How to Crate Train your Dog?

At the vet hospital where I work, there has been a steady parade of puppies, kittens, and newly adopted older pets coming through for their first checkups and shots.  Our puppy/kitten package sales are through the roof!  (For anyone not in the know...this is a "pay one price" package that gets you all the vaccines, exams and dewormings for the first year of a new pets life...its a great deal if you need it.)

At the same time, in the past week, I have spoken to two pet owners who are looking for homes for their dogs.  They just can't handle the destruction their dog has caused or deal with other behavioral issues.

This touches a nerve with me...mainly because I've been there!  We had a Lab for 14 years that systematically worked to destroy our home and our possessions until the day she died.  Coming home from a day of work was always an adventure.  Which floor would be chewed?.....which photo album destroyed?....which pair of shoes obliterated?  We spent one entire weekend building an outdoor pen for her safekeeping.  Only to watch her scale the fence within minutes.  The fifth of July was always a foreboding date for us.   Traditionally, we would spend that day cleaning up the diarrhea and vomit left behind by our poor dog tortured by the booming fireworks.

Still....the day she died, remains one of the saddest days of my life.  For all her faults....she tried to be a good dog....she just didn't have the confidence to be left alone or the self control to stick to her many training courses.

So.....I set out last night to write an entry on HOW TO CRATE TRAIN YOUR DOG!  I decided that I would start with some research to see if any of the ideas on crate training had changed since we trained our two year old Lab...Charlie.  What I found was one of the best resources that I have ever seen. It comes from The Humane Society of the United States and believe me, they know the drill!  This is one of the most exhaustive explanations I have ever read about crate training; why and how we do it and the positive results of the experience.  They map out the four main steps in crate training and also tell how to deal with problems that may occur along the way.

We learned our lesson the hard way....we raised two dogs to an elderly age without a crate. Yes...It can be done successfully..and we probably saved a couple hundred dollars in crates along the way.  But...we ate a ton of dinners in the parking lot of fast food restaurants because we knew that when we went home, there would be a mess to clean up.  We replaced flooring and carpet.  We lost cherished family mementos.  We even dealt with the local ASPCA a few times after they had retrieved a freaked and fleeing dog.  So yes...when we began the next dog generation in our house...we crate trained both of them.

Our three year old Aussie....is now free to roam the house when we're gone....we don't worry about damage or that she is on the furniture.  She trained in the crate and has the confidence and self control to wait patiently for our return.  Our two year old lab?  Still can't be trusted outside of her crate when her family is gone.  She loves her crate....hangs out in it while we're home and at night...voluntarily.  Finally, she usually crates herself 10 minutes or so before we leave the house for the day.  I swear she would pull the door shut behind her if she had thumbs!

So...if you are interested in a crate...or just want to know more about the different kinds available etc....go ahead and visit my website at Xfleas.com

And please remember.....Genesis 1:28  God blessed them and said to them "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.  Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." ....You are the boss!