Kennel Training

There are many uses for a kennel including potty training, house training (getting a dog accustom to being inside as opposed to outside), creating a safe location that belongs to your dog, prevention of making mistakes such as chewing on wires, chewing on furniture and a list of many other items, a place to put your dog when having guests or service workers, it is a safe way to transport your dog whether in a car or taking it to the groomer or veterinarian, the kennel is a wonderful place to have your dog stay comfortably when recuperating from an illness or injury and if you ever need to stay in a hotel it is more acceptable to have a kennel for your dog to stay in.

The Do's and Don'ts

Leaving bedding inside of a kennel can be a mistake. What if it makes a mistake? It will be a drag to clean the bedding and will not be a comfortable place for your dog to be in while you are away and have yet to find out it made an accident inside. Unless you can trust the dog, don't do it.

If you want to place bedding inside, you should leave the door open and allow your dog to go in or out as it pleases. This would typically be done once the dog has been trained so as to not make any mistakes. Supervision is always best to ensure it is safe.

Place the kennel in a location near to you when you are getting your dog accustom to the crate for the first time. As it becomes more comfortable with being in it for certain periods of time, gradiently move it to the final location (whether it will be inside or outside). This will help him to adjust to you not being there in site all of the time and prevent anxiety that may occur at times when you leave.

A rubber chew toy that can be stuffed with food is a good way to maintain good behavior and take any stress that might occur from being inside of a kennel. There are chew toys that are specially made for teething puppies.

When a dog is not used to being inside or if you have not been using the kennel appropriately he can develop anxieties (amongst other things that can create anxieties) and providing a stuffed chew toy as well as playing classical or music of his/her choice can aid in making him feel more comfortable inside of the kennel. You can test what kind of music. Watch it's behavior as you play a given station for about 30 minutes.

Then come back and change it to something else and watch any changes (good or bad). You can do this over a period of 2-3 days and decide on what station is best for him based on your observation.