Crate Training Your Dog – Part I

Lets look at selecting the right crate for crate training your dog. A crate is either a metal enclosure or one that’s part heavy duty plastic with air vents and a front door. For all dogs it is supposed to be a safe haven for your dog. It should be sized according to the size of your dog. For puppies, it can be larger than the dog is ready for, and if so, purchase a movable divider wall to give the dog more space as it grows. For adolescent and mature dogs, there must be enough height for the dog to stand erect in it with its head clearing the top and have enough room for the dog to turn around without having to crunch its body.

Crates can be used for potty training, but the dog should not be kept in the crate all day and night except for the times that you’re taking the dog outside to “go potty”. If a dog poops or pees in a crate it does not mean that it’s a dirty dog. It means that the owner missed the exact timing to get the dog outside, or that the dog was too stressed and eliminated because of that. The dog should be out of the crate to play, socialize, and see the world, with the owner guiding the dog.

A crate is to be the safe haven if the dog must be left alone without supervision. Eventually the dog earns to be out without always being watched if it’s 100% potty trained and is not doing any major destructive damage, such as chewing on furniture. It’s considered a human error if the dog destroys sneakers, magazines, etc., because they were left out where the dog could get to them, and just seemed to the dog as just other things to put its mouth onto. After all, a sneaker to a dog is as much fun to chew on as a toy. A crate is a great tool, if it is used correctly.