Hey, fellow pet lovers!

Today’s post is all about the benefits of having a dog crate for our furry friends.

I know some people’s opinions differ when it comes to using crates for our pooches but personally, they have been so helpful for me and my partner with the girls and Nia and Lily love having their own little den to go in whenever they want.

Let’s jump straight in and learn the many benefits of using a dog crate for your pooch!

---

The Benefits of Having a Dog Crate

So what is a dog crate?

A dog crate is a metal or plastic crate that comes in a variety of sizes such as small, medium or large. Some crates just have one door and others have two and the bottom plastic compartment always comes out so you can clean any poops or pees up easily. A crate is super useful for keeping your pup or pet safe when they are home alone, need to rest up after undergoing surgery and they can be such great training aid for puppies.

There are so many on the market to choose from and you can pick up a crate for relatively cheap. In my opinion, if you have a dog or are getting a new pup then a dog crate is essential.

Why use a dog crate?

There are so many benefits to having a dog crate and I am not sure how we would have survived Nia and Lily being puppies without one!!

• A dog crate provides your pet with their own personal space.

The first thing to mention is the fact that having a dog crate in your home allows your pet to have their own personal space where they can go to have a nap or just enjoy some much-needed alone time. Nia and Lily always have the option to go in their crate and it is more like a little den for them than anything else.

We make the girls crate super comfy as they occasionally sleep in it, so we have cut some of a memory foam mattress topper and placed that on the bottom, with lots of throws and pillows over to make it extra comfy.

• Having a dog crate allows pet owners to leave their pets unsupervised and ensure they will be safe.

Naughty Nia 🙂

Not all dogs are angels when left alone and having a crate can really help with that. This was Nia when she was an only doggie and I and my partner had popped out for a few hours. When we got back Nia had ripped up the armchair cushion and there were bits all over the place. Even though the quality of the pictures above is awful as this was before we got a good camera, I still love her little cheeky face!!

We have a super long passage in our flat and Nia had literally pulled a full roll of toilet paper all the way down the passage and into the sitting room, she was so pleased with herself. Thankfully I can say she grow out of her destructive habits but she did manage to go through

• A few pairs of trainers,
• A skirting board,
• Two chill plants,
• The armchair cushion,
• And the corners of various items of furniture.

Lily literally only ever destroyed two lovely collars that we got the girls and that was it, she was way worse with toilet training than Nia though!!

However, having a puppy means somethings are probably going to get destroyed and there is one way we can combat this and that is by getting a dog crate for your pooch. By having somewhere secure to put your pet in when you have to go out, they can learn that they need to earn your trust before they can be left out alone and a crate will really help with this.

• Crates can help with transporting your pet to and from places safely.

Using a crate when traveling with your pet can be a very good idea, providing it is securely fixed to your vehicle and your pet is safe and comfortable inside. A lot of rescue charities or animal welfare services have securely fixed crates in their vans as it makes moving a pet to and from places a lot easier.

If your moving house and your pet hasn’t ever really traveled in a vehicle then having their crate for them to travel in should help them be more comfortable and relaxed as it is something familiar to them. Also, ensure your crate is fixed down and your pet is safely secured within. If you are traveling long distances ensure you have water available for your pooch and they have frequent toilet breaks.

• Crates can help when your pet has undergone surgery and your vet has advised them to rest up.

Another benefit of having a crate is that it can help you rest your pet if they have undergone surgery recently or have hurt themselves and need to take it easy for a little while. Some dogs are so energetic and having a crate can ensure your pet doesn’t go crazy and pull out any stitches, hurt themselves in any way or stop themselves from recovering.

Thankfully we haven’t ever had to deal with the girls undergoing surgery so they haven’t had to rest up for a long period, but when we do decide to get them spayed I imagine their crate will come in very useful.

• Having a crate is super handy when certain people pop over and we need to calm the girls down.

Some dogs are so chilled when people come over but unfortunately, we have failed with training Nia and Lily to be nice and relaxed when people first come in the flat. After a while, they do settle down and can come out of their crate but at first, it is just easier to put them in before people come in the flat.

There are sometimes where the girls have to stay in such as when my partner’s granddad pops over otherwise Nia would potentially break something since she is like a little torpedo, but most of the time they are let out once they have calmed down.

• A crate can be used as a time-out area when your pet or pup has done something wrong.

We very rarely have to tell the girls off thankfully but when we do they get a small timeout in their cage aka, doggie prison for a short amount of time. Having a crate should never be used as a negative punishment or to make your pet feel uncomfortable.

But it can be very handy with letting them know they have done something wrong and for giving them a few minutes on the naughty spot.

• Having a crate can be a great training aid for puppies.

My girls Nia and Lily when they were pups, how cute??

The last thing to mention about crates is that they can be so helpful when it comes to training a new puppy. When we first got Lily we weren’t too sure what to do about leaving her and Nia out together. So we decided to put Lily in the crate at first when we had to go out for short outings and always left Nia free to roam.

However, Lily wasn’t really a fan of being left in and wanted to be free like Nia, so one day we went out and left them both in the sitting room together. Thankfully when we got back all was well apart a few pees to clean up and since then they have both been left out together. I need to set up the GoPro and see what they actually get up to when we go out.  I think they just sleep as everything seems normal when we get back in but it would be interesting to see what they get up to when we’re not watching.

Anyways, leaving a new puppy out can be dangerous as they haven’t learned what is allowed and what isn’t and they also have awful bladders. Lily was so bad for toilet training it took us ages to stop her from popping and peeing on the floor, thankfully she has got the point now. Though sometimes she will do a spiteful poo on the floor if she doesn’t get her own way, not kidding you!!

Having a crate helps you to

• Train your puppy to not pee or poo on the floor and get their bladder used to a time schedule.

• Keeps your puppy safe from eating or destroying your personal belonging or furniture.

• A crate helps your puppy to learn to be comfortable when left alone.

---

A quick recap of the benefits of using a dog crate?

Now we know a few of the many benefits of having a dog crate let’s quickly recap.

• A dog crate provides your pet with their own personal space.

• Having a dog crate allows pet owners to leave their pets unsupervised and ensure they will be safe.

• Crates can help with transporting your pet to and from places safely.

• Crates can help when your pet has had surgery and your vet has advised them to rest up.

• Having a crate is super useful when certain people pop over and we need to calm the girls down.

• Having a crate can be a great training aid for puppies.

When looking for a crate you want your pet to be able to have enough room for them to stand up, turn around in a small circle, and lie down comfortably. Also never leave a collar on your pet or anything that could get stuck to the crate to ensure your pup doesn’t get stuck on anything and choke.

I plan on doing another post in the near future that talks about how to crate train your puppy or pet safely and the reasons to do so.

To order your pooch a crate simply follow the link below but make sure you change to the correct size for your pet.

 AmazonBasics Double-Door Folding Metal Dog Crate – Medium

*By purchasing through this link you are supporting epoch.pet as we get a small amount of commission, with no extra cost to you. This money helps keep the blog up and running and allows us to purchase pet products to review on our site. I only ever review products that my girls have tried and tested and that I think are great!

---

Thanks for reading this post, I hope you all liked learning about the many benefits of having a dog crate for your furry friend. If you haven’t checked out my previous post then head over there now, Xdog Weight and Fitness Vest, product review, with 10% off code!

Thanks for checking in and be sure to follow/subscribe to the epoch.pet to never miss a post and follow us on social media, or get in touch with us on Facebook @epoch.pet

Weekly posts every Tuesday and Saturday!