10/18/2026
Courage Found Inside the Crate
Dogs need to be acclimated to staying inside a crate and taught that it’s a safe space. When they aren’t, some dogs will go to extreme lengths to escape. I’ve seen dogs rub their faces raw, chew at the wire, and ultimately bust out of kennels, causing injury to themselves... AKA Escape Artists.
This is one of many important reasons to help your dog feel comfortable in a crate. God forbid your dog gets injured and has to go to the emergency vet. If they aren’t already comfortable in a kennel, guess where they may need to stay for safekeeping? A crate! It’s important to teach them that these spaces are safe.
Some owners give up on crate training because their dog makes it difficult, or because they see their dog struggling and don’t know what to do. Don’t just throw up your hands in frustration or defeat and give in. Get help from a qualified trainer to help your dog become comfortable.
Remember: We’re not asking our dogs to do anything crazy, like swim through a lake of fire. We’re asking them to “lie down in this safe space that’s nice and cozy, where nobody will bother you, so you can sleep, rest, and relax.”
A crate can also prepare dogs for other times when they will need to be confined for a good reason—like on a plane, while traveling in a car, at an emergency vet clinic, or when you can’t keep an eye on a young puppy or an adult dog with destructive tendencies. A dog barking and howling, and an owner letting them out because they can’t put up with it anymore, is not a good reason to give up on crate training.
I highly recommend RUFFLAND kennels for a few reasons (not sponsored here, just my experience). First, they’re impact-resistant for use in a vehicle, helping protect your dog in the event of a car accident. Second, they have no sharp edges, are smooth and well-ventilated, and reduce the any likelihood of your dog injuring themselves if they try to break out.
I understand and sympathize with owners who find it very difficult to see their dogs struggling psychologically. But we must become the pillar of strength and stability they can draw from as they learn that the thing they’re afraid of isn’t frightening after all. As caring dog owners, it’s our job to teach them—not enable behaviors just because addressing them makes us feel emotionally uncomfortable.
There could be any number of reasons why your dog doesn’t like the crate. Maybe they came with a sad story from the shelter where you rescued them. Perhaps they were kept in a kennel far too long because their previous owner couldn’t trust them to be out and about while they worked long days. That’s true in some cases. But whatever the reason, dogs are incredibly resilient. When we attach sad stories to them and make those stories part of our dogs’ identities, we do them a disservice. You may think your dog’s story is the exception to the rule—but it isn’t.
One of the qualities I admire most in dogs is that they live in the moment. They’re brave, playful, and extremely capable of overcoming incredible odds while still keeping a happy heart. As responsible dog owners, it’s our job to help rewrite their story. Don’t let one bad chapter become their identity. You have the ability to write a new chapter—one that brings out the very best in them by guiding them through seemingly scary situations to the other side, where they realize that everything is all right.
Bringing awareness to this issue is never about shaming owners. It’s about shining a light on an answer: It is possible to help relieve your dog’s distress about being in a kennel. There are exceptional trainers out there who can teach you the skills to help your dog. This is about empowering you and helping you see that you have a choice. Crate training may seem like a small thing, but it’s actually quite important.
