dog

One conversation I am consistently having with clients is on the topic of crating. For the record, I am PRO crating! All three of my dogs are crated during the day while we are not home. Not one of them is upset or stressed about being in their crate.

Why do I believe in crate training?

Safety – We are responsible for the safety of our dogs. When we leave a young dog or an active chewer uncrated and unattended, we are being irresponsible. Your dog could get into something that is poisonous to them. They could swallow something  that will not pass easily (you may not even know they ate it). They could choke on something small. Regardless of what they get into, you run the risk of your dog falling ill, requiring surgery, or worse death.
Money – When your dog chews your belongings, it costs money to replace these items. Why run the risk of having to buy a new couch every couple of months? Or having to pay for surgery to have the slipper your dog ate removed? Life is expensive enough, why throw money down the toilet?
Mental health – If you leave the house every morning with the worry of what your dog will get into today, the stress of worrying is likely taking years off of your life. When you get home only to find the big mess you were worried about, stress levels increase. When your dog is safe in his crate there is no need to worry and you will come home to the house in the exact state you left it.

Having said this, does every dog NEED to be crated for the rest of their life? Not necessarily. If trained right though, they will likely want to be in their crate anyway. The crate can truly be a positive and safe place for your dog, you just have to create it for them. Often when a young dog transitions from being crated to not crated and they chew, they have been given too much freedom too soon. When a dog is bored with nothing to do they will find something to do (ie. chew your baseboards, eat your favourite shoe, or destroy your couch). All dogs are different and some may be able to handle being left out sooner than others.

If you need help with crate training, please contact us! It’s actually quite simple and can be done in a short amount of time!

If you are looking for Dog Training in Hamilton, contact us for a FREE evaluation – 905-869-1170
Happy Training!
Katherine
Canines In Balance
Hamilton, Ontario