When we were planning the arrival of our new puppy, we realized he would require a safe place to sleep at night.
We had read about dog crates, but wanted to completely research them and determine if it was a good choice for us.
For some it may be difficult to imagine, but when I started out doing the dog crate research, I was unsure if placing him in a crate would be considered cruel by our brand new puppy.
It felt a lot like we were going to put him in a cage and then slam the door shut.
I knew it could be a good way to keep him from harm, yet I did not want him to feel like he was being punished.
After doing some research, we discovered that wild dogs live in dens.
A den gives a dog a spot to call their own where no other animals will invade (hopefully).
It provides them with both security and privacy.
Finding a den can be a natural instinct for any dog.
After a while, we decided that we needed to obtain a crate for our pup.
Since we wished to have everything ready before we got home, we decided to make the purchase ahead of time.
We discovered dog crates of different types and sizes once we began searching for one.
We could, of course, have bought a smaller crate and then replace it later with a much larger one.
Following much deliberation, and studying our budget, we made a decision that the best choice would be to buy a big crate with a metal divider.
The divider allowed us to make the crate small for when the pup was young and then move the divider back as he grew.
The metal crate offered a lot of flexibility that we wouldn't have gotten with a plastic dog crate.
Now that our puppy is over a year old, he's decided that he really likes his dog crate.
We leave the door open so he can come and go anytime he desires.
It is his area and we do not permit the kids to go inside.
We occasionally discover a cat in the dog crate, but the dog does not seem to care.
He curls up alongside the cat and looks puzzled as to the reason why it's in his space.
Above all, a dog crate should not be a form of punishment.
It's never smart to get upset with your dog, push them in the crate, shout at him, and slam the door.
When starting crate training, you might want to lure your dog into the crate with a treat until he gets used to it.
We used this technique with our puppy and it worked effectively.
We had read about dog crates, but wanted to completely research them and determine if it was a good choice for us.
For some it may be difficult to imagine, but when I started out doing the dog crate research, I was unsure if placing him in a crate would be considered cruel by our brand new puppy.
It felt a lot like we were going to put him in a cage and then slam the door shut.
I knew it could be a good way to keep him from harm, yet I did not want him to feel like he was being punished.
After doing some research, we discovered that wild dogs live in dens.
A den gives a dog a spot to call their own where no other animals will invade (hopefully).
It provides them with both security and privacy.
Finding a den can be a natural instinct for any dog.
After a while, we decided that we needed to obtain a crate for our pup.
Since we wished to have everything ready before we got home, we decided to make the purchase ahead of time.
We discovered dog crates of different types and sizes once we began searching for one.
We could, of course, have bought a smaller crate and then replace it later with a much larger one.
Following much deliberation, and studying our budget, we made a decision that the best choice would be to buy a big crate with a metal divider.
The divider allowed us to make the crate small for when the pup was young and then move the divider back as he grew.
The metal crate offered a lot of flexibility that we wouldn't have gotten with a plastic dog crate.
Now that our puppy is over a year old, he's decided that he really likes his dog crate.
We leave the door open so he can come and go anytime he desires.
It is his area and we do not permit the kids to go inside.
We occasionally discover a cat in the dog crate, but the dog does not seem to care.
He curls up alongside the cat and looks puzzled as to the reason why it's in his space.
Above all, a dog crate should not be a form of punishment.
It's never smart to get upset with your dog, push them in the crate, shout at him, and slam the door.
When starting crate training, you might want to lure your dog into the crate with a treat until he gets used to it.
We used this technique with our puppy and it worked effectively.