Dogs like dens. A crate is very much like a den for a dog. A safe spot. My
dogs always go to sleep during the day in the crate. At night they sleep
with me. Pita hurt her back jumping off the couch and was paralyzed for 2
months. The treatment was prednisone and crate rest for a complete 12
weeks. She could only come out to potty and had to go back in. Thank
goodness she was already crate trained. IF she had not tolerated her 12
weeks in a crate, she would have ruptured her bad disc and would have been
paralyzed permanently, or worst damaged her spinal cord to the point that it
would shrivel and die. Pita now runs, but can no longer jump and has potty
control problems that are getting better. She and Pablo are ALWAYS crated
when I cannot keep an eye on them. I wish I had done that before she hurt
her back. I cannot imagine how those 12 weeks would have gone by if that
was the first time she was crated. The memory of coming home and finding my
baby dragging her paralyzed legs behind her will always be burned into my
memory and I will always feel guilty. Crating gave Pita a second chance to
run again and play, to be a little chichi again. :-( -- em, Pita & Pablo
