Puppy Prison or Camp Canine?

No one likes to think of their dog being in a cage. This is Patches (hi Patches!) and it's clear he wants to be on the other side of the barrier.

We, as humans, see a cage. We think of cages as bad - like being in prison or being trapped. To the dog, however, it is only a separation. It's not too much different in their view as being inside the house while you're watering the flowers outside. Okay, it is different. But a cage doesn't carry the same emotional charge for a dog that it does for us owners. While at the kennel, the cage is the dog's safe area.

Patches is a happy dog with a winning personality. While he's at the kennel, he's pretty fixated on his leash. He knows his leash leads to getting out of the kennel, outside, and likely back to his owners.

Yet a leash is still a restraint. But to Patches, it means freedom. Perhaps we sometimes feel trapped or "caged" in our circumstances. It is a barrier that separates us from what we truly want. Could it be that at this moment in our lives, it is for our safety? Will a simple leash lead us to freedom? Maybe it will, depending on what is on the other side.

Patches knows that whether in his cage or on the leash, he can still wag his tail. His function of freedom is in his attitude.