By now, you’ve probably heard of crate training. There are lots of arguments for and against. Personally, I choose to crate my dogs for a number of reasons.
My dogs go into crates locates in my garage each night and are let out each morning. They may also spend some time in there during the day depending on our workload and their health, the temperature outside etc.
The short answer is Ebay. We buy bulk crates for the Dog Education Centre and we have found this to be the most cost effective way to purchase. We pay no more than $80 delivered to the door.
We use wire crates mostly. For dogs with anxiety, the wire or ‘open’ type crates can often be a little scary. Most of these dogs prefer the ‘closed in’ den-like effect of the plastic and nylon crates. This can be simulated in the wire crates by placing a blanket over the top.
We have found that the material crates- whilst looking nicer- are much easier for a dog to break.
The crate that you choose should be large enough for your dog to easily stand up, with the head in a normal elevated position. Your dog must be able to turn around, and stretch out fully when lying down.
As a general guide our staffy’s, Border Collies etc use a 36 inch crate. Our GSD’s, Pointers, Rottweilers etc use a 42 Inch Crate. Anything smaller than a Corgi gets a 30 inch crate.
Your dog should spend time in the crate when you are home. Doing this teaches your dog that going to the crate does not always mean you are going to leave the house.
With young puppies, give them a chance to go to the toilet before putting them in the crate. Try to make sure your puppy is tired before putting them in the crate so they are more likely to fall asleep.
Most puppies have a natural instinct not to toilet where they sleep or eat. Therefore most puppies will try not to toilet in the crate. When you are unable to supervise your puppy, you can put them in the crate to prevent accidents.
A young puppy should not be crated for more than 3-4 hours at a time, without being given the opportunity to toilet outside. Do not make your puppy eliminate in the crate by expecting them to hold on longer than they are physically able.
Always reward outside toileting.
Enjoy xx
Terms and Conditions
Copyright 2018
Dog Education Centre ABN: (02) 60245073