Kenneling, or keeping your dog in a dog run, is desirable or useful for
puppies, and is usually necessary for retraining grown dogs with problems.
Kenneling serves several purposes:
1. Stops adrenal stimulation: A hyper, excited dog cannot
think, learn, or follow directions, and will revert to his instinctual
behaviors. Kenneling automatically calms the dog by containing his energy and
preventing an escalation of adrenal excitement, such as nipping or mouthing
you, or jumping up on you. Over time, the calmer behavior becomes ingrained
and automatic, as your dog learns what you want him to learn.
2. Containment of territory helps to teach your dog that
you are the one in charge of the property, not her. In the long run, this will
translate into your dog respecting the property (rather than destroying it)
and respecting your decisions concerning who is allowed on the property.
3. Leverage: Kenneling greatly increases your dog’s
motivation to work with you and to look to you for direction. By eliminating
tempting distractions such as other people or dogs, exciting new places to
sniff, etc., your dog becomes much more interested in learning how to please
you. His devotional bond to you will develop and strengthen, so that later on,
when he is exposed to temptations, your wishes will remain the number one
priority. In practical terms, this means that your dog will come when you
call, even if something else out there beckons.
4. Separation: Keeping your dog separate from you during
the initial period of intensive training prevents an unhealthy co-dependency
between you and your dog. She learns to tolerate periods of being alone, while
learning she is safe and her needs will be met. This will prevent the
all-too-common problem of a dog who demands to be with her master all the
time. Such dogs often react to being left alone by destroying property or
barking incessantly when the owner is absent.
5. Eliminates the need for punishment: Preventing the
unwanted behaviors from occurring eliminates the need for fear- and
pain-producing punishment. It also serves to help the dog forget the unwanted
behaviors. (Every time a dog has the chance to misbehave, that action becomes
further ingrained in his psyche. Conversely, if a dog never gets the chance,
the unwanted behavior will never become a habit, and you will not get upset
with your god or feel the need to punish him. Our experience has shown, time
and again, that punishment often doesn’t work and can, in fact, produce an
aggressive dog! (See Crazy Dogs and Crazy People, by Meisterfeld and
Pecci, Chapter 19.)
6. Promotes a positive working relationship: Kenneling,
along with instruction in appropriate training techniques, provides structure
(boundaries) to the relationship and minimizes the variables in your
relationship which may have contributed to your dog’s unwanted behaviors.
During the time your dog resides in his kennel, you will learn the skills and
attitudes necessary to take your place as Master. You will learn, step by
step, how to engender your dog’s respect, trust, and willingness to serve you.
With repetition and consistent training, the desired behaviors will
gradually become automatic for your dog. Self control and a desire to serve her
Master will replace impulsive, instinctive, and destructive behaviors.
Permission granted for personal use by trainers. Commercial use is
prohibited. Copyright 1996 by Judy Aizuss, Psychological Dog Training.
