Any wild canine will secure a small snugly fitting space to call it's own.  This space represents security to the dog.  If it's in its den, it cannot be attacked or bothered, so it is able to relax fully.  This instinctive desire for a secure den is the basis of the psychology behind using a crate as a training aid.  Once the pet owner has overcome his own prejudice against "caging a pet" and accepted the sound reasoning behind crate training, he and his dog can begin to enjoy the benefits of the marvelous crate.

 

To accustom your dog to it's new crate, prop open the door and allow the dog to explore the confines of the crate.  Placing food or a favorite object inside will encourage it to step in.  When the dog is comfortable, close the door and keep it confined for about 5 or 10 min.  When you let the dog out, do it unceremoniously.  Releasing the dog should not be a major production.

 

Each time you put the dog in the crate, increase the time it is confined.  Eventually the dog can be confined for up to several hours at a time.  If the crate also serves as the dog's bed, it can be left crated throughout the night.  Don't overuse the crate though.  Both you and your dog should think of it as a safe haven, not as a prison.

 

Many dogs will learn to go directly to their crates when they are ready to call it a day.  Often the use of the crate will convince a restless dog to stop howling at the moon or barking at every little sound, allowing their owners to sleep through the night undisturbed.

 

Many dogs receive their meals in their crates.   Finicky eaters are made to concentrate on the food that is offered and, as a result, overcome their eating problems.  For the owners of more than one dog, the crate serves as a way to regulate the food intake of each dog.  If dogs in the same household have different diets, crate feeding is almost essential.  It can also make mealtimes less stressful if you have a dominant dog that tries to keep the others in the household away from the food bowls.

 

Housebreaking is made easier when the wise owner relies on the help of the crate.  Until the dog is dependably housetrained, it should not be given the opportunity to make a mistake.  A healthy dog normally will not soil it's den - the place where it sleeps.  If the crate is the right size for your dog, allowing just enough room to stand up and turn around, it will not soil it's crate.  If you purchase a crate for a puppy based on the size of the mature dog, you may need to block off one end to keep the puppy from sleeping in one corner and using the other for elimination.

 

Any time you cannot keep a close watch on the puppy, kindly place it in it's crate.  When the dog eliminates at the proper time, reward it.  With the assistance of a crate, house training can be almost painless for you and your puppy.

 

The crate is a safety seat for a traveling dog.   You may know that shipping a dog requires a crate, but do you realize that the crate in your car serves as a seatbelt would to protect your dog in the event of an accident?  A dog thrown out of the car through a windshield has little chance of surviving.  Also, in the event you or a passenger need medical care during an accident, a crate will keep the dog from "protecting" or "guarding" you from paramedics.

 

If you need to ship your dog by air, the task will be much easier if the dog is already accustomed to it's crate.  A crate-trained dog is relaxed and less likely to need sedation for traveling.  Avoiding sedatives removes one of the major risks of air travel for dogs, and your dog will be alert and happy when it lands.

 

When you travel and have to leave your dog behind, the caretaker will have a much easier time caring for a crate-trained dog and she might appreciate being able to confine the dog for rest periods.  Your dog will also enjoy being able to take it's crate (and a little bit of home) with it if it must spend time in a strange place.

 

No untrained dog should be given the run of the house while it's owner is away.  This is not only foolhardy from the standpoint of protecting your belongings but also from the standpoint of protecting the dog.  An untrained dog could chew through an electrical cord, get trapped under a piece of furniture, or be poisoned or choked by a piece of trash.  Use a crate to protect the untrained dog from itself.  Of course, this means you will have to limit your time away from home.  A puppy must be taken out at regular intervals to exercise and take care of business.

 

If you dog becomes ill or needs surgery, confinement in a crate means better care for your dog.  It reinforces consistency in training.  It helps the dog feel more secure.  It makes having strangers in the house less hectic.  It makes travel safer and more comfortable.  It makes bringing up a puppy as easy as can be.  Once you have experienced the benefits of create-training your dog, you will question how you ever lived without The Marvelous Crate.