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Why I Chose To Crate My Puppy

Posted by Hot Dog Collars on 07/11/16 3:33 PM

Our family recently adopted a basset puppy. We named her Ruby Rose (partly because of the gem and the flower but mostly no one could agree on just one name). types of crate matsShe is the cutest little thing on four legs and we are all unabashedly smitten. Ruby is the first puppy I’ve had in almost twenty years. Isn’t she cute? When you get a puppy, one of the first things you have to be concerned with is how you are going to contain the little critter. A puppy can’t have the run of your home because of obvious safety concerns. They eat anything and everything not nailed down. And if it’s actually nailed down, then they will try to eat the nail.

Enter the crate.

Before Ruby, I never crate-trained any of my dogs. My parents never crated any of our dogs we had when I was growing up either. It just wasn’t something that was commonplace in the 1980’s. Skip ahead forty years and now crate-training your puppy is just a given. Let me tell you, crate-training has been awesome so far.

If trained correctly, a dog will appreciate her crate because it provides safety and security like a den in the wild. My puppy loves her crate because it's cozy and I spared no expense making it feel inviting. I do caution you if your puppy is part beaver though. Don’t put in anything she can rip apart and eat. A puppy will do fine in a crate with no blanket. Trust me, it’s not worth the inevitable intestinal blockage.

The main reason I wanted to crate-train Ruby is because I wanted to be sure she was safe at night or when we needed to leave the house. So far, it’s been a success. At night time, I can hear her snoring away and she can hold it overnight in the kennel without needing to go out and potty. When we leave the house, she has a bit more trouble but she settles down after a few minutes. I set up my camera to watch her a few times and each time, she settled herself down by the time we left the driveway.

Since she likes her kennel at home, she may not mind being kennelled at the groomer or the vet.

I have yet to test this theory of mine but I have a good feeling about it. I also use my kennel to transport her. It’s nice because I don’t have to worry about her climbing all over the seats or getting into something she shouldn’t. I also feel like I am a safer driver because I am not distracted. Distracted driving causes thousands upon thousands of accidents each year. I don’t want to become a statistic.

The only thing I don't like about the crate is that is not aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Black metal sticks out like a sore thumb in my living room. In the grand scheme of things, who cares right? My puppy has a den to call her own and I don't have to stress about her getting into trouble when I can’t have my eye on her all the time. You can’t beat that!

What are your thoughts on crate-training? Have you ever had to crate-train an adult dog? Let us know in the comments section and don’t forget to visit us on Facebook and Twitter. We would love to hear from you about this topic. 


About Our Guest Blogger

Colleen Fitzpatrick is a former dog groomer turned writer from Upstate New York. She loves all dogs but is particularly fond of basset hounds. She is passionate about animal rescue and hopes to foster dogs once her children are a bit older.