Benefits of an Eco-Friendly Dog Home
By Scot Korth on October 12th, 2009
by Scot Korth
Do you use a dog crate when you travel or when you’re not at home? Maybe you’re thinking about crate training your dog or you’re just in the market for something new. When you leave the house or travel with your dog, it’s nice to know your loved one is safe and comfortable in its crate.
Crating your dog can be a safe and healthy alternative for its well-being. While your dog is crated, you can rest assured that it’s not getting into anything dangerous while you’re traveling or not at home. But, have you thought about how dangerous it might be for your pet while it’s in its crate or dog house?
It’s easy to overlook, but there are many potential hazards when it comes to crating your dog in a crate that’s not so eco-friendly. One unhealthy hazard is off-gassing. Off gassing is the evaporation of volatile organic compounds that are released into the air from products that contain man-made chemicals. Put simply, this means that when your dog is napping, resting, or sleeping in its crate or home, it could be breathing poisonous chemicals.
Unfortunately, off gassing occurs almost everywhere. It occurs with man-made materials like paints, stains, varnishes, carpets, fabrics, plastics, and more. When purchasing a new car, many Americans relish the idea of the “new car smell”. Unfortunately, that smellis caused by the large number of plastics and adhesives that can be found on the interior of your car. That “new car smell” is actually the potentially dangerous off-gassing of a wide variety of volatile organic compounds. You wouldn’t want to spend a good portion of your day, trapped in your car, breathing in those harsh chemicals. Why do that to your dog?
In today’s economy, theirs is a huge amount of competition within the pet industry to gain your business. While you can go to the big box retail pet stores and save money on a new dog crate with deep discounts and sales, you might want to ask yourself if the cost savings are truly worth it. Do you know where the metal in the wire cage crate comes from? Do you know what chemicals were used to produce the molded plastic crate that all the chain pet stores sell?
There are forward-thinking companies within the pet industry that are taking these issues into account. A quick online search reveals that some companies are focusing on making indoor dog crates that aren’t so harmful to your pet. Does your dog like to chew on its crate? There are crates made with eco-friendly, non-toxic stains and finishes that won’t harm your pet. There are even crates made with recycled materials, manufactured sustainably here in the United States, so you won’t have to question the origins of the materials that were used.
When we’re searching for a new indoor dog crate or home for our beloved pets, it’s clear that cost is an issue. While it’s important to consider the costs of any new purchase, it’s become vital that we also look at the environmental and health costs associated with that new purchase. Would you rather spend your hard-earned money on an indoor dog crate that was produced cheaply in another country or would you rather speak with your dollars and purchase a superior product made with your pet’s health in mind?
You don’t have to be limited to what’s available in the retail chain pet stores. There are a variety of pet companies that strive to earn your business with products that not only help the environment, but can help your pet’s health as well.
Scot Korth is the owner of Fido Flat LLC, a company that specializes in contemporary, eco-friendly dog cratesthat double as indoor furniture. He shares his knowledge of crate training and modern dog crates at his website.