A sturdy wire mesh 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 set up.
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, soil anything,
or hurt himself.
He really welcomes this sort of
security when left alone.
Using the dog crate properly!
Start your puppy in it as soon as possible,
the younger the better. Set it up in a corner,
possibly in the kitchen or wherever
you plan to keep him.
A metal gate across the door of the room is a helpful
adjunct to crate training.
Place a blanket, old rug,
or a soft towel in the crate, rather
than expensive cushions.
At least until he is past the chewing stage.(Always have chew toys available!!!)
Futher security is achieved by placing a blanket
or towel over the top and sides of the crate,
making it a real "den" especially at night.
Put play toys, and feed the puppy in the crate
so that he has only a very pleasant
association with it.
Never punish him with the crate,
or "force" him into it!
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.
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 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 and painful death.
Always confine him in the crate
when you are out of the house!
He may howl in resentment at first,
but its because you are leaving him
behind and he knows it.
Leave him a bowl of fresh water and
give him a chew bone
or something absolutely safe to chew
and good for his teeth,
something he will enjoy.
Don't worry,
and don't weaken, 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 he is going to learn alot 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 any collar
when crating him!
Confine puppy in crate all night
to keep him from harm
When he gets older and is housebroken,
you then can invite him to sleep
with you or the kids, but not until then
for you will have many accidents and
never get him properly trained.
Remember no feeding or water in late evening.
One of the greatest advantages of
the crate is the dog
will not soil his bed...unless he is desperate
because you forgot to let him out!
The Dog Crate, intelligently and properly used,
can indeed spell real happiness for
both you and your puppy!
