Tuesday, December 22, 2009

How To Housetrain A Dog Using Just a Cage

By Karen Taylor

A lot of dog owners nowadays are struggling to solve housebreaking problems. While the most effective methods are humane and gentle, some pet owners will become impatient and begin to use more drastic methods - but frustration will not make training your pet any quicker.

If you are trying to teach a dog a certain behavior, you much know your pet and use methods that are appropriate for them. You could train your dog by constantly supervising it or by using a housebreaking aid like paper or a cage. You may also choose to combine the two house breaking methods.

Effective as it is, there are quite a few issues buzzing around cage training. There are people who believe that this form of training is inhumane. They feel that no matter what training you are trying to accomplish you should not use a cage on a dog. Contrary to this thought patter, cage training has been shown to be one of the most efficient and effected methods for training both dogs and puppies.

Why? First, because dogs are den dwelling creatures. For centuries dogs have been known to go to a den if they wanted warmth in cold weather or to cool of in the heat. They consider their den as their home in which they are safe from harm. Therefore a cage should feel like home for them - not a cage!

Secondly, dogs like to keep their home and bed clean and will be reluctant to soil in their cage. By confining your pet to their own den, they will learn how to control their bodily functions until the proper time presents itself. Puppies need to be taken out more often than older dogs because they have limited control of their bowels and bladder. Taking these steps will help your puppy establish a schedule for bathroom trips.

Cages come in various styles and materials. You can buy one from your local pet supply store, hardware or pet section in some department stores. When you purchase a cage for your pet, consider their needs and consider why you are buying the cage. If you travel, consider purchasing a cage made of plastic for your dog, as wire cages will not protect them from extremes of temperature. Another thing that you want to take into consideration is the size of the cage. Buying a new create when he has outgrown the old one costs a lot of money. So that is why it would wise to purchase a large crate, that way you can block the excess section so that your dog doesn't soil it, that way you can place your dog in the other half during the night for him to stay in.

It is important to be consistent when using a dog cage for housetraining. Your housebreaking issues will soon pass if you do this properly.

About the Author:

0 comments: