Is Crate Training The Right Move For Your Dog?

There is still a lot of debate among pet owners as to whether crate training dogs is a good idea. Crating, if you're unfamiliar with the term, is the practice of placing your dog in a cage for a period of time during the day or night. The cage is generally made from metal or plastic and is very small " barely large enough for the dog to turn around in.

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 on the negative side of the debate say that crate training can be counterproductive to housebreaking your pet, pointing out that puppies especially will be unable to hold themselves back from eliminating for as long as they may be in the cage and come to think of indoors as an acceptable place for this activity, which makes housebreaking the dog more difficult.

Pet owners from both schools of thought of course have the best intentions and want to take good care of their pets. The research which has been done on crate training has given dog owners no certain answer one way or the other, but there is broad agreement that when done properly, crate training has little if any ill effects and can be of some benefit to the dog.

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.

Care also needs to be taken to prevent injury to your dog while in the crate. The cage should be examined to make sure that there are no sharp edges or anywhere that your dog's collar can snag on the crate. Any cage you keep your dog in should be sturdy enough that it won't tip or break even under vigorous jostling.

There is one benefit to crate training which bears mentioning here, which is that pets which have been crate trained tend to have far fewer problems with travel. They'll be used to staying in a small space and they'll also have familiar smells when in their crate " which goes a long way towards keeping them comfortable during the somewhat stressful experience of travel.

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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