09/05/2026
I’ve had the crate training conversation quite a bit lately, so figured I’d make an informative post that might help more people understand 😊
First, a crate isn’t and shouldn’t be used as punishment! Dogs are, by nature, den animals. Ever see your dog seek out a place to lay under like a table or your own bed, a chair, something dark, where they will go to attempt to get some sleep? They’re denning themselves! Dogs have a literal biological need for a den, a small, dark place where they can get rest and sleep. It also provides a boundary in modern dog culture, where they learn that they don’t need to be glued to you 24/7. That, in and of itself often leads to separation issues and an anxious dog that can’t handle being away from their owner.
In my personal experience previously working in the veterinary industry, I can’t tell you how many times a dog would ingest something they shouldn’t have, something dangerous or toxic, resulting in thousands of dollars in foreign body surgeries, HOPING the object can be extracted in time, with an extended recovery time, or resulting in death, simply because the person didn’t want to crate their dog, felt sorry for them, and viewed it as punishment.
What if your dog got sick or injured and NEEDED to stay at the vet for hours or overnight, even days at a time. It does happen, folks. Now just imagine, how incredibly stressful that would be on top them being sick or injured just because you refused to crate train them. Next thing you know, your vet is calling you saying they need to administer unnecessary and dangerous to organs sedatives just because your dog can’t settle in their kennel. Same thing with boarding facilities. I’ve had clients tell me their previous boarding facility refused further services without sedatives because their dog can’t settle and vocalizes constantly. It’s an unnecessary stress we’re putting on our dogs because we as humans are looking at it through OUR emotions and not what’s best for the dog.
Continued in comments ⬇️
