Why You Should Crate Train a Dog

Welcoming a new dog into your family is an exciting time, but the process can be difficult, as there are lots of factors to consider. You need to make your dog comfortable and ensure they feel safe, while house training them and teaching them good behavior. For these reasons, it is highly recommended that you crate train your new dog, as it has many benefits.

Here’s our list of why you should crate train your dog…

1. Make your dog feel safe

Some people think that crates are cruel, but when used properly, they are quite the opposite. When trained properly, dogs see crates as their safe space, so whenever they feel scared or uneasy, they know they can retreat into their crate for safety. Being in the crate should always be your dog’s choice, and the crate itself should be sized perfectly for your dog. Follow Top Dog Hub’s dog crate recommendations to choose the right crate for your dog. Once your dog is crate trained, you’ll find that he is happier and calmer.

2. House training is easier

When a crate is correctly sized, there will be no room within the crate for your dog to do his business. Because dogs don’t like to sleep in soiled beds, crate training will also assist with house training. If you need to leave your dog in a crate for long periods of time, they’ll learn to hold themselves so that they don’t make a mess, which leaves you with a cleaner house and a happier dog.

3. Limit damage

Dogs are animals, and sometimes they get out of control. We all know it happens, and we’ve seen the many dog shaming pictures and videos on the internet. By using a crate, you can avoid these sorts of disasters altogether. Crate training eventually allows you to leave the house for up to eight hours with the dog happily in the crate with his chew toys, so that you can avoid these sorts of situations. If you’re happier with your dog, then your dog will be happier too, so it’s a win win.

4. Easier vet visits

At some point your dog will need to go to the vet. If he needs to stay overnight, this will be a severely traumatic experience for your dog if he isn’t crate trained. The beds that dogs stay in at the vets are crates themselves, so without proper crate training, this will cause fear and anxiety in your dog which may result in a longer healing time. Crate training your dog is a great option for avoiding this.

You may think that crate training is a cruel punishment for a dog, but if you’re using it in that way then you’re doing it wrong. Crate training a dog properly can reduce stress in their lives as they see the crate as their own safe space and can go there when they need to chill out. Consider properly crate training your dog and you’ll find that both you and your dog are much more calm.