Over the years I have been surprised at how many people perceive the use of a crate or cage for a dog as being a cruel practice. If someone were to put his or her child in a crate, now that might be cruel. Although, I am convinced that there are an increasing number of children that would benefit from some crate time. I won’t elaborate on that but try to limit this discussion to puppies and dogs.

Dogs have what is commonly referred to as a “den instinct”. This den instinct can be observed among dogs found in the wild. They will dig a hole (den) in order to crawl into it to sleep or the whelp puppies. The reason that this den is so important to dogs is that it provides the dog with a sense of safety and security from other predators. This is why your Puppies will often fall asleep under a coffee table or a chair or behind the couch. He is instinctively looking for a place where he can feel safe while he sleeps.

Understanding this instinct is a valuable tool when it comes to training your dog. Two of the most common problems that people complain about are that their dog is not housebroken and that their Puppies is very destructive while they are away at work. These two problems can easily be corrected by using a crate for training purposes.

Housebreaking is a relatively easy problem to correct using a crate because puppies and dogs will not soil where they sleep (their den). Exceptions to this rule could include a very young Puppies that has not developed bladder control or perhaps a dog that has spent some of his more formidable months in a cage at a pet store. Most of the time even these type dogs will learn that their bathroom is outside if trained properly. Since this article is focusing on the crate and not housebreaking, I won’t go into too much detail on housebreaking other than to say that “confinement” is the key to housebreaking. Should you take your Puppies or dog from the crate to the yard to do his business and find that after 15 or 20 minutes that your dog hasn’t eliminated, when you return to the house, put to dog back into the crate for an hour or so and try it again later. Remember, your dog won’t eliminate is his den. To put it in other words, never give your Puppies or dog freedom to roam the house until he has done his job outside. Once he gets the hang of it, you can begin to grant him a little liberty.

Destructive behavior is another problem with puppies. Leaving a Puppies unattended is a recipe for disaster. Normally, puppies have to taste everything that they smell, and they are not very discriminating. Anything will do. If you are not in a position to give your Puppies your undivided attention, he should be in his crate. This way he can’t get himself into any trouble. When I was a child, my mother had three children less than 18 months. When she was preparing a meal we were placed in a playpen.  Eventually, we got big enough to climb out a get into trouble but until then, the playpen was a great stopgap. Think of the crate as a playpen with a lid on it. If your Puppies has a temper tantrum because he doesn’t like his crate, ignore him, he will get over it and learn to love it. If you let your Puppies out of the crate when he is having his little temper tantrum, he will learn to control you to get what he wants. Now if your child has a temper tantrum, I suggest that you really give him something to cry about. Use your imagination. If you’re still not sure what to do, feel free to call me and I would be happy to come over and demonstrate.  I heard  a psychologist  from California say “that spanking your child may lead to ten possible behavior problems”. I say, “not spanking your child will lead to hundreds of behavior problems”. Just compare our societal problems today to those of 30 years ago. They have increased exponentially.  When it comes to discipline, whether it’s a dog or a child, there is the use of discipline and the abuse. Just because there are abuses in this world, let’s not throw out the baby with the bath water. No pun intended.  I’ve examined to the water and I can’t find the baby. If there is a baby, it’s Rosemary’s baby.

If you want to housebreak your dog and prevent your Puppies from destroying your home, perform an act of kindness and purchase that crate. Your canine companion will appreciate the fact that you have provided him with a safe haven.

Contact Information

Tom Beitz is the owner of the Academy for Puppies and Dogs and is an authorized dealer for Pet STOP Hidden Dog Fences. Tom can be reached at (716) 628-0651 to answer your questions or he can be found on the web at www.smartdogtrainer.com . E-Mail: Tom@Smartdogtrainer.com

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