Crate Training - It's not just for puppies!

I'm a huge believer in crate training a dog. Daisy (our dog) is such a better behaved family pet now that she has her own safe zone. I've pondered this concept for awhile and have decided the same concept can be/should be used for teenagers.

"Why crate train your puppy?"

"Crate training your dog provides them with a profound sense of security. Dogs naturally live in dens. Dens protect them from danger, keep them warm and dry, and help them to keep their young safe and protected."

When the kids were little, I was all about outside playtime. It made them tired and happy and they slept well. We all know that a tired puppy is a good puppy.  When they were in middle school, I still thought they needed to be outside, but I slowly realized that was a sticky predicament. Outside now meant parks with hordes of young teenagers hanging out unsupervised by adults. I still thought they were in general safe, but started to question the common sense of this "playtime". Now that they are in high school, I'm positive that the park is now not a "safe zone". Playing endless hours of C O D (Call of Duty) is the safe zone. I never thought I was going to fully support hours of video games, but it's like crate training. They're happy, warm, safe and dry and their mother has them within ear/eye shot.

"Crate Training Helps Eliminate Destructive Behavior"

"While some breeds are definitely more nervous, and therefore potentially destructive, than others, a crate offers a sense of security for your dog. Instead of acting out when they feel anxious they can retreat to their ‘den’ and seek calm."

This makes so much sense. Relate above paragraph to your teenager and I don't know about you but it was an ah ha moment for me. The thing about being a "crazy parent" (that's what my boys think of me and my suspicions) is they can blame everything on their mom being crazy, neurotic etc. I recently had a psychiatrist friend tell me yes, I was right to drug test my kids. Not because it necessarily was going to come back positive, but it gave them an out to "say no to drugs" i.e. dudes, "I can't smoke that, my mom's crazy".

What kind of crate is best? Your home or someone that thinks the same way you do. Confirm that they are home.

Crate training Dogs offers enormous benefits. It provides them a sense of security and stability and it makes the house training process significantly easier. Who doesn’t want fewer accidents? Of course you do. Dog Crate Training is a sure bet if you want to get the best results.

Well said oh mighty dog trainer - well said. Join me in providing a safe zone........ throw a little candy around, some occasional soda, pizza, don't worry about how many extras there are, don't worry about the mess, set the alarm and let the fun begin.