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5 Big Reasons to Crate Train your Dog
Are you frustrated with your dog?
Does he chew everything in sight? Does he leave puddles andpiles everywhere? Is a car ride with your dog synonym of anightmare?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, I have a simplesolution for you: crate training.
Here are 5 big reasons why you should start crate training yourdog:
Reason #1: A Crate Stops Destructive Behaviors
Most dogs are destructive because they don't have anything moreinteresting to do than chew on everything they can sink theirteeth in.
You have to remember that chewing is a natural dog behavior andan excellent way for your dog to burn his excess of energy.
Consequently, your job is not to stop your dog from chewing, butto prevent him from chewing on the wrong things, like chairlegs, shoes, socks, etc.
By providing safe chew toys to your dog in his crate, youaccomplish two things: you make the crate a wonderful place tobe in and you teach him what are the acceptable chew toys in thehouse.
By the way, my favorite chew toys are the ones I can fill withcream cheese or peanut butter. They keep my dogs busy for awhile and my dogs just go crazy for them.
Reason #2: A Crate Makes Housebreaking Easier
A crate will help your dog to control his sphincters. In otherwords, your dog will learn to "hold it" instead of eliminatingwhenever he needs to.
Dogs are den animals. What I mean by that is that they like tohave their own quiet place and they'll do everything they can tokeep it clean.
That's why crate training a puppy drastically speeds up thehousebreaking process. Your dog won't want to soil his crate andthus will gain control over his sphincters.
However, this doesn't mean that you can leave your dog in acrate for 10 hours in a row! Puppies need to go out frequentlyto eliminate.
If you leave your dog in his crate for too long and he ends upeliminating in the crate, you will lose the best tool at yourdisposal to housebreak him properly.
Reason #3: A Crate Makes Car Rides Safer
My heart stops every time I see a dog with his head out of awindow or in the back of a truck.
This is a very dangerous practice since a rock,
a bee, acigarette butt, etc. can hit your dog.
Another behavior that I see very often is the dog thatconstantly jumps back and forth from one seat to the next orsits on the driver's lap.
Driving requires all our attention and your dog shouldn't be anadditional distraction.
A crate-trained dog will rest in his crate during a car driveand make the trip for you and him safer.
Reason #4: A Crate Keeps Your Dog Safe from Household Hazards
If you let your dog roams freely in the house unsupervised, youare really asking for trouble and you unnecessarily put your dogin danger.
A house contains hundreds of potentially lethal objects for yourdog. Let me give you some examples:
Do you know that chocolate and onions can make your dog verysick and if ingested in great quantity can kill your dog?
Garbage is also dangerous to your dog since he can choke onchicken bones, cut himself on broken glass, etc.
Also, lots of houseplants are poisonous for your dog, likePoinsettia, Aloe, and Peace Lily to name a few.
As you can see, crate training your dog will bring you peace ofmind since your dog will be out of danger when you're not aroundto supervise him.
Reason #5: A Crate Speeds Up Your Dog's Recovery
If you have to leave your dog at the vet for a couple of nights,your dog will recover much faster because he will be used tosleeping in a crate.
Consequently, if your dog has never been in a crate before andyou add that stress to the one of being in a new place, beingmanipulated by strangers and hearing other unfamiliar dogs andcats around, the whole experience will be unduly stressful foryour dog.
By simply crate training your dog, you give him the tools tocope with any situation.
Do yourself and your dog a favor and start crate training himtoday!
About the author:
Nathalie Lafleur is a dog passionate who wants to educate asmany dog owners as she can on how to care and raise awell-behaved dog. She's the author of two books and manyarticles on dog training. To learn how a crate can make yourlife with your dog much more peaceful, visit:www.crate-training.com
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