing to continue these "toilet manners" but we will save those for another day. Trust me, even with all the variables crate training WILL help you with housebreaking.

Another great reason for crate training is simply teaching the dog that it is okay to be confined. Many people underestimate the importance of this. I have had many people come to me and say, "But I will never use the crate once they are an adult so why should I crate train them?" What the naïve pet owner doesn’t realize is that, even if your dog is responsible enough to have the run of your whole house once it grows up, there WILL be a time where it needs to be confined. If you take it to the groomers, it will be crated until you come to pick it up. If it needs to have any type of medical procedure at the vet (ie. Spay or neuter), it will more than likely spend some time in a kennel. How about if your family has some sort of emergency and you need your neighbor to watch your dog while your away and they aren't so crazy about him having run of their entire house? The point is somehow, somewhere, they will need to be crated and wouldn't it be less stressful on both of you if they have been educated on what confinement is? Don't you think it would be easier for them to learn this lesson in their own home with you there for support and not in some strange vet's office with people they don’t know?

Finally, and possibly one of the most important, is the issue of separation anxiety.  The specifics  of Separation anxiety is another topic best left for another day but for now we will simply say it is a psychological issue WAY over diagnosed by pet owners. Separation Anxiety is the FEAR of being alone. This is usually from a dog that has been through some sort of traumatic experience. Separation anxiety is NOT simply being destructive when he/she is left alone because they were never taught how to  be by themselves. Crate training might not be the best way to resolve true separation anxiety, but it is definitely helpful in curbing those destructive behaviors in dogs who need to be taught that being left alone from time to time is a fact of life and one that isn't so bad once you get used to it.

Most of the individuals who feel that crate training a dog is "cruel" have only thought about how they would feel about a crate and not about how a dog truly feels about its "home". For those of you who still have trouble with the idea of a crate, there are other options out there that fall somewhere between the two extremes. A puppy playpen is a lot like the pack n plays we use for our children, or you can simply get a puppy gate to keep them in a certain room of the house. These also teach degrees of separation so they are good first steps for those owners still uneasy about the crate issue. Trust me you and your dog will both feel more comfortable with a few boundaries and ground rules.