There are many misconceptions that putting your dog in a crate is cruel and inhumane.  In actuality, you are providing your dog a safe place to rest.  Any veterinarian or dog trainer will rave over the benefits of a crate for both you and your dog!

 In the wild, dogs sleep in dens to protect themselves from predators.  A canine does not see its crate as prison, which is what many people are afraid of.  For dogs, it’s like having their own room in your home.

Crate training is incredibly beneficial when potty-training a dog.  They won’t want to soil the area where they sleep and will learn self-control easier.  A crate also protects you from experiencing unwanted behaviors, like chewing and garbage scouring, while you are sleeping or at work.

Crates should be big enough for your dog to stand up and turn around in, as well as lay down comfortably.  However, there shouldn’t be excess room where they can also relieve themselves and completely avoid the mess when laying down.

In order to get your pup to love his/her crate, make sure you stock it with toys and a treat or two couldn’t hurt until they get the idea.  Remember, dogs are highly social animals and even though they will love their crate, they also love you!  It is important to give your dog the proper affection, play time and exercise outside of the crate.
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Training your dog to use its crate will also relieve their anxiety when it is absolutely necessary to be crated – like when traveling by car or plane, or visits to the vet’s office.  Your dog gets to be in their own familiar space where they feel safe.

Dog owners have many decisions to make where it concerns their pet.  One of those important decisions is choosing methods on how to get your dog to obey and behave.  Positive force-free training rewards the dog for good behavior by way of treats, petting and soft tones of praise.  Redirecting dogs to something else works well for negative behavior.

While many dog owners choose this effective and humane way of training, there are still too many people out there that opt for the “easier” method of using an E-collar or shock collar.  While some might consider it easier, or cheaper than obedience training, it is far from easier on your dog, and could possibly be dangerous for you as well.  Aggressive dogs will not respond well to E-collars, especially if they associate their owner as the one controlling it.   

If you are not familiar with what an E-collar does, I will explain further.  E-collars are remote controlled devices that sends jolts of electricity to dogs.  Some arguments for the E-collar claim these jolts or shocks don’t hurt the pups, but who can be sure?

Dogs are often confused at why the shocking sensation occurs.  They are supposed to figure out that this unpleasant feeling is happening because they did something wrong.  As intelligent as dogs are, imagine how many times they must feel that uncomfortable twinge in their necks before they associate a bad behavior with it!

There have been cases where E-collars have been linked to anxiety attacks in dogs as well as making dogs more aggressive.  E-collars are already banned in many countries and there have been many reports of animal abuse with these products.

Would you shock your 3-year-old anytime they did something you didn’t like?  Then don’t do it to a dog.  Unlike your kid, they can’t use words to convey what they’re feeling.
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Dogs naturally want their owner’s love and approval.  If you provide your dog those things and some treats when they respond to your commands, their relationship with you will be much happier and more trustworthy.

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