Should You Crate Train Your Dog?

Crate training a dog is one of the most effective and humane ways of protecting your pooch and providing them with a safe and secure place where they can be alone.  In addition, if dogs are not crate trained, the odds are they will not be 100% reliably house trained.  If crate trained when young, a dog will not be as likely to accumulate bad habits as they grow and they will stand a better chance of becoming stable and reliable companions for life.

 

The concept of crate training has a negative image with some pet dog owners.  They equate a crate to a jail or a place of punishment. Since our pets are family members, our furry children, why would we want to put them in a crate, right?

 

But dogs, being den animals, don’t look at crates the same way we do.  And there are many benefits to crate training a dog, especially if you have a puppy or a young dog and you are in the process of house training. It is not unlike using baby pens for our toddlers.  It is an effective and safe way of keeping our “children” secure.  In the same way you would never leave a toddler alone unsupervised you should never leave a puppy free to wander around the house where they could injure themselves or damage your things. Puppies, like small children, need a place they can go when you are not able to watch them, a safe place where they can hear, see and smell you without being underfoot. You will also find that a crate is a safe, quiet place your dog will happily go when they want peace and quiet, to snooze or just to withdraw into their own sanctuary. And when you travel or have to leave your pet in unfamiliar surroundings a crate provides that little “home away from home” for your canine buddy.  I have never met a dog that does not enjoy their crate if the crate is introduced into their world correctly.

 

 

Visit our website and download a FREE E-Book on ‘Crate Training Your Dog’ www.888DogSmith.com

July Product Review

 

How You Can Help Your Local Rescue Group

At some point nearly every animal shelter feels the pinch due to lack of space. It seems that no matter how large the facility, there is always one more mouth to feed. And some humane organizations have no shelter or holding facility at all, yet want to get involved in rescue and  rehabilitation. A volunteer foster program is an ideal, low-cost way to greatly increase the number of lives a group can save while providing a wonderful opportunity for community members to volunteer. If you are interested in fostering a cat or dog for a short or long period  then contact your local rescue organization and inquire about their foster care program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not only does a foster program maximize the number of animals rescued, it allows an organization to care for animals who would be difficult to care for in a shelter environment, such as  orphaned or feral kittens, animals recovering from major surgery, or dogs needing one-on-one behavior rehabilitation. For animals who may need a break from the shelter environment, foster care provides a comfortable home setting that keeps them happy and healthy.

 

Is there more you could do to help?

Here are a few suggestions

 

• Volunteer at your local shelter to walk dogs, socialize cats, answer phones, foster animals
• Donate a small amount of money each month to the shelter or humane society of your choice
• Buy an annual membership to support your local shelter
• Donate towels and pet supplies to a shelter or rescue group
• Offer to host an event to raise funds
• Attend a rescue group event
• Purchase pet foods from your local shelter if they are a distributor of a premium quality food - you buy food for your pets anyway and buying through your shelter supports their programs