05/01/2026
Crate training is going fantastic!!!
One is not like the rest....
Yes that is Alida's kitten, Whiskers, and yes he is crate trained. Why you ask?!?!
For the same reason you place a baby in a crib...it keeps them safe.
Does it look a little different than the puppies?.?.? Yes; he has a litter box, bed, food and water in his kennel. This is his safe place to eat, nap and be when I can't keep tabs on him which is also in the mud room above our dogs kennels so they too get used to whiskers, his smell and know he is now part of the family. You see this is my house not his jungle so he needs to learn the rules and be kept safe. He also needs to know how to be comfortable in a crate for things like vet visits, road trips, cross country moves (yes we have done this 2x with cats, dogs, horses and feral kids), at night while we sleep and for any reason really.
For the puppies we limit their space so they learn not to go potty where they sleep and to learn control, building the time in the kennel. We also want them to know it is a safe place they can be confident in. We start them at 4 weeks and build them up til they are 8 weeks old sleeping thru the night in their kennels with no accidents. We utilize the kennel or a puppy pen whenever we aren't able to keep tabs on the pup.
Crate training is something we do as a gift to our animals so they have one less thing to stress about especially if there is ever something major going on. We do the same thing with our horses as we teach them to tie quietly, with manners or to be in a stall on their own. I guarantee this will serve them well one day and it may just be the thing that keeps them safe during a situation we don't have control of.
