ORIGINAL WILD CANINES AND DENS
QUESTION: My
Malamute pup hates being in her kennel. But the Dog
Trainer (really big name in this city) states that
all dogs love kennels as it is a
DEN to them
and
that wild canines (such as wolves and coyotes) love
their den for life?
I did not want to force my 14 week old pup to continue
to be in her kennel when she obviously hated it? I had
followed guidelines on "Introducing a Pup/Dog to a
Kennel". And also asked or sought out information from
other people. Many people told me that their dog also
hated it's kennel. I am now practicing things about
pups/dogs that you talk about in the OUR ARCHIVE section
of your site. My pup is now happier and coming along
extremely well being kept blocked off from my whole
house (just in the kitchen) while I'm at work/sleeping.
My puppy prefers to sleep under the kitchen table but is
starting to sleep other places as well. My Question
is: Do our domesticated dogs really love
kennels/dens like their wild ancestors did??? Is it
true dogs don't mind being locked in a kennel like the
dog trainer says since he claims they spend most of
their whole life in dens except for when out hunting for
food?
ANSWER: It is a
MYTH that dogs love kennels, that it
will be their DEN, their beloved home like their wild
ancestors. Many puppies/dogs do seek out a kennel with
the door left open and then bond with it, often for
life. Many do not. It is a safe place
for them when trying to sleep or just get away from
being annoyed. Think about it, no one bothering them or
invading their space? Going to and entering the kennel
to be LOCKED IN IT happily is also a LEARNED BEHAVIOR,
taught to a pup/dog by their owner who is their LEADER
OF THE PACK. So, a dog may happily run into its kennel
and sit there while the door is locked. That is because
the animal thinks or believes that their Boss Dog (you
the owner) wants them too so they must do it to avoid
conflict with their Leader. Simple to understand if you
sit down and think about it. My Boss Dog (you) wants me
to do this so my whole life I will do as told??? That
does not mean the dog loves being locked in a kennel.
It means it is a "Learned Habit" only.
As long as a puppy can sleep
(preferably with their back) against a wall,
anything, they are happy. Once totally confident in
their new surroundings, they will relax and/or sleep
anywhere, even not with their backs protected from
danger against a wall, back of a couch, under furniture,
etc.
It is
Natural, Hereditary Instinct left over
from their Ancestors to fall asleep protected from an
attack from behind. In the wild, a canine will sleep
against a fallen log, a rock or a wall of sand/dirt, a
tree trunk, thick brush, anything. That is instinct to
protect themselves from unknown attack FROM BEHIND!
You will read a lot of HYPE
and other stuff FROM PROFESSIONAL DOG TRAINERS about a
dog loves a DEN (a.k.a. kennel) to be happy like their
original Ancestors. WRONG!!! The people that write
this stuff know nothing about wild canines (coyotes,
wolves, hyenas, etc.).
IN THE WILD: The animal
ONLY uses a den as a young pup where their
mother gave birth to them until old enough to
venture forth into a "Survival Of The Fittest" world.
In most cases, once the pups are strong enough to
travel, the mother not only takes them from the den but
moves them a good distance away from the den. This is
to protect them from other predators as the site of the
den is "Soiled" with their smell and left over evidence
of vulnerable new borns. YES, she will return if
possible to a really good den the following year but
think about it? The smell and evidence is gone by
then!!!
They sleep with their backs
protected from outside attack as I said, fallen logs,
base of a large tree, (thus also protected from attack
from Predatory birds coming from above) large rocks,
hills, thick brush, etc. With domesticated canines,
they fall asleep with their backs facing a wall or
something solid until confident in their Territory.
Pups of any breed will be
happiest not locked in a kennel. Still pups who are
sensitive to their surroundings may bond with their
kennel for sleep OR to avoid conflict, harassment or
perceived punishment? Give a pup a thick blanket or
open basket style bed out of the way, under a table,
next to the wall, where ever, and they will be so
happy. Or even an appropriate size kennel but with the
door open or removed.
