Crating Your Dog

There is quite a bit of controversy regarding crate training dogs. Roughly half the population of the dog world thinks it is cruel and akin to solitary confinement, and the other half thinks it's the greatest way to train a puppy.

Crating a housetraining puppy has proven to be an effective method of teaching a puppy when NOT to eliminate, where to go to be safe, and it is a safe place to put him when you have to leave the house or are going to be occupied elsewhere. Like all things though, crates have the potential to be abused.

The benefits of crate training done properly are numerous. Dogs have a very strong "den" instinct. Most will not eliminate in their den, and being in there gives them a more secure feeling. Your dog will grow up a little more confident if she knows that she has that safe place to go to when the world becomes too much for her to handle.

The crate, however, is NOT a substitute for social interaction, and leaving a young puppy in a crate for hours on end is abuse. A good rule of thumb is no more than one hour for every month of life your pup has. A good crate should be just big enough for her to lay down, stand up, and turn around comfortably. Too big of a crate will ruin the 'den' feeling and you may find that your puppy has established a bathroom in a corner.

To keep your puppy safe, she should be crated when you can not watch what she is doing, but never for too long.

Done successfully, crate training will result in a happy, clean puppy that will grow to be a well-adjusted member of your family.

• The Size of the Crate
• Buyng a Crate For Travel Too
• How to Crate Train