It is a widely recognized fact that dogs have inherited many traits from their wild wolf ancestors. One said trait is the need for a sense of security and one’s own territory which, for wolves, is found in caves. For many domesticated canines, this comes in the form of a kennel. I have been a longtime proponent of crate training ever since it was successfully accepted by Roxy as a puppy as her own personal safe haven. Since she no longer uses her crate, we decided to try it with Chance to see if it would help alleviate some of his anxieties. Plus, as an added bonus, it would decrease the occurrence of waking up to a big ol’ pile of poo first thing in the morning.

With baited breath, we placed Chance in the kennel along with a frozen raw bone on top of his favourite bed and crossed our fingers. Turns out he doesn’t like it – he LOVES it! Now when we’re at home in the living room watching TV, Chance can be found snuggling peacefully in his cave. Now we have less of a mess to clean in the mornings and Chance finally has his own bedroom. At last, a win for the humans!

Unfortunately, this isn’t a joke. It’s a necessary precaution.