Crate Training

Crate training a pup is one of those issues that many people are whole heartedly for or against. In my not-so-professional opinion, crate training is fantastic when done correctly and used for the right reasons. A crate is very useful for potty training, transporting, feeding times, and to keep the pet safe while the owner isn't home. The crate should not be used for punishment and the poor pup should not be left in there for EXTENDED periods of time. When I say an EXTENDED period of time, I mean for 3/4 of the day. In my opinion, that is not fair to the dog. Think of it this way, how would you like to be confined to a tight spot while holding your bladder for 16+ hours a day?! Not fair! Also, the crate should NOT be used as punishment for your children. Have you seen the news lately? Seriously, there are people who have been using their dog crates to punish their children. I'm not making this up! It's awful! So remember, dog crates are for dogs...not people. ;-)

There are a few things to think about when purchasing a crate for your dog: 1) Size. The dog should be able to stand-up, turn around, and lay down comfortably in the crate. Think about how large the dog will be once it is full grown. Buy a crate to accommodate that size. Heidi's crate is HUGE and it takes up quite a bit of space. This is the same crate we have used with her since the day we brought her home at 8 weeks old. We didn't find it necessary to buy one for her puppy size because like weeds...and kids, puppies grow so quickly. 2) Wire versus plastic versus decorative. There are quite a few styles to choose from. Most pet stores only carry the wire and plastic crates. The nice decorative ones can be found online, for a pretty penny. One of the things I like about Heidi's wire crate is that we can fold it up to transport or to store. You can't do that with a plastic one. It also has a removable plastic tray which makes clean up very easy.  The plastic ones, on the other hand are great to use if you need to fly with your dog.

Heidi's large wire crate. 

There is plenty of information out there on how to properly crate train your pup. It's not rocket science, really. Pick a command that is short and easy to remember. For example, my parents have always used, "Kennel up!". Jeff and I tell Heidi to "Go to bed!". Every time you want the pup to go in the crate, give the dog the command and once the dog is in the crate, whether you picked the pup up and placed them in the crate or they walked in on their own, give him/her a treat, praise, and/or pat on the head. My parents dogs always get a treat and so does Heidi. We have used this same command, followed with a treat for over three years. This is one command that I can give Heidi ONE time and she listens. She's very driven by food.

Heidi modeling her crate. She is able to stand and turn around in it.

What else do we put in Heidi's crate? Not much! When she was a little pup, she had a little bed, blanket from the breeder, and a stuffed bunny which also came from the breeder. Now, she only has a wool blanket ($10 from Wal-Mart). Because Heidi HATES anything poly-fiber filled, it wouldn't last an hour in her crate. We'll also put a toy, such as a Kong in the crate with her when we leave.

She even did her "hair" for the photo shoot. One ear back is the style these days!

We only crate Heidi when we leave the house. It's not that we can't trust her, because we have left her numerous times in the house when we have left and she has been great; no accidents and nothing destroyed. However, now that we have an alarm system in our house, I have to crate her so that I can set the alarm. Heidi loves her crate! She will go in there on her own some days, just to get away and have some peace and quiet. Logan likes to pester her while she's napping on the couch, so it's also a place to get away from the toddler that keeps touching her feet and leaning in for wide-open mouth kisses.

Will do anything for a treat!

What are your thoughts on crate training? We love to hear about your dogs!