“A Mans Best Friend”
Jun 18 2009
There is still some disagreement about whether or not crate training dogs is the right way to go. Crating a dog involves keeping them in a cage just slightly larger than themselves, usually a plastic or metal one for a time, either at night or during the day.
The proponents of crate training maintain that a dog which has been crate trained is easier to housebreak, since crating a dog teaches them to hold off on elimination until they are allowed outside. Since animals instinctively are reluctant to do this in the place where they lie down, the thinking goes, this helps to speed along housebreaking. They also point to crates as a place which a dog can consider as its own private space where it can escape from the antics of children in the household and be comforted by its familiar smell.
There are of course crate training detractors as well. Their view is that restricting a dog’s movement by keeping it in a cage which offers barely enough room to turn around robs dogs of the opportunity to act on their natural inclination to roam and explore its surroundings.
Those against argue with the position held by crate proponents that crating makes housebreaking a dog easier and that despite a dog’s abhorrence of soiling its own space, puppies are especially prone to doing so; which makes it more difficult, not easier to housebreak them.
Both sides want only the best for their pets and the arguments made by both sides have merit. There has been some research into crate training, but there is no hard and fast answer, other than that if done with care and common sense crate training can be beneficial to some dogs and has no ill effect.
No one, not even the biggest backers of crate training would say that keeping a dog in a crate for an extended period of time is a good thing. You should never keep your dog in a crate for more than four hours ” any longer than this is really too much time to deprive an animal of the ability to move freely and to take care of nature’s call.
There is also the concern that a caged dog can accidentally injure itself. It’s important to make sure that the dog’s collar will not snag on the cage and that the cage is free of sharp edges, as well as that the cage is sturdy enough not to tip over or break when pushed by your dog.
One benefit that fans of crate training point out is that these animals deal better with travel, since they’ve become accustomed to confined spaces and have familiar smells to comfort them in their cage.
Many pet owners maintain that unless you are making a permanent relocation you should leave your pet at home, since they will be happier in a familiar place. If you need to take your pet along on a trip, make sure to use a very well built cage which won’t tip and will keep things from getting in, not just out.
There’s not going to be an agreement on crate training in the near future; that much is certain. It’s best to decide for yourself. Try crating your dog for a couple of weeks, followed by leaving the door of the crate open and let your dog vote with their feet ” do they steer clear of the crate or do they choose it as a favored spot for their naps? Let your dog have a say and you’ll have a happier pet.
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