A: Yes, crate training is an excellent training tool. Any wild canine will secure a small, snugly fitting space to call its own. This space represents security to the dog. 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.

Important Points:

• To accustom your dog to its new crate, prop open the door and allow the dog to explore the confines of the crate.
• The dog can be confined for up to four hours at a time.
• No dog should be left in its crate for the entire day (8 hours)!
• Both you are your dog should think of the crate as a safe haven, not as a prison.
• Many dogs receive their meals in their crates.
• A healthy dog will not soil its den -- the place where it sleeps.
• 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 its crate.
• The crate is a safety seat for a traveling dog.
• A crate-trained dog is relaxed and less likely to need sedation for traveling.
• No untrained dog should be given the run of the house while its owner is away. Use a crate to protect the untrained dog from itself.
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In dozens of different ways, the addition of 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 it can be. Once you have experienced the benefits of crate- training your dog, you will question how you ever lived without that marvelous crate.

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