Dogs in the wild share two common social habits. The first one is that they work in packs, the second one is that they are raised in dens. That means that crate training is just healthy for your dog and not cruel at all, as many people think.
You will be surprised to find that crate training your dog is very good for her. It's easy to forget that dogs are actually wild animals and that their natural instincts still stick with them. Your dog will be much more happy when she knows she has a safe zone where she can take a break and rest when she's tired.
And that's the function of the crate.
The crate is your dogs own safe zone and she will go there whenever she feels tired. That's another great thing about the crate, because if your dog is tired and your kids still want to play with her, she might get cranky and resort to biting the child to tell him/her to back off.
So if you then have a crate and your dog knows that the crate is her safe zone, she will go there instead of lying irritated on the floor or any other place in your house.
Another huge benefit of crate training your dog is that she will be more used to her crate and that again will make it much more easy for you to travel long distances with your dog. As long as she knows she's safe in her crate she will be relaxed all the way during your trip.
You have to make sure the crate has sufficient room for your dog. If you have a puppy, you can still buy a large crate so it will fit your dog when she grows up. Just make sure to set up divider panels to make the crate small enough for the size of your puppy.
This is because a crate that's too big for a puppy tends to encourage the undesired potty area for her. The crate should be big enough for your dog to stand, turn and lay down in.
This can be a little bit difficult, but just be reasonable and you will find the size that fits for your dog.
Hope this information is useful for you guys!
Joachim
You will be surprised to find that crate training your dog is very good for her. It's easy to forget that dogs are actually wild animals and that their natural instincts still stick with them. Your dog will be much more happy when she knows she has a safe zone where she can take a break and rest when she's tired.
And that's the function of the crate.
The crate is your dogs own safe zone and she will go there whenever she feels tired. That's another great thing about the crate, because if your dog is tired and your kids still want to play with her, she might get cranky and resort to biting the child to tell him/her to back off.
So if you then have a crate and your dog knows that the crate is her safe zone, she will go there instead of lying irritated on the floor or any other place in your house.
Another huge benefit of crate training your dog is that she will be more used to her crate and that again will make it much more easy for you to travel long distances with your dog. As long as she knows she's safe in her crate she will be relaxed all the way during your trip.
You have to make sure the crate has sufficient room for your dog. If you have a puppy, you can still buy a large crate so it will fit your dog when she grows up. Just make sure to set up divider panels to make the crate small enough for the size of your puppy.
This is because a crate that's too big for a puppy tends to encourage the undesired potty area for her. The crate should be big enough for your dog to stand, turn and lay down in.
This can be a little bit difficult, but just be reasonable and you will find the size that fits for your dog.
Hope this information is useful for you guys!
Joachim