– Think
of the crate as a good thing and your dog will too.
– Let your dog out often enough so that it is never forced to soil
the crate.
– Let him out if he whines because it generally means he needs to
eliminate. If you know it doesn’t have to eliminate, correct it
for whining or barking.
– Clean out the crate regularly, especially if you’ve put in a floor
and you have flea problems.
– Don’t punish your dog if he soils the crate – he probably had
to go potty.
– Don’t use the crate as a punishment.
– After he’s finished with a meal take him out first – then put
him in the crate.
– Don’t leave your dog in the crate too much. Dogs sleep and rest
a lot, but not all the time. They need play time and exercise for
their physical and emotional needs. Also remember that puppies under
six months of age shouldn’t stay in a crate for more than three
or four hours at a time because they can’t control their bladders
and bowels for longer periods.
– Don’t check to see if your dog is trustworthy in the house (unsupervised,
outside of the crate) by letting him out of the crate for a long
period of time. Start with a very short time period and work your
way up to longer periods.
– Make sure you keep your dog accustomed to using the crate – it
will make traveling and special situations that require crating
much easier.
As
you can see, crates are not only popular, but can easily become
an essential part of your and your dog’s life. With the wide variety
of styles from which to choose, as well as accessories to let you
personalize a crate to your needs, there is every reason to get
a dog crate for you and your pet. Choose a crate carefully, be positive
and careful when introducing it to your puppy or dog, be patient
and persistent in training him to use it, and you will both enjoy
the benefits and convenience for many years to come.
