Colonial FarmhouseTraditional Entry, Minneapolis

Dog Wellness NotesI wouldn’t feel right writing this story without including a few cautionary tips from the Humane Society about crate training. (You can learn more about the process on its website, humanesociety.org.)Never put your dog in its crate as a punishment. Your dog will learn to fear it and refuse to go in.Limit the amount of time you keep your dog in its crate. A dog that’s crated all day and night doesn’t get enough exercise or human interaction and can become depressed or anxious. Consider changing your schedule, hiring a pet sitter or taking your dog to a day-care facility to reduce crate time.Puppies under 6 months of age shouldn’t be kept in a crate for more than three or four hours at a stretch. They can’t control their bladders and bowels longer than that. The same goes for adult dogs being house-trained. An older dog can hold it but doesn’t know it should.Crate your dogs only until you can trust them not to destroy the house. After that, it should be a place they go to voluntarily.

Fergus, a Malipoo (Maltese-poodle mix) steps out into the entryway of a renovated Colonial farmhouse.Designer: Murphy & Co. Design

another example of a kennel area under the cabinet