CRATES & HOUSE TRAINING
I like the plastic dog crates. The vari kennels, or pet-mate type.
I don't like the Ferrari crates, they have way too many grooves and holes to wash out.

I do not recommend the wire crates for puppies EVER. Puppies bite at the wire
and can get their teeth caught, then they can't open their mouth wide enough to get loose.
I have heard of dogs dying this way!

The size of the plastic crate should be small in the beginning, approximately 28x21x22.

For a full size German shepherd I use the extra large one, 40x27x30.
You can make a divider for the big crate to make it smaller in the beginning so
you don't have to buy 2.
I have attached some pictures of a divider one of my puppy people made, he says it
works great!


I do my puppy crate training during the day...usually while I am driving around
getting shopping done. If I don't have any shopping to do, I go to town and buy
stuff in the name of puppy training! Hehehe
I put the crate in the vehicle, pup in the crate, then while I'm driving I turn up the
radio and go. When I get to the store I make sure I park at the farthest parking
spot so no one can hear if the pup is screaming.....

MAKE SURE IT IS NOT TOO WARM OR COLD TO TAKE YOUR PUPPY IN THE CAR ...VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!!!

Give puppy a nice chewy or a kong filled with peanut butter or creamed cheese
or some other great treat.
At home make the crate the best place to be. Feed puppy in the crate, do lots of
crate games with him. When you say crate he should run like crazy to get in it so
he gets his treats.

Crate training is great, and I recommend every dog be crate trained.
There is some info on our web about crates …type, size etc.
 
I used to say the best way to get through the first week of the puppy coming home was to put him in a crate at night, let him cry but get up every couple of hours and take him outside for a pee.
But now I tell people to do your initial  crate training during the day and to me the best way is to put the crate in your vehicle and go for drives…MAKE SURE IT IS NOT TOO HOT OR TOO COLD!!!!!!!!
I now say the best way to train in the house is to put a collar and leash on puppy and put the other end of the leash on your wrist and do not take it off for 4 days!
Of course, if you are going to have a shower or something were you just cant have the puppy tethered to you that would be the time to put puppy in a crate….
This way puppy will never be able to have an accident in the house and everywhere you go puppy goes and everywhere puppy goes you go.
This is a great way to bond.

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