Training your pet to enjoy being in her kennel can be easy, fun and will benefit you and your pet in many ways. A few benefits in kennel training include: safety in transportation in a vehicle, when you are not home to supervise your pet and when the situation at home benefits your pet and your guests.

The most-difficult challenge for me was to change my attitude and stop thinking of my pet’s kennel as a jail. Once I was able to erase the “jail” thought and feeling I had about the use of a kennel for my pets, kennel training became easy and fun for me and my pets.

Confinement for humans is punishment. Confinement for cats and dogs is safety and security.

In general, cats and dogs love being in enclosed spaces. For those who remember the time of paper bags, before plastic bags became common, my cat enjoyed having a paper bag placed on the floor where she would run into the paper bag and play as she pushed the bottom of the bag with her front paws.

Sometimes she would lay in the bag and rest. My cat also enjoyed getting under the sheet and bed covers. Where does your pet spend quiet time; in the middle of the floor, under a chair, under a bed, under a coffee table or in a closet? Regardless of the answer to the question kennel training can be easy and fun for you and your pet.

Do you know how to choose the proper kennel for your pet?

There are different types and sizes of kennels, plastic and soft-sided. The wire crate also can be used. Because most pets enjoy an enclosed area, my preference is the plastic kennel instead of the wire crate. The wire crates are easy to assemble and disassemble. The plastic kennels take up more room when disassembled. The soft-sided kennels resemble luggage or purses and work great for cats and smaller dogs.

Use the kennel or crate that works best for you.

The size of the kennel is important. Just remember the story of Goldilocks and the three bears.

The kennel size needs to be just right. If the kennel is too big, your pet may not feel secure and will not be safe during transportation in a vehicle. If the kennel is too small, your pet will be uncomfortable. The just right size is easy to determine.

The kennel needs to be tall enough for your pet to stand on all fours and have an inch between the top of her head and the top of the inside of the kennel. She needs to have enough room to turn around with ease and lay down with enough room for her legs to stretch out.

Most kennels have the weight of the pet listed that it can accommodate. My dog, Pepper, a terrier mix, has long legs and the kennel size recommended for her weight was too short. I had to purchase a kennel for a larger dog to accommodate her height.

So now that you have the proper kennel size for your pet, there are a few easy tips to help you and your pet view the kennel as a fun place to be.

Some pets will enjoy staying in the kennel right away. For those pets who seem to be uncertain about the kennel follow the following tips:

• Leave the kennel door open and let your pet go in and out of the kennel at their leisure.
• If your pet does not want to go into the kennel, put a treat in the kennel.
• After your pet has gone into her kennel a few times, close the kennel door after she isin the kennel and give her a treat.
• Leave her in the kennel for a few minutes and then open the door. She may stay in the kennel or come out of the kennel.Either one is okay.
• If your pet barks, meows or whines while she is in the kennel, only let her out when she is quiet.
• Once your pet is enjoying her kennel, gradually extend the time your pet is in the kennel.
• It is recommended that your pet not be given a toy while in the kennel unless she can be supervised.Traveling tips in the car with your pet in her kennel include:
• Take her for a short trip around the block.
• Gradually extend the distance and time spent in the kennel.Refrain from putting your pet in her kennel when you are angry. Your pet’s kennel is her home, her safe place, her security.I hope these few tips in kennel training help you and your pet to enjoy the many positive benefits of the kennel. With Pet Dreams Cratewear you can had comfort to your crate!