Crate training is very popular and undertaken by millions of dog owners every year. Most dog owners crate train their dog to provide advantages to both their dog and themselves.

Crate training your Border Collie can help you with other training problems and it can provide you, as a dog owner, with peace of mind when you need a safe place for your dog.

Of course a Border Collie is a large dog with seemingly boundless energy and endless curiosity and I certainly wouldn't recommend using the crate for long periods of time. I don't think it would be fair on such a dog to be placed in a crate for an entire work day, for example. However, having said that, it is acceptable to use a crate for shorter periods of time and at night when your dog is sleeping. Not only is it acceptable but it can actually be to your dog's advantage.

Here are 5 reasons why you should crate train your Border Collie:

1. A crate provides your pet with his own space. A dog, especially a Border Collie, likes to have an open space to exercise but if they do not have their own equivalent of a den or burrow to go to away from that open space then your dog can get overly anxious about roaming and protecting that space. By crate training your Border Collie you provide him with a safe space that he can call his own.

2. A crate is actually a comfort to your beloved dog. Many Border Collie's fret when their owner leaves the house and they bark until you return home. This anxiety can be alleviated by providing them with an appropriate crate and crate training. Your dog feels comforted in the crate knowing it is a familiar and safe place and as part of your training you teach your dog to understand that you will return home.

3. Crate training can actually assist in potty training your dog, especially if you have a puppy. This is why it is important to have exactly the right size crate or at least have a larger crate partitioned for your puppy so it is the correct size at this younger age.

4. A crate stops destruction of your home and garden. When you do need to leave the house for a couple of hours you can use the crate as a boundary for your Border Collie dog or puppy. Many puppies that are still being trained will cause havoc in a short time when you are absent. If you want to avoid the family room being torn apart or the garden being ploughed up crate training is for you. This puts a lot of stress on your relationship with your dog and it can all be avoided by crate training.

5. Destructive dog behaviors put a lot of stress on your relationship with your dog. When you come home to find your clothes and shoes chewed or your flower beds upended it can put stress on the whole family. These situations make you angry and you take it out on your dog by yelling at him profusely. The problem with this scenario is that you are yelling at him after the event so he has no idea what the problem is. By avoiding the situation in the first place with crate training and implementing good dog training you will build a healthy bond with your Border Collie.

Crate training can be used to provide a boundary for your dog or it can be used as a tool to assist in other training. It can be used to assist in potty training and it can be used to solve sleeping issues with puppies. There are a variety of reasons why you would consider crate training and hopefully this article has stirred you on to find out more.

Border Collies are beautiful family pets, they are intelligent and energetic and full of personality. They respond well to training and it is good to know about crate training so you can incorporate it into your dog training plan. Ideally crate training should be done with a puppy so the younger you start the better. If you provide your dog with a safe comfortable space they will thank you for it.