Crates are your Friends

Okay, so lets talk Dog Crates. Lots of people are fearful of Dog Crates and see them as punishments. Yes they can be punishment if they are misused but they can also be a safe haven for your Dog. The crate in the picture below is a DogPodz crate recommended by Dogs Trust but the other kind of Crate is great too. If you ever find a Dog lost then the chances are you will find them hiding under a car, under a bush or under some sort of enclosed space, this is because it makes the Dog feel safe. If a Dog is Trained properly and introduced slowly to use a Crate then this can become their best friend. It keeps them out of mischief whilst you are not home, it gives them their own space (and we all need space of our own), it can make them feel safe when we have people over, they can eat their bones and treats in peace with no risk of it being taken from them or any accidents thinking it will be taken off them. Dog Crates have been seen as a bad thing over the years as people referred to them as Cages and Cages is such a cruel harsh word. We have all seen the posts and the Dogs saved on documentarys who have been locked in crates way too small for them and kept in them all day every day. This is an abuse of their use and this is not how they are meant to be used. Always leave the crate door open when they are not in the crate so they can treat it like a normal bed, don't put them in their Crate for a punishment and a time out should only last for 5 minutes maximum. Don't get a crate which is too big for your Dog, this is known to stress Dogs out, in most cases they toilet in their crate because of this and also cannot settle. Cover the sides of the Crate to help them to feel safe, make it nice and comfy and add toys too. Some people like their Dogs to free roam in the house whilst they are not home to deter people who break in. I for one would rather have my Dogs out of the way, then to engage with someone and get hurt. It has been shown that Dogs who are crated do not tend to get hurt during break ins which is important. Break ins are scary but not many of us would put ourselves in the way of someone breaking in and we shouldn't ask our Dogs to do this either. So remember Crates when used properly are kind and can help your Dog. Do not leave them in them for long periods, the Dogs Trust recommends 4 hours maximum. You can also add water bowls by attaching them to the sides and are really cheap on ebay. I use them so if anyone wants the link just let me know :)

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