DogTrainster.Com

Article Source: examiner.com
Article by: Casey Cavalier

Either while traveling - or for every day life - the dog crate can be a great source of security and comfort for your dog.

There are two popular types of crate, a plastic travel kennel and a collapsable metal crate. You’ll know you have the right size crate if your dog can enter, stand up and turn around. There should not be so much room in the crate that your dog has extra space to sleep at one end or the other. He or she should be comfortable and that’s about it.

Bigger is not better when it comes to selecting a crate, so be sure to follow directions or ask for a store clerk’s assistance.

My dogs can spend 4-6 hours in a crate while I am out of the house. They have spent longer periods of time, but it is important to walk them before and after their stint in the crate. They should also be free to roam for the remainder of the day or evening once they are out of the crate.

I would be hesitant to crate my dogs for 8-hours a day, every day unless they were particularly resiliant and I was dedicated to walking them without fail, in exchange for their time spent confined.

Using a crate while traveling is often a necessity, and beginning the crate training process far in advance of your dog’s first trip is essential. Gradually build your dog’s time spent in the crate and never use a crate as a means of punishment.

Tags: crate training

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 at 7:43 am and is filed under dog training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.