For some reason, when we think of dog crates, we often have this image of a dog cowering and whimpering in a cage. Crates seem diametrically opposed to our notion that dogs want to run free—however, in the light of their evolutionary history, dogs actually love dark, enclosed spaces when it comes to sleeping and feeling safe. Like the wolves with whom they share an evolutionary link, dogs in the wild would sleep in dens, either dug into the ground, or in small caves, where they can easily conserve their own warmth and be protected from predators and the elements. In the eyes of a modern day, domesticated hound, a crate is just like a den, especially when they are encouraged by their owners to love the crate, instead of to see it as a place of punishment. Sleeping Not only does a crate give your dog a place to...