I get asked a lot about crate/kennel training a new puppy.
Those convo’s usually go, “Tony, how do I crate train my puppy? What kind of kennel do I get? What’s the best kind of crate to get? Should I be using a kennel? Will I hurt my new puppy by having them sleep in a kennel? Why do I feel so mean every time I think about it?”
Ok, so it’s not really a convo but more of a barrage of questions thrown at me. So let’s start with some basics and work our way up from there.
The terms Kenneling and Crating are synonymous. Some people prefer one term over the other but they are used to represent the same thing these days. However, there’s always that one person who feels the need to mention the correct technical meaning.
If we broke this down a little further, we could say that crating is when you place your dog in a designated enclosed area while Kenneling is similar to the term boarding. And I’m not going into that explanation because that’s off topic. Y’all can discuss that amongst y’all selves.
There are different types of kennels. You have the wire crates that most people see at all the big box stores. They are also very economically priced. That’s a great advantage if you’re on
a tight budget. Some dogs can respond very well to those while others may not like the feeling it provides. They may be to visibly open for your dog. Humans typically want to see everything that’s going on. For dogs, that just additional stimulation that doesn’t allow them to feel safe. Your dog may have anxiety or separation issues and that adds additional unrest in these types of kennels. Some owners throw a sheet or blanket over the kennel to help create that feeling.
Other kennel systems tend to go up in price. The more enclosed it is, the better your dog will rest. It’s like your dog 
having their own room which directly relates to a wolf digging a hole and creating its own den. They know how to get in and how to get out. They also know they have a direct field of view to watch and protect if needed. 
If you do a lot of traveling, you may want to look into a travel kennel that is designed for portability. The airlines have also buckled down and created more stringent regulations about the types of crates they consider safe for air travel. This has been a regulation that was long over due. Good crating can be costly. If you’re invested in your dog, you understand you’re providing a quality of life similar to the life you want in yours. Quality of life doesn’t mean throwing money at something. It just means understanding your own personal family dog and giving them a life they can enjoy and be comfortable with. Creativity can be the biggest difference maker for cost savings.
Get to know your dog first.
We still need to cover the process on how to kennel your new puppy and overcoming the personal feelings you may have while trying to do it. Crating is a large valuable topic. Trying to throw something superficial at you that doesn’t cover anything in depth isn’t my thing and would be too long to do in a single post. So keep checking back in. There will be another post that covers the how and dealing with the why.
Start enjoying your dog beyond the backyard!
