The Dog Crate
A sturdy wire mesh or plastic dog crate can be the best friend you and
your dog will ever have. To you, a human, a crate may seem to be a "cage."
So you may object to the idea. You are not a dog! The dog regards his crate
as a handy indoor dog house--a "security blanket" to which he can retreat
to rest, to escape confusion or to adjust to strange surroundings. If you
should travel with him or leave him in someone else's care, to him it spells
"home" wherever it is setup.
For the puppy, the crate is an invaluable training aid. Confined to his
crate while his owner is out of the house, he can't destroy or soil anything--or
hurt himself. He really welcomes this sort of security when left alone.
HOW TO USE THE DOG CRATE PROPERLY
Start your puppy in it as soon as possible, the younger the better. Set
it up in a corner, wherever you plan to keep him. Put in a blanket, old rug,
or soft towel. Don't attempt to use the cushions made to fit each size crate
until the dog is well over the chewing stage. Further security is gained
for wire mesh crates by placing a blanket or other covering over the top
and sides of the crate--making it a real "dog house", especially at night.
Put in play toys and feed the pup in the crate so that he has only a very
pleasant association with it. Don't "force" him into
it or use it for punishment. If he flops down to sleep elsewhere,
just gently pick him up, place him inside and shut the door until he is well
awake again. He will be too sleepy to care and will be getting the proper
association. Soon he will seek it automatically when tired.
Use these frequent periods to advantage and don't hesitate to confine him
to the crate several times a day for short periods of time, especially when
you are too busy to watch him. This is most important until he is housebroken
and also for his safety. Puppies like and need to chew, but chewing the
cord of a lighted lamp can result in immediate death. ALWAYS CONFINE
HIM IN THE CRATE WHEN YOU ARE OUT OF THE HOUSE! He may howl in resentment
at first, not because of the crate, but because you are leaving him behind
and he knows it. Leave him a bowl of fresh water and give him a Nylabone,
Gumabone, sterilized natural bones--something absolutely safe to chew and
good for his teeth, something he will enjoy. I do not like to leave
any dog with a rawhide as I have seen dogs choke on them and vomit up chunks.
Don't weaken and don't worry, he will settle down as soon as you are gone.
Learning this type of discipline is a vital part of his young life. The
puppy's brain is fully developed by the time it reaches seven weeks of age
and it is going to learn with or without your help. He may as well learn
what you want rather than learning on his own and picking up bad habits
in the process.
Always remember to remove his collar when crating him as a collar can become
caught in the mesh and badly frighten or injure your dog. Confine your puppy
to his crate all night and solve the housebreaking problem very quickly.
Remember to feed no liquids and very little food later in the evening. One
of the greatest advantages of the dog crate is that the dog won't soil it
because it is his home. Hence, its great value in housebreaking.
The dog crate, intelligently and properly used, can indeed provide real
happiness for both dog and owner. We use both hard plastic crates and wire
crates. The choice is yours. A good collapsible wire crate is not cheap,
but since it virtually lasts forever, the cost is soon forgotten and may well
be considered a "bargain" due to its many advantages.
