A common problem I see with pet dogs, especially puppies and adolescents, is not from a lack of “training” but more so from a lack of what I call “true rest”. What is “true rest” you ask?

My definition of “true rest” is when your dog is in a state of relaxation and there is not an option to run amuck or follow you around the house. What does this mean? Your dog needs to be crate trained. I know some folks cringe at crate training but here are the facts:

1.     You wouldn’t leave a toddler free in your home to do as they please… apply this mindset to your young, untrained dog. It is not fair to expect a puppy or adolescent dog to magically know how to behave in your home – you must teach them and facilitate an environment that sets them up for success. A dog that does not get adequate rest will not be at its best.

2.     Dogs need adequate downtime and rest just as much as we humans do. When we fail to ensure our dog gets adequate rest, we are setting them up for failure. If the dog is “on” all the time, the dog does not learn to settle, and you may actually teach your dog not to have an “off” button.

3.     Developmentally it is imperative that a puppy/adolescent dog gets enough rest. From brain development to body development, you need to make sure your young dog gets rest if you want them to develop into the best dog they can be.

4.     We can create separation anxiety by never teaching the dog to learn to cope with being alone. Coping with being alone is a life skill, there is no way around this. There is nothing sadder to me than a dog that cannot cope with being alone.

5.     By employing “true rest” we lessen the odds of the dog engaging in destructive behavior when we are not paying attention. Let’s be realistic… you can’t always focus 100% on your dog. This focus is necessary with the youngsters, there is no getting around it. From potty training to inappropriate chewing to being out of control in the house, implementing downtime lessens the dog’s ability to rehearse what we deem as inappropriate behavior.

6.     We need breaks from our dogs. Plain and simple. I need time that I am not being stared at, brought toys, preventing destruction, and so on. What does this mean? This means my young dogs get “true rest” in their kennels throughout the day. If I am constantly managing them, I cannot enjoy them and I become a nagging presence in their life. I am a better handler/trainer/pet parent/whatever vernacular you want to use when I get breaks from my dogs. I adore my dogs, but they are not my entire life, believe it or not.

In my opinion, puppies and dogs that get to sleep where they please in the house are done a disservice in most cases. Why? Because they are allowed to follow the human from room to room, roused from rest frequently, and learn to “sleep with one eye open” waiting for what’s going to happen next. This is not healthy for your young dog. This concept also applies to newly adopted dogs who do not know the pecking order or routine of your home. It is not fair to give the newly adopted dog free reign when you are not certain they know what the rules are in your home.

The caveat in this is the older, mature, trained dog. Once dogs know the ropes and have learned to be calm indoors they can begin to have “true rest” outside the crate. This is dog specific and some dogs will always need the crate to facilitate true rest.

My senior dog Saxon is free most of the time and I’ve seen him take himself to the least busy room so he can rest and does not follow me room to room. Heidi the Rottweiler and Xander the Malinois are not at this stage. They are young, impulsive, and associate me with doing fun things. After their needs are met, they do get some time to be in the house free when I can focus on them, otherwise they are in their kennels getting “true rest”. I am a big fan of crate training as it is a life skill and helps keep dogs safe, perhaps that will be addressed in another blog post.