According to the World Animal Foundation, more than half of the adults living in the UK own a pet. About 27% of these pets are dogs with about 13 million dogs living in the UK.
If you recently brought home a new dog, you should look into providing your four-legged friend with a kennel. One of these single dog kennels would be a fantastic option for your dog. They’re the best types of kennels for those with just one dog living in their homes.
But you won’t be able to simply put a dog into a kennel and expect them to know what to do right away. To make the most of the benefits of kennels, you’ll need to train your dog so they react in the right way when you put them into a kennel.
Are you ready to put a kennel training routine into place for your new dog? Here are tips that’ll help you get the job done.
Learn About the Benefits of Kennels for Dogs
Some people don’t automatically love the idea of using single dog kennels for their new dogs. They don’t like the thought of putting their dogs into outdoor kennels as opposed to allowing them to stay inside with them.
But you should know there are many benefits of kennels for dogs. Here are several of the biggest benefits that’ll come along with using one of the many types of kennels:
- They make dogs feel safer than they would otherwise
- They provide dogs, especially smaller ones, with the protection they need from other animals, large birds, etc.
- They set dogs up with great places to play
- They let dogs kick back and relax and steer clear of stressful situations
- They give you peace of mind when your dog is outside
As you can see, it’ll make a lot of sense for you to shop for single dog kennels and pick one out. Even if you aren’t attracted to the idea of doing it right away, it shouldn’t take you too long to come around to it.
Shop Around for Single Dog Kennels
Once you know about the benefits of kennels for dogs, you can start shopping around for single dog kennels. You’ll find a large selection of single dog kennels you can choose from through a company like Benchmark Kennels.
Benchmark Kennels sells wooden dog kennels, eco thermal dog kennels, and more. They also sell single dog kennels that have almost any dog kennel features you could ever imagine.
Your goal should be to track down the right dog kennel size. The kennel you choose should fit comfortably onto your property while also providing your dog with plenty of space to stretch out.
You should also compare the dog kennel features and look for the best-priced kennels around. It’ll help you land on a single dog kennel that’ll fit nicely into your budget.
Pick the Right Place to Put a Dog Kennel
After you invest in one of the best single dog kennels in the business, you can have it delivered to your home so that you can get it all set up. It’ll be extremely important for you to pick the best possible place to put it depending on the dog kennel size.
Ideally, you should strategically place a single dog kennel in a place that’ll make it easy to see from inside your house. You should also choose a location that isn’t tucked away in a dark corner that might scare your dog.
The place you pick for a dog kennel could make or break your whole kennel training routine. It’s why you shouldn’t just choose the first place you can find. You’ll want to consider several options before going with the best one.
Let Your Dog Get Acquainted With a Kennel
When you have a single dog kennel all set up, you might be tempted to put your new pup right inside of it and close the gate behind them. But this is not the right approach to take if you want your dog to fall in love with its new quarters.
Instead, you should very slowly introduce your dog to their new kennel and let them get acclimated to it. Walk around inside the kennel with them and allow them to sniff around so they’re able to familiarize themselves with the kennel.
You might even want to go as far as to toss treats in your dog’s direction when they first enter the kennel. This will have them associating their kennel with nothing but good things before long.
Whatever you do, don’t make it seem as though putting your dog into a kennel is going to be punishment for them. This will make the kennel training routine drag out for so much longer than it should.
Make Your Dog Feel Right at Home in a Kennel
From the moment your dog first sets foot in their new kennel, you want it to feel like home to them. How can you accomplish this goal? Here are just a few ideas:
- Put your dog’s favourite blanket or towel inside the kennel
- Set up several of your dog’s favourite toys inside the kennel
- Give your dog a bone or another special treat inside the kennel
Whatever you can do to make your dog feel at peace in a kennel will work wonders for your kennel training routine. In some cases, you might even find that your dog will want to stay in a kennel right from the start.
Begin Feeding Your Dog in a Kennel
If you reach this point and your dog still isn’t 100% sure about the kennel, you should spend time going through each of the steps we’ve listed again. You might want to spend a few days or even a full week working to introduce your dog to a kennel so that they feel comfortable in it.
Once they appear to be less anxious about going into a kennel, you can welcome food into the mix. You can begin to feed your dog some or even all of their meals in a kennel.
At first, you might want to leave your dog’s bowl filled with food right by the door to a kennel and leave the door open. It’ll give your dog a chance to get used to eating meals in a kennel.
But as time goes on, you should move your dog’s bowl further and further away from the door for a kennel. You should also begin closing a kennel’s door and letting a dog hang out for a little while after they’re done eating.
Initially, your dog might only want to stay in a kennel for five or ten minutes at a time. If they start whining, you should let them out of the kennel so that they don’t start associating a kennel with being locked up.
You should, however, start to see your dog warm up to the idea of being in a kennel. Before long, you may see them playing in a kennel and even lying down to rest in it.
Start Leaving Your Dog in a Kennel for Longer Stretches
At first, your dog isn’t going to want to stay in a kennel for long periods of time. But as time goes on, you’ll want to make it your mission to start leaving your dog in a kennel for longer stretches.
In a perfect world, you’ll want to work your way up to leaving your dog in a kennel for 15 minutes, then 30 minutes, then 45 minutes, and then an hour without them crying at any point.
This is going to take a lot of patience on your part. There will be days when your dog will get into a kennel without you having to ask and hang out in it for hours on end. There may also be other times when your dog will refuse to get into a kennel or get in only to ask to be let back out five minutes later.
Work with your dog to make them feel as comfortable as possible in a kennel. This may require you to check on them every so often so that they know you haven’t gone far and will be back to get them.
Teach Your Dog to Go to a Kennel on Your Command
There are so many commands you’ll want to teach your dog when you first bring them home. From “Sit!” to “Heel!”, you should aim to teach them these commands as quickly as possible since it can be difficult to teach an older dog to abide by them.
You should also make it a point to teach your dog a phrase like, “In your kennel!” Start saying it to them as soon as they begin spending their fair share of time in a kennel.
You want to be able to tell your dog to go into their kennel and have them listen to you. This is going to call on you to make their kennel sound like an attractive option while also teaching them a command related to it.
Leave Your Dog in a Kennel When You’re Not Home
When you hit this point in your kennel training routine, your dog should be used to spending long stretches of time in a kennel. You’ll be free to turn up the intensity a little to see what your dog can do.
Start leaving your dog in a kennel when you have to leave home to run out for a little while. Put them in the kennel about ten minutes before you need to leave to make sure they’re okay with being in it. Then, head out and hope for the best.
You might be filled with anxiety the first few times you do this. But after several trips out with your dog in a kennel, you’ll see that they’re going to be just fine.
Just make sure you try not to rile your dog up too much when you come back home. By doing this, you might inadvertently send the message that the kennel is a bad place to be. You obviously don’t want to make it seem this way at all.
You’ll be better off making a subtle return home. You can go to see your dog in the kennel and let them out if they’re interested in coming out to get a closer look at you.
Avoid Leaving Your Dog in a Kennel All the Time
In the coming weeks, months, and years, your dog is going to spend a lot of time in a kennel. But you should steer clear of leaving them in a kennel all the time.
Even if your dog loves their kennel, you will still want to let them come out and run around. You’ll also want to let them inside to hang out with you and your family.
Any time your dog isn’t in their kennel, you should see to it that the kennel gets cleaned out. You’ll want to pick up dog poop and any other debris that might build up in the kennel.
By doing this, you’ll ensure that your dog will want to return to the kennel later on. You’ll also guarantee that your dog is able to stay happy and healthy when they’re in their kennel.
Search For the Best Single Dog Kennel Here
Would you like to enjoy the benefits of kennels for yourself and work on establishing a kennel training routine for your dog? Benchmark Kennels can provide you with plenty of options when it comes to single dog kennels.
We also carry a wide range of other types of kennels for dogs. They come in just about every dog kennel size and have all the dog kennel features you and your furry friend will want.
Shop around for single dog kennels on our website and reach out to us with any questions you may have.
