Why I Believe in Crate Training Our Dogs

Crates can sometimes be a controversial tool in the dog ownership world. Many trainers swear by them, some countries have banned them, and lots of us see both their merits and potential downsides.

Personally, I plan to prioritize crate training with every dog I own. I think most pets would benefit from being comfortable in a kennel whether or not their owners opt to use the tool much in their daily routine (which echoes my thoughts on muzzle training, too).

Here’s why I’m a fan of crate training in general! You can also read about our personal crate training process in this article.

First: Some background context

What qualifies as a dog crate, anyway?

It’s always helpful to start with some definitions. According to Wikipedia (oh king of internet accuracy 😂) a dog crate is simply “a metal, wire, plastic, fabric, or other enclosure with a door in which a dog may be kept for security or transportation.”

I’m a little torn on where exactly we draw the line of what is and isn’t a kennel (if you shut your dog in the bathroom when you leave, is that sort of the same thing?) but I wholeheartedly agree with this definition’s focus on security and transportation.

Personally, I tend to think of a dog crate as 1) a den-like form of containment that 2) limits physical movement. That’s not to say it’s like a straightjacket — dogs should be able to comfortably adjust position in any humane kennel! — but a crate is fundamentally different from a larger exercise pen or entire room by keeping our dogs in one spot.

Some cultural differences when it comes to crating our dogs

Crates are pretty common in the United States — but countries like Sweden and Finland have actually outlawed their routine use. In those nations, kennels are only legal for safe transportation, sanctioned events (like dog shows), or special cases of injury recovery.

Basically: Depending on where we live, it might be completely normal for dogs to spend several hours in a crate on a daily basis… or we might be looked down upon (and possibly fined) if they’re shut away for even one.

I think this illustrates an important spectrum. There are people living successfully alongside dogs with minimal crate use. It’s remiss to act like a crate is strictly necessary for everyone who owns a canine! By the same token, there are also dog-owner teams whose lives are made significantly better by responsible crate use — and it’s remiss to act like the tool is strictly unnecessary either.

Ultimately: So many things depend on our environment and goals

Our surrounding communities color our perceptions of the dog ownership world, and diving into the cultural differences on crate use has been helpful perspective.

While I understand the motivation of legislation aimed at increasing our dogs’ quality of life, I don’t think it’s as simple as “crates are good” or “crates are bad”. Rather, it’s about considering all the variables at play:

• How long are we leaving our dogs alone? Crates might feel unnecessary for daily life if someone is often home to supervise.
• What are our household environments like? Are there potentially dangerous things a pup could get into (like young children’s toys out and about) or is it a pretty minimalist situation?
• Do our pets have any special needs? Our cattle dog, for example, has idiopathic epilepsy, which means she could have a seizure at any moment. Crating her gives us peace of mind that she can’t injure herself falling off the couch or bed when we aren’t home.
• How big is the crate? Prolonged confinement that fully limits a dog’s ability to adjust position is not humane — but a reasonably-sized safe den is a different story.
• What are our goals with our dogs? Will they need to be still on long car rides, during air travel, or in other chaotic environments? Are they social with the rest of our family (and guests) or might there be times where they need their own space?
• What are our pets’ personalities? A very mellow temperament might have less use for a crate than a dog who constantly craves stimulation (and while training and fulfillment are absolutely important for an over-aroused pup, crates can also be great management tools).

At the end of the day: Dog crates are another great example of the ideas that “training tools don’t inherently define training methods” and “how we use a tool is more important than the object itself“.

Next: General benefits of crate training our dogs

Crate training is responsible “just in case” preparation

Crates might be a necessary part of already-stressful situations. By preparing our dogs ahead of time, we can remove some of the discomfort if they have to encounter a kennel:

• During a vet visit
• If they get lost and are picked up by animal control
• During mandated rest after an injury or surgical procedure
• In a shelter space if we’re displaced from our homes, like after a natural disaster
• While traveling
• And so on

We can never be exactly sure what our lives will look like — so I’m a big believer in getting my dogs used to as many things as possible! Even if we don’t use Scout’s crate every day of our lives, I love the peace of mind that she can be comfortable in it whenever we need her to.

Long story short: A little preparation can go a long way.

Crate training can help puppies learn important skills

Puppies are babies. They’re incredibly mobile creatures for their age (at least compared to humans) but still just infants!

Crate training our dogs when they’re young can help them:

• Stay out trouble when we can’t fully supervise
• Develop important skills for adulthood (like the ability to settle away from us and hold their bladders)
• Get enough sleep (especially important when the world around them is full of fascinating, novel stimuli they might not be able to disengage from on their own)

Crates can help our dogs be more comfortable in multiple environments

Giving our dogs a place they can retreat to — where they know we will protect their peace! — can be a huge relief, especially for canines who are fearful or easily overwhelmed. We have a sign above Scout’s crate that says “a calm, human-free zone” to remind everyone that if she puts herself in her safe space, she’s not to be disturbed.

This can be particularly beneficial in multi-pet households or families with young kids. Ever hid in a party’s bathroom for a few minutes to collect yourself? That’s very much how I imagine my dog’s crate can work for her 😂

And it’s not just about comfort at home: Since Scout’s kennel is a familiar den, it creates consistency when we travel to different environments. We can set up her crate in a family’s home or Airbnb — and even if she doesn’t recognize anything else around her, she feels safer in her own space!

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Crates can encourage our dogs to get deeper rest

Our dogs need more sleep than we do — around 12-14 hours each day in adulthood compared to our species’ 7-9. Some pets have no problem napping in a range of environments, but crates create the prime spot for deep rest:

• Our dogs are diurnal mammals like us. The darker their sleeping environments, the better! It’s easy to drape a blanket on top of a crate for this (we have a custom fabric cover that perfectly matches Scout’s yellow gear theme).
• It’s easier for our dogs to stay asleep in a calm area without much noise. This is especially true for the “velcro” dogs who like to keep tabs on their humans throughout the day (much more common after the recent increase in remote work situations).
• Animals relax best in familiar territory. Our dogs’ crate can be a constant: a safe place that is always undisturbed regardless of anything else going on (guests, weird weather, us owners singing too many songs, etc). Ask Scout where she goes whenever Sean plays the guitar too loudly… 😉

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Crates can ensure our pets’ physical safety

Unexpected situations, mental comfort, and deep sleep aside, I think one of the most important things a crate can provide is physical safety. Secure kennel setups can prevent our dogs from:

• Getting into anything they’re not supposed to, from food to cleaning supplies to our brand-new shoes. (Of course we should help teach our dogs what is and isn’t theirs — but sometimes it’s not possible to watch them 24/7, like when we really need to thaw meat for dinner and don’t want to risk the temptation)
• Practicing unhealthy behaviors when we aren’t there to intervene, like barking out the windows, pacing anxiously, and so on
• Getting into fights with other pets — flukes can happen even with animals who have coexisted for years

And some dogs have medical conditions that increase the odds they’ll hurt themselves when left alone. In these cases, create training can reduce risk and bring us owners important peace of mind!

Happy (responsible) crating

Ultimately, I don’t believe kennels are a magic cure-all for every problem we might encounter with our dogs — but I do think crate training has a lot of benefits.

We can use the tool well by:

• Making sure our crates are appropriately sized (our dogs can turn around and lie flat in them)
• Taking the time to get our pets comfortable with their dens at a fair pace
• Providing adequate biological fulfillment
• Adjusting to our individual dogs, lifestyles, and goals