Years ago, I had the opinion that many people have today, which is "putting a dog in a crate is cruel." When we had just one dog, it was not much of a problem, but after we started having multiple dogs, it became a necessity to use crates. I realized that using a crate was not cruel, but one of the kindest things you can do for your dog.

One question I ask of people who frown at the mention of a crate is "Do you believe it is cruel to put a baby in a crib or playpen?" The answer is always "No." Well, a baby is higher on the intelligence scale than your dog, so how can we expect a dog or pup to stay safe without any barriers? Here are some of the reasons I crate my Cesky Terriers.

HOUSEBREAKING: A crate is one of the best aids in housebreaking a pup. Most pups do not want to soil their sleeping area, so a crate which just fits your pup will speed up the housebreaking process. Obviously, the pup must be taken outside often and regularly, but once he learns to stay clean in his crate, he can gradually be given more freedom in the house and you will not always be finding his "presents" in obscure corners of your home. A pup should only be loose in the house when he is under observation.

HOME  SAFETY: Pups and adult Cesky Terriers are notorious about eating things that are not edible or too much of things that are edible. This is especially important during the teething stage, which lasts for most of the first year of life. A number of our breed have had to have surgery to remove "foreign objects." There are so many dangerous things in our homes that we don't even notice, but believe me, your dog will find them. Electric wires, household plants (some are poisonous), furniture, carpets, toys (his and children's toys), pillows, food (his and ours), clothing (especially laundry), and countless other items in the home can be ingested or destroyed and possibly harm your dog. We have learned that we can only allow our Cesky Terriers to play with their toys under supervision. We pick up the toys after playtime and they are not allowed to take them into their crates. We do allow a natural bone, "hoofy" or rawhide to be taken into the crate, but that is it.

TRAVEL  SAFETY: A sturdy crate is very good insurance when you are driving with your dog. If you have to stop short or have an accident, the crate may save our dog's life. The crate should be secure in the car or van--possibly tied down to something with a bungie cord. We also have noticed (with our previous breed) that dogs get nervous when a large truck pulls up close behind the car. We had used wire crates then and found that we had to cover them with a towel. Now we use a Vari-Kennel crate, which is more enclosed. Driving at night can be traumatic for a dog if lights keep shining into the car.

Make sure there is plenty of ventilation around the crate.

When traveling with your pup or dog on an airplane, most Cesky Terriers can be carried inside the cabin, in a soft carrier, but sometimes a dog must be put into the cargo hold and he has to have an "airline approved" crate or kennel. The size must be large enough for the dog to stand up, turn around and lie down. If the crate is bigger, the dog may be injured if he is knocked around in a plane or car.

FEEDING: Naturally, we feed our dogs in their crates. If we didn't do this, there might be a fight over food, but it also helps us control the amount of food each dog gets. They relate to eating in the crate and this helps them to like it even more. Feeding an adult dog in a crate is helpful in getting him used to being crated.

BOARDING: If you have to board your dog, or if he needs to stay at the veterinary clinic, he will be less likely to be afraid if he is used to sleeping in a crate. Even if he is just being groomed and stays at the grooming parlor for the day, the groomer will crate him in between doing other things.

MOTELS: You and your dog will be more welcome at motels and hotels if you tell them that he stays in a crate. Some motels actually require a crate and will not allow the dog to stay if he does not have one. Many of the dog show organizations will tell you that they have lost privileges at many motels because of destruction caused by dogs. When we stay in a motel, our dogs sleep in their crates--just like at home. They are not upset with the change in location because they have their "house" or whatever you want to call it. Let us all be good guests and leave motel rooms as we found them.

BIRTH  CONTROL: When you have both males and females, crates become an absolute necessity. As breeders we must control the decision of when to breed each female and to which male. We have as many males as we have females and it would be bedlam if we allowed all the dogs to be loose together. Our previous breed didn't get along with each other very well--especially the females, and, although the Cesky Terriers are much better with each other, they can get testy when one or more females is in season. When the females are in season, having them spend more time in their crates makes for a cleaner house too.

Dogs are den animals, and if they do not have a crate, they will seek out a place that is private, like under a table, in a corner, or under a bed. Pups who have been crate trained and are very well behaved in the house may not need to be crated very much as adults, but most of them will go into their crates when they want privacy, or when they want to be left alone. If your dog is not used to a lot of visitors--especially children--he will be much happier if he has a place to call his own. Children should be taught to leave the dog alone when he is in his crate. Dogs may get very territorial in their crates (or in a car), and they don't want children banging on the crate or sticking fingers through the door. It is best to find a place in your home that is relatively quiet and out of the mainstream of traffic to keep your dog's crate. Naturally, dogs don't spend all of their time in their crates. They need lots of socialization with family and friends, and time to play indoors and out.

Finally, in my opinion, a crate is one of the most important pieces of equipment we have for our Cesky Terriers. Getting your dog used to a crate is one of the kindest things you can do for him, as he will have to be crated at some times in his life. It represents safety and security for him and you.