Obedience Dog Training:
Crate Training Pros and Cons
By Jan Hoadley

Debate is sometimes heated about whether or not crate training a dog is healthy or harmful.

'Crating' involves placing a pet in a cage, usually plastic or metal of roughly the size of the dog, for a period of time during the day or night. A properly sized crate allows the dog room to stand up, turn around, lay down but little else.

Opponents of crating point out that caging a dog suppresses his desire to roam, and removes his ability to explore his domain. They point to puppies being confined in their own waste and soiling themselves, locked away for the convenience of the owner. They assert it isn't needed for travel because the dog should be left home, not taken on trips.

However, the domestic dog being inside, his desire to roam is already suppressed - we normally don't want the dog to roam and be exposed to danger. His natural behavior changes to conform to our "pack." Crate training helps not only an adult dog but puppies too deal with having *their* place without learning bad household habits.

On the other hand there are many who believe the crate is an invaluable tool to housebreaking, a natural "den" area that a dog can go to feel safe when threatened, and a safe place to be when the owner is not home. Properly used, the crate is not for confinement for long hours every day.

Most of the time we picture our dogs snoozing peacefully when we are gone. Placing the dog in his crate with a few dog treats or dog toys and he can entertain himself without destroying the room or learning bad habits. It helps assure he won't get into the chocolate candy on the kitchen table or chew the wires to the lamp behind the sofa.

A travel crate when travelling offers another safety advantage. They are in a familiar place inside their crate. Horror stories of accidents and dogs surviving the accident then escaping the vehicle and being killed are sadly all too common. Secured in a crate he is safe until help arrives to get people and dogs from the vehicle safely. Crate training gives a portable "room" to your dog anywhere.

In an emergency evacuation this makes it much easier and less stressful on the pet. In case of a crisis emergency, while not ideal to be confined to a crate in a vehicle, it's infinitely better than being left behind in fires or rising floods that they can't escape from; and many shelters don't allow pets. A crate trained dog doesn't stress as badly when in so much uncertainty there's the safe haven of his crate, toys and you.