Kennel training is so important for so many reasons but the biggest is always for the safety of the dogs during different situations they may face in life. There are many situations dog’s get themselves into especially when left alone out of a crate. So, let’s go over a few reasons why crate training is important. Not all situations might pertain to you however at one point in time over the life of the dog I can almost guarantee the dog will need to be in a crate.
Potty Training-As puppies crate training can make potty training 100 times easier than if you do not crate your puppy. Puppies in general are very clean meaning they do not want to poop or pee in areas where they must sleep. Therefore, if you are trying to potty train a puppy and they have been using a crate as their sleeping space they are less likely to potty in the crate. This can then be a safe spot to put the puppy then when you are not able to watch the puppy. Puppies that are potty trained with crate training as a part of the routine tend to learn the concept of potty training faster.
Reduced Destruction or Chewing of Unwanted Items in the Home-This is a common problem with puppies when left alone. Many times, puppies still do not know what is allowed and not allowed and tend to make unwise choices when they have no one helping them with these decisions. Crates can be the simple answer for those puppies.
This problem however is not just for puppies but many adult dogs as well. Adult dogs tend to do more damage, especially those with separation anxiety, and tend to get into things that can kill them. There are many things that are in our homes that could kill dogs if they got into it while we were gone or at work. As a vet tech we saw numbers of dogs that while left alone got into food items like bread dough, chocolate, grapes, xylitol containing items, and medications like Advil and Tylenol. I have even heard of dogs that have gotten and chewed on knives that were in a butcher block on the counter. Dogs are amazing creatures and are resourceful so never underestimate what they can do. However, if kenneled while you are gone their ability to get into trouble is now limited.
Safe Quiet Place for Senior Dogs-Many senior dogs as they age like a quiet dark area that has lots of blankets or bedding. Many of these older dogs like these areas because they are losing their sight and hearing so when sleeping these areas feel safe. They don’t get startled as much while sleeping in the kennel if they have arthritis a comfortable place to sleep with make them feel better. The biggest things to think about is medical conditions that might arise as your senior pet ages. This was a personal experience for me because as my first border collie aged, she started to have incontinence issues meaning that when she fell asleep, she would leak urine. I ended up starting to have to kennel her every night so that I would not have to clean up my couch every morning. She was perfectly normal in every other way except this and because I had kenneled her as a puppy and continued kenneling her once or twice a month putting her in the kennel at night was not big deal. Now I only had to clean the blankets that were in the kennel in the morning which was SO much easier than the alternatives.
Need to Kennel the Dog While Construction Workers are at Your Home-This is one that most people do not think about and that is the need for construction workers come to the house. I am using the word construction worker to mean any “worker” that must enter your house and do work meaning this could be plumbers, electricians, people replacing windows or doors, putting in floors, painters, or anyone else. In all those situations most times the dog(s) need to be put away so they can do their work. The other thing to think about with most of these situations is that these people are coming and going from the house multiple times and there is a high likelihood that at some point your dog is going to sneak out the door or a door is going to get left open for a period of time. Kenneling the dog(s) in these types of situations is not only safer for the dogs but also allows the worker to complete their jobs more quickly and efficiently.
Groomer/Vet Visits or Recovery from Surgery-Those dogs that have a coat that need to get groomed more than likely will be in a kennel at some point during their grooming life. There are the exceptions of groomers allowing the dogs to just run around their facility and not be kenneled but a lot of groomers still have kennels to put the dogs in once they are done being groomed and you are coming to pick them up.
Having worked as a vet technician for over 15 years I can tell you for certain kennels are used in this field. If your dog comes in for any surgery, they are put in a kennel before and after their surgery time. If they are sick and need to stay in the hospital, they will be put in a kennel to administer fluids and medications. Dogs that are not kennel trained prior to coming in fair way worse than those that have been kennel trained. Sick dogs spend all their remaining energy trying to get out of the kennel while sick kennel trained dogs just lay down and don’t waste any energy on getting better.
Post-surgery care at home is almost always easier if you can kennel the dog. Most surgeries require 7-14 days of no jumping, running or rough play. If the dog is free in the house being able to restrict those activities becomes very hard especially if you need to leave for any period.
Traveling in Vehicles or Air Travel-Statistics show that most dogs in car accidents are not injured or killed from the accident itself but instead from being thrown from the vehicle and getting injured, killed, or running away. Kennels inside your vehicle strapped down are a great way to secure your dog. Make sure to look for kennels that are very tough and unbreakable and some even come with crash testing tests. Even if you have the best kennel out there make sure to secure the kennel to your vehicle.
Most dogs that do any air travel will have to be in a kennel. New airline regulations are starting to limit how many dogs are being allowed and what kinds of dogs are being allowed on their flights. For example, ESA animals are no longer allowed on most flights. That means most dogs are now going to have to fly in a kennel in the cargo area if you want to bring them along.
Natural Disaster-This is one that most people do not think about but even in our area it is something that could happen. If you were in an area that was having a natural disaster many of the disaster relief organizations will not allow you to bring your dog unless it is kennel trained. This is for the safety of the volunteers but also the safety of all the dogs that come in. This was seen recently with some of the hurricanes in the south but even here we could have tornadoes or fires that could force you out of your home. In these situations, if you needed to stay at a shelter temporarily or even a hotel the dog is going to need to be crate trained.
