A crate is a portable "kennel" that is just large
enough to contain the dog
it is intended for, made of either metal or plastic. "Crating" is the
practice of using this kennel for training purposes, usually in house
training and house proofing a dog.
-The crate must be large enough for the dog to stand and turn around.
-A puppy should not be left in for more than 3 to 4 hour a day in one.
-An adult dog should not spend more than about 8 hours a day in one.
-No dog should be forced to remain in a soiled crate. You must rearrange
time spent in the crate to avoid this happening in the first place.
-Not all dogs require constant crating; most can be slowly weaned off
once they get older and you can trust them more in the house.
-Properly introduce dogs, especially older dogs, to the crate. Most dogs
like their crates, but not all do so immediately.
-Even when you are no longer using the crate regularly, leave it available
for napping. A crate trained dog is always more easily handled: in the
car,
at the vets, when traveling etc.
Crating a puppy or dog often seems unappealing to humans, but it is not cruel
to the dog. A dog's crate is similar to a child's playpen, except it
has a roof
(dogs can jump out of a playpen) and is chew
proof. A dog by nature is a dening creature so therefore liking its own "den".
A crate is not suitable for activity or exercise, but rather for rest. Dogs a
carnivores and do not need to be constantly active during the day time, like
people do.
If a crate is properly introduced to a dog (puppy) the dog will grow to think of
the crate as its den and safe haven. Most dogs that are crated will use the
open crate as a resting place.
The major use of a crate is to prevent the dog from doing something wrong
and not getting corrected for it. It is useless to correct a dog for something
that it
has already done; the dog must be "caught
in the act".
If the dog is out of its crate while unsupervised, it may do
something wrong and not be corrected, or worse yet, corrected after the fact.
If the dog
is not corrected, the dog may develop the problem
behavior as a habit
(dogs a creatures of habit), or learn that they can get
away with the
behavior when not immediately supervised. A dog that rarely
gets away with anything will not learn that if nobody is around it can get away
with bad behaviors.