Honestly I was in the same mentality years ago when I got my first dog. I thought I was being cruel to him by putting him in the crate and I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I would sometimes use his kennel as a punishment for doing something wrong. Thankfully I've learned a lot since then and our new puppy is able to enjoy his kennel and not be scared of it.
Here are a few reasons why a kennel is a great tool for you and your puppy.
First of all dogs like their kennels. It's a sense of being in a den and protected. The amount of space you have in your house can be overwhelming and give them way too much to think about, but when they only have to deal with the crate when they are alone or sleeping then it becomes a less scary world that they have to be aware and constantly alert of.
Bedtime should be in the kennel. Not only does it add security but it reduces the amount of space they have to go to the bathroom in. My first puppy got to sleep on the bed with me. I rolled over into his poop and pee quite a few times. He wasn't able to jump off the bed so he just went in one corner and moved to the other. It took me forever to house train him because he went so much in the house and I could never catch him because he roamed free. Our new puppy was literally house trained after a few days. We owe the kennel for that. Any whine from the kennel at night and he was promptly taken outside to pee and brought straight back into his kennel.
Another thing about being in the kennel at night is safety. I hate to admit this but one night when my first puppy was able to jump off and on the bed he jumped off and started chewing on some wires. I woke up just in time to see him losing control of his bowels and vibrating on the floor. Thank god I woke up and unplugged the wire and thank god that he came out a little upset but okay from it. Now if I had put him in a kennel this would have been avoided.
The safety the kennel offers applies to during the day when you go out or to work as well. It may be tempting to give him tons of space and leave him penned off in a large area but if he hurts himself or rips your house up in the process then that is something that you have to live with and accept as your fault, not his.
Puppies should not be left alone for long hours in the kennel but that's something you should take into consideration before buying one. If you work long hours it may be best to wait to buy a puppy. It will be harder to potty train them and they will live a pretty boring puppyhood inside of a kennel or an exciting puppyhood learning how to do everything wrong and possibly hurting themselves outside of the kennel.
Kennels are also great for a time out.
Puppies have a tendency to get over tired and over stimulated. There's just too much going on that they want to see and a nap, which they really do need, is out of the question. So they run around with wild abandon and you end up chasing them all over the house getting more and more frustrated when they dodge you just in the nick of time.
A kennel that they associate with sleep and relax time is perfect to settle them down, let them sleep for a while, and give you a break from the madness of it all.
So if you've been thinking you may bypass the kennel and try your luck at leaving them in a room or in a few rooms than you may want to rethink it. They can't hurt themselves inside it, they associate it with sleep and relaxation, they are potty trained quicker, and they are less likely to rip apart your house.
Learn from my mistakes and buy yourself a good kennel for your puppy.
Isabelle is the owner of three dogs at the moment. One is a five month old puppy who gives her a lot to write about.
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