The important thing to realise is that when introduced correctly early on in the dogs life, a crate is not seen as confinement or punishment by the dog. It is a safe haven, not a prison. Our bitch Pepper loves her cages – one for use in the home and another for traveling in the car. She is always keen to get in the mobile one, associating it with trips out for walks. Keeping her out of the mobile one when it is being stored in the house or on the front porch is near impossible - it becomes her sleeping place of choice. A dogs will also enjoy being able to take its crate and so a little bit of home with it when spending time in a strange place.

A crate means:

Consistency in training. A healthy dog will not soil the place where it sleeps. If the crate is the right size for your dog - allowing just enough room to stand up and turn around - it will not soil its crate.

A feeling of security for the dog. Most dogs will learn to go directly to their crates when they are ready for bed.

Easy handling. Whenever you cannot keep a close eye on the dog or there is a distraction such as visitors, the crate is a safe place to confine the dog.

Safety and comfort when traveling. Beats the rear parcel shelf from a safety point of view, for both dog and owners.

Obviously you don’t lock the dog in its crate for more than a few hours at a time. The benefits of the crate in training your dog are immense.

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“You don’t put your dog in a cage do you?”

Yes, but it is not a cage. Let me explain...
In the wild, dogs like to find a small, snugly fitting den to call its own. In this space it feels secure and so can relax. This space represents security to the dog. This instinctive desire for a secure den is the basis of the psychology behind the crate or "cage” for a dog.