Dog Crate Training Starts When You Get Your Pet

Our hearts are touched by a small, soft, cuddly ball of fur, and we want to take him home. When we hold a small puppy, our emotions run high and we don’t stop to think about all the work and expense that is involved in taking the proper care of him into adulthood. For some unknown reason; we cannot see beyond the cute antics and the love that we feel for him when we press him up to our cheek. We have the mental picture in our mind that he will be easy to train and will walk beside us on leash without any effort on our part. Boy, are we in for a surprise!

It takes lots of effort on our part to obtain a well-behaved pet. Crate training needs to begin immediately, and it doesn’t matter if it is a puppy or an adult dog that you have chosen. Dog crate training starts the moment you pick him up and head home with him. Purchase the crate in advance and have it ready for immediate use.

Crate training is a place for you to confine your dog that will keep you in control and limit his boundaries to keep him out of trouble. Your pet needs to know his limits and boundaries from day one. You don’t want to wait to potty train him after he has decided that the living room rug will do just fine.

Dog crates are NOT places to put your dog to keep him locked up until you decided that you would like to once again enjoy some companionship. Dog crates are to be used to allow your pet his own private space and to keep you in control. We want our canine friend to be a companion and to enjoy spending time with him inside the house. They are most helpful in potty training your pet. Limiting their freedom in the house is one way to break bad habits. If he begs for food at the table, place him in the crate away from the dining area prior to your meal and release him after the dishes have been cleared from the table – this way there will be no food to smell and he will have nothing to beg for.

The idea behind using a crate to potty train your dog is to completely eliminate any bathroom accident in the home. A small puppy can squat and go in less than five seconds, so if you cannot have your eye on him at all times, let him rest in his crate. This is assuming that you have been watchful and taken him outside to his bathroom area at regular intervals. Small puppies as well as adult dogs will associate leaving the crate with being allowed to go outside to the bathroom area and will hold their urge to urinate until in the designated area. It will take some time on your part to learn effective crate training techniques, but for the enjoyment you will experience later on it will be well worth the effort. Your goal is to have a pet that you can leave in the house without worrying about an accidental urination on expensive furniture or carpet. Proper crate training your dog will give you many hours of pleasure and enjoyment free from the stress of wondering, “What will he do next?” You will be able to leave him and go about your daily chores or outside activities without the worry.

Overweight Dogs Are a Big Concern

An article I read written by Dr. Donna Spector stated that over 60% of dogs in the United Sates are overweight or obese.  The health risks connected with being overweight include diabetes, arthritis, heart and lung disease, high blood pressure, a compromised immune function that can predispose to certain type of cancer.  Keeping your dog within an ideal body weight will help him to live 15% longer and with a better quality of life.  Obesity only shortens the life of your pet.

When your Vet suggests that you help your pet lose five pounds, it is usually pushed aside and is thought that five pounds is no big deal. Five pounds of extra baggage to a 12 pound dog is like 58 extra pounds on a 140 pound woman.  Five extra pounds on a pet that should weight around 25 pounds is like 28 extra pounds on a 140 pound woman.  Five extra pounds on a 70 pound animal is like 10 extra pounds on a 140 pound woman. Doesn't paint a very pretty picture, does it?

Overfeeding is the biggest cause of obesity.  Just like sweets add pounds on humans, most doggie treats are high in fats and should be given infrequently and in small doses.  An example given by Dr. Spector and I quote:  "A premium pig ear on average has about 230 calories.  If you give this pig ear as a treat to a 40 pound dog (who should be eating around 620 caolories each day), it is the same as a person (on a 1,200 calorie diet) eating 2 double cheeseburgers as a treat in addition to their normal meals.  This pig ear represents close to 40% of that dog's daily calorie requirement."

Keeping your dog physically active and within his suggested healthy weight means having your pet's companionship longer.  You first need to admit that you and your pet have a problem.  He doesn't just feed himself.  You can control what he eats.  Take him to the Vet for a check-up regularly and formulate a weight loss plan and then stick to it.  Your Vet can help you choose the right food and the right amount of treats that will maintain an ideal body weight for your pet.  Take him for a brisk 20 minute walk or longer every day.

If you plan on traveling with your pet; he will do much better if he is not over weight.  Excess weight is hard on them where they are contained in a dog crate for the entire flight and not allowed to get up and move about.  A crate will allow them to stand and turn around, but your dog still needs to be able to walk and stretch those muscles, so plan on a good walk or some exercise before and after the flight.

Guidelines to Help You Properly use a Crate for Your Dog - A Reminder

Encouraging bad behavior by praising your dog when he barks at a stranger passing by the window or encouraging him during any bad behavior cannot be easily broken.  Owners tend to think that it is cute when they are just puppies, but when they become full grown and chase the neighbor’s child it develops into a nightmare.  Putting him into a dog crate and telling him he has been a bad dog will only make him think of the crate as punishment and that is the last thing that you want to have happen.  The crate needs to be used for his security, safety and personal space where he willingly and happily enters.

Proper Uses of a Dog Crate Are:

• A haven or SAFE place your dog wants to retreat to.  Dogs have been known to break their teeth to escape from a crate if it is being used to correct destructible behavior that is fear motivated.
• A place where he can be confined for short periods of time and still be in close proximity of family.  Placing him in a crate for 8 to 10 hours a day is not acceptable. 
• A great potty-training tool.  Dogs do not like to soil their sleeping quarters and can be easily trained to potty outside rather than in their kennel with minimal training.
• Preventive measure to keep your dog from getting into mischief.  It is a great place for him to be when you have company over for dinner.
• Safe mode of transportation.  Keeping your dog contained and away from the lap of the driver is essential to safe driving.  It also works much like an air bag does if an accident should occur.  Your pet will not become a flying missile.
• If a disaster should occur in your area, having a pet that is crate trained will keep him contained and make your chances of finding him alive later possible.
• If you have accustomed your dog to being confined in a crate when you are home and then extended the periods that you need to be away from him will ease his anxieties and fears and keep him content until your return.
• As his own personal sleeping quarters.  A crate that has a cushion, pillow or blanket containing his smell will lull him to sleep at night and allow you to obtain a peaceful sleep as well.

Choosing the right crate to fit the size and temperament of your pet is of utmost importance.  At Canine Crate Store, it is my goal to help you achieve this goal.

Encourage Your Freind to Love His/Her Dog Crate

There is nothing cruel or inhumane about having a crate for your dog when used as his private den.  Genetically dogs are den animals and are wired to seek den-like enclosures rather than living in wide open spaces.  Left in the wild, they would seek out places under heavy brush where predators would not hunt and there made a bowl like hole in the ground to sleep and to nurture their young.  Because we have domesticated the dog, we have also provided them with a crate that resembles as closely as possible the den they would have created for themselves in the wild.

Placing a dog crate in the home and furnishing it with a blanket or a dog crate bed and/or cover instinctively allows your pet to imagine that he is in the wild and is protected from harm.  Leaving the door open and letting him wander in and out at his leisure provides him with a sense of crawling out of his den that has been hidden by the bushes. He will think of his crate as a den and will want to be inside when frightened, needing rest or just wanting to be left alone.

Just as a dog will not soil his den in the wild; he will desire to keep his crate free from soil and will wait for you to let him outside to potty.  Using a dog crate to potty train a puppy works very well for this reason.  The technique of using a crate to train your pet to wait until he is taken outside to potty reinforces his natural instinct to keep his den clean.

Proper Use of a Dog Crate Helps with These Safety Issues:

• When inside the crate he cannot chew on electric cords.
• When inside the crate you do not have to be concerned about his whereabouts
• It affords a safe place when transporting in a vehicle
• Inside the crate, he cannot chew on poisonous plants

Dog Crates provide a safe place for your pet and when used properly they are an asset.  Our pets love to play and they need plenty of exercise for bone and muscle development.  Being a social animal they also need to have lots of socialization with other dogs as well as with their human family.  It is recommended by the experts that four hours without a break is a long time for many adult dogs.  They do not recommend crating your dog for an entire day.  They need to be let out for exercise as well as socialization.  Also, after two hours they will need to stretch their legs and have a fresh bowl of water.  Remember that dog crates are not a substitute for love, affection, and proper training.   They need to want to be in their crates and most adult dogs will be content there during the night and will retreat there on their own without any encouragement.  Keep the dog crate a happy place.