Crate Training Dogs

A guy I know, who is single, and works a full time job for the Federal Government, just bought a townhouse. "I think I'll get a dog", he mused.

Then he asked me, "How long can you leave your dog in the crate?". He figured he would leave his dog in the crate for 9 - 10 hours a day, and he intended to get a golden retriever.

I shuddered. This guy has no right to get a dog, I thought.

Crate training dogs, he thought, was going to make owning a dog a simple thing. I feared that his idea of crate training was to use the crate as a prison.

Crate Training Dogs - start here, and read what the experts at The Humane Society of the United States have to say about crate training. .

Crate training dogs: Basics from the US Humane Society has to say about crate training...

Crate training a dog (puppy) is a simple concept. Here, a professional trainer shows you how-to do it.

Crate training was a failure for me with my pug and corgie...They did not respond well to crate training...

Often, I would come home to hear her whining and sobbing because of the terrible condition she had gotten herself into.

The corgie also used the crate as her potty. She would "go" in the corner of the back.

The corgie also sobbed and whined.

A family golden retriever, however, loved her crate. If the door was open, she would go inside. It was one of her favorite places. It was her safe-zone, her security blanket, her "den".

How long can you leave a dog alone in a crate? My personal opinion is that most dogs should not be left alone more than 8 hours.

Our dogs love their dog walker. She is has truly become an important part of our family.

I think that having the dog walker is one of the reasons why our dogs are well-socialized.

Now - because of our living situation, the dogs are "free" during the day to be confined in a downstairs family room.

The room is dog-proofed. We have ceramic tile floors, which are easy and hygienic to clean when the dogs have accidents (and they do occasionally).

The dogs also have comfortable beds and plenty of water to drink.

Our dogs (we have 4) are happy and well-cared for. But we are a household of 3 adults, plus 1 dog walker...so there is a high dog-to-people-ratio...

My dogs are a very important part of my life. They are my family - my children. But they are also a major responsibility and expense.

Please think about the responsibility and costs if you are planning on bringing a dog into your life. The joys outweight the difficulties - there is no doubt about that - but dog ownership is a time-consuming and expense responsibility, so think carefully before bringing a puppy into your home.

If your time is an issue - it's often a good idea to adopt an adult dog from the shelter, instead of attempting to train a puppy. With an adult dog, you can often avoid housebreaking, training to walk on a leash, and other training basics - and this can make your life as a dog owner a lot simplier and more pleasant.