We love our dogs and want them to feel as part of our family. However, we often overlook the need for dogs to have a secure place to call their own. Naturally, dogs are den creatures in which they find their pack, security and hierarchy. But when we welcome them into a human home we often forget to give them that sense of security they innately need.
Every home should have at least one place where your dog feels secure. This does not include your bed, under the desk or any other place that a human would normally call home. Being den creatures, dogs feel safe and secure in a loosely confined area where no intruders can sneak up on them. This safety and security increases the health and happiness of our beloved canines.
The easiest way to give a secure place for your dog is to provide it with an area of your house in which they can leave the family behind. For example, dog crates are especially useful in providing the safety and security dogs need. Even for those dogs that no longer need dog crate training, the crate can serve as its own private home and dwelling for dogs only.
For our own dogs, Dakota and Cheyenne, they both were given a room in our house with a crate each in which they were crate trained. Given that they are now five and six years old, they no longer need a crate for training but we have provided them with a sanctuary in which to escape the noises and confusion that normally occur in a human household. Each crate is large enough for them to walk and move around in without constriction. We provided a blanket for the floor of the crate as well as a blanket that overlaps the top and sides of the crate to provide that extra security they need.
However, unlike crate training, these crates no longer have closed doors. Both doors remain open at all times and allow for both dogs to come and go as they please. Whenever they are feeling scared or want to just get away from it all, they can leave the human world behind and be peaceful in their own sanctuary.
If you don’t have room for crate or a spare bedroom available for the dogs, I highly recommend that you have some section of your house or apartment available for the dogs to be by themselves. This area should be a “no human” domain where the dogs can be alone and free. Of course, precautions need to be made to make sure that this area is free from any harmful products or items that could be harmful to your dog.
Our beloved canine companions will have their dog crates until they leave this world. They have provided the dogs with the availability of escaping anything that may frighten or even annoy them when they need it most. I truly believe that having the sanctuary available to our girls allows them the peace of mind that makes them a more well rounded and well behaved dog, as well as a pleasure to be around on a daily basis.
Remember, dogs are dogs and humans are humans. We may live together in peace and harmony but we still have our own needs that need to be met in order to be healthy, happy and feel loved.
