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3 Reasons Crate Training is Crucial for the Safety and Success of Your Dog

noblek9obedience

Crate training is often a controversial topic with many strong opinions. However, we’re going to address the benefits head-on because crate training is that important. 


Even advocates of crate training can sometimes struggle with the process because – let’s face it – it’s not a fun process.


So in this blog, we’re going to dissect all the benefits of crate training so that next time you’re trying to tackle this training, you can remember why it’s so important and power through. 


We’ll also discuss the importance of making the crate a positive experience for your pup and some tactics to help create this cozy environment. 

It’s all about safety

The primary and most important benefit of crate training is that it keeps your dog safe. And isn’t that the main goal that we all have as dog owners?


The most prominently recognized way that crate training keeps your dog safe is that it prevents your dog from harm when you are away from the house. Crating your pup while you’re away from the house helps to keep them from eating, chewing, or trying to dig into things that could create unhealthy or dangerous situations for them. Not to mention, having items in your house destroyed is never fun.


Aside from this, however, there are many other safety benefits to crate training your dog. For example, let’s say there’s an emergency situation. Maybe it’s a natural disaster, an illness, or an injury. 


Where is your dog likely to end up? A crate. 


These situations are stressful enough for your dog, so you don’t want the crate to end up piling on to that stress. You want the crate to be so natural for your pup that it feels like a safe and comfortable place. 


Even if you’re traveling, there’s a chance your dog may need to be in a crate for part of the journey. You want them to be safe and comfortable as they live their best life with you.

Set them up for success

Another important component of crate training is setting your dog up for success. Everyone is happier when your dog is successful. You are proud of your pup and get to expand their horizons, your pup is happy to have made you happy and not be corrected, and those around you enjoy the company of your dog that much more. So let’s make sure we do everything in our power to help them achieve that success.


The most frequent way that crate training sets your dog up for success is by preventing problem behaviors. The crate keeps your dog out of situations that might set them up to fail. The crate also plays a key role in helping your pup to settle when they are overstimulated. 


When your pup is overstimulated, it is difficult to get them to listen to you, and chances are that the more you try to correct them, the more they’ll double down on the problem behavior. This is where the crate comes into play.


However, the crate should not be treated as a punishment, but rather a safe space for them to calm down. (More on making the crate a positive experience for your pup at the end of this article.) 


Even if you feel crate training isn’t relevant to your daily activities, take a second to think about other necessary care for your dog. At the vet or the groomer, your dog may end up in a crate for its own safety. You want your dog to be set up for success and comfort by already being acclimated to a crate.

They love structure

It’s no secret that dogs love routine and structure. It helps to make them happy and comfortable by creating predictability and allowing them to fully understand expectations. By making the crate part of their structure and routine, you are able to create an environment of structure in any place where your dog may end up being crated, whether that’s at the vet, groomer, or even in potential emergency situations. 


The crate ultimately helps your dog to feel at ease and even helps to mitigate the chances of your dog having separation anxiety. All of this leads to a healthier, more bonded relationship with your dog when crate training is done in the appropriate, caring, and compassionate way.

So what do you do?

First and foremost, the crate is not a punishment. 


Before you even get into a situation where your dog is overstimulated or you’re leaving the house for a long period of time, create positive experiences in the crate for your pup. 


You can help your dog acclimate to and enjoy the crate by giving them enrichment activities in their crate while you’re around or even feeding them in their crate. 


And as with any sort of training, consistency is key here. Work on practicing a little bit of crate training each day until it becomes second nature for your dog. 


In many cases, I’ve seen dogs decide to just use their crates as a nice place to nap if the door is open once they’re adjusted to and beginning to love their crates!


Crate training can be one of the tougher parts of dog parenting. If you’re in need of assistance in this process, give us a call at 847-409-1363, and let’s discuss how I can help you on that journey!



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