Crating: Importance

Before I start with the talk, here's a nice video I picked up in YT. As you could see, the "obsessed" shih-tzu's crate is at the background (for a couple of seconds).

We've always heard about crating and how important it is to use a crate in house training. Since I live in a country where most dogs are either on a leash (which is cruel, but the only way to keep them safe since they like going out into the open), I've only tried crating once.

A crate is like a doggy den for our dogs. Wild or domestic, canines give great importance to a den. A den is their security blanket. It is the place they can call their own. As to wolves, it is where they come home to feel protected. Domesticated dogs also need their own dens.

A crate is the perfect den for most dogs living indoors. My dogs usually have dog houses. Both a crate and a dog house have almost the same purpose. Unfortunately, this also means that they may think of a crate as a form of prison. This is the reason why it is important to introduce the crate while they are still young.

This is my old Shih-Tzu. I deleted his site because I wasn't able to upload posts often. Now, he's living like a prince in a bigger dog castle (measuring approximately 1.5m x 1 m x 1 m). Here's the link of my old post: Mommy Got Me a New Cage

Why is crating important in house training?

Dogs would never try to pee or poop in their dens. It's like making humans do so in their own bedrooms or beside their beds. Since dogs will consider the crate their dens, they'll quickly learn to hold their pee and poop whenever they're still inside their crate.

Note:

By default, mama dogs and wolves teach their puppies not to pee or poop in their dens. However, given that the puppy has already been accustomed to sleeping with his own excretions, crating will somewhat be a problem.