Dog kennel questions?

Lozfan

Okay, so I'm facing a dilemma here.

First, I'm looking for dog kennel fencing that is both reasonably priced and the right size dimensions. My golden retriever lives in a 10'x7' kennel right now in our breezeway. I would really like to get him a kennel with more space to run, but we don't have much space back there. Long story short, I need a kennel that is 20'x10'.

Second, what on earth can I use for flooring? We have wood now, but it collects bacteria and holds water way too much. I have no idea how to pour concrete, but I want something that is durable and easy to clean. Is there some kind of plastic or something I can buy for a reasonable price?

Please answer one or both of these questions if you can. I've already searched the web and can't find much, so give personal experience if you can. And by the way, I prefer not to spend more than $1,500 on the project if possible. Thanks =D
No offense Marie P, and Marlene but the words "lives in a 10'x7' kennel" does not mean he stays outside 24/7. My golden is a living creature, so he kind of "lives" wherever he goes. He's outside probably 4-5 hours a day when no one is at home. There's no need to assume everyone is an irresponsible pet owner.

Answer
I would try posting what you are looking for on Craigslist. Also, the best thing besides cement that you can use for flooring is patio blocks. You can easly clean up the poop and hose off/disinfect them. Some people will say pea gravel, but I have two problems with that. Number one is that each time you shovel the poop, you are also getting rid of some of the gravel, and number 2 is that the dog can actually eat the gravel and end up with a blockage.

Dog kennels in Indiana?

Kpop lover

I live in Indiana. I was trying to find a kennel for my dog to stay at for a few months until I can move into a larger house. I'm in the process of moving. But I can't seem to find any that tell me the prices. I'm willing to still go walk her and feed her everyday. I'm just trying to find a place she can stay overnight for a few months. :/ thanks for any help

Answer
Look in you local phone book under boarding kennels.
We can't answer this, because this is a world wide web and we are from all over the world.
Ask a family member to watch your dog, because boarding could cost you a ton of money.
And is safer also.

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What size dog crate would i need if i have a dog whos 16 inches tall and 30 inches long?

Joe

Also where would I be able to get one for the best value

Answer
I would suggest a wire crate if you are doing crate training. You'll need a 700 or 800 series size crate. A 700 series crate should give your dog enough room to be able to turn around, and lay down. A 800 series crate will give your dog more room to stretch out. Petsmart and Petco often have crates on sale. I would choose one that has 2 doors, so you can clean it out easier. Hope this helps :)

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Traveling with a dog???

SamiiLynn

What is safer for my dog when traveling 9 hrs in the car from New York to Virginia:
Being in a wire crate seat belted in the back seat of a van or in a dog harness seat belt thing in the back seat? My dog is a corgi mix.

Answer
A crate is the safest place for him.

When you stop for rests, make sure his collar is a little tighter than normal so there is no chance of him slipping out of it. And make sure you have up-to-date tag information on him.

Dogs can get freaked out by strange surroundings, so make sure you keep him close when you're there and at rest-stops during the trip.

What kind of Vehicle do you use to cart around your Dogs?

Gehorchen

I current looking for a New or Used car that gets around 30mpg. I take my two dogs to the local dog park about three days a week. Which kind of vehicle should I get? I am currently looking at a new Chevy HHR. But I also took a look at a few Focus, wagons today.
Ya it could be in the car section. But I want to know what dog people use.
I have a 25Lb Mini Schnauzer and a 50Lb Catahola Leopard dog.

Answer
I have a big conversion van. But, my dogs are always secured in a crate or in a seat belt harness. I would recommend something, but you didn't say what kind of dogs you have. How big, etc.... The only thing that makes me mad is when I'm driving on the road and see some stupid pet owner with their dogs unsecured in the open back of a pickup truck. What if the dogs jump out? What kind of ear problems do they end up with? What if they have a car accident, and the dog is thrown out of the bed? Now, I have seen one owner who had his dog in the open bed of his pickup, but it was in one of those metal dog kennel cage things. Now, you know that guy cares about his dog's safety. What ever you decide, just think of the safety of your pet.
Good Luck

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Soft Dog Crate that Exceeds 33in in Height?

Maria N

Hi, I have an English Mastiff and his current crate which is 33in is starting to be too small for him. His head rubs and his back rubs. Id prefer the cloth instead of wire because its lighter for me to carry and more portable. Can anyone help me find a portable/soft crate that is around 33-54in in height?

Answer
You mentioned that your dog's crate was starting to get too small so I am assuming he is not fully grown. The largest soft-sided dog crate I have seen was 36" inches tall. The tallest wire crate is also 36". May I suggest a soft sided dog exercise pen which is lightweight and portable at 48" tall. Good luck in your search.

Deciphering how large of a dog a crate can hold?

Kristin B

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8056010

I'm looking to purchase a wire crate instead of a plastic Pet Porter type because my dog likes to break the doors on them. I was instructed that wire crates are less restricting, and much sturdier.

I am purchasing from Wal-Mart because that's the only local store that carries decently priced crates, and I'm not prepared to pay shipping on a kennel that is going to cost a fortune to ship to Alaska.

How large of a dog would you say a kennel this size would hold? It's 36x24x27

They show a larger dog in the kennel, but the 36 inches seems small, a bit misleading I guess? And they don't sell an extra large (not sure why)...

Thoughts?
American Pit Bull Terrier
36Lx24Wx27H are the correct measurements, and he is certainly not 3 feet long and I haven't ever measured his height.

Answer
Here are the typical sizes and recommendations:

Varikennel #100 21"x16"x15"H,
Actual CrateWeight: 7 Lb
Cats, Toy Poodles, Yorkshire Terriers, Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus

Varikennel #200 27"x20"x19"H
Actual Crate Weight: 15 Lb
Beagles, Shelties, Min. Poodles, Cockers, Lhasa Apsos

Varikennel #300 32"x22"x23"H
Actual Crate Weight: 18 Lb
Springers, Border Collies, Bull Dogs

Varikennel #400 36"x24"x26"H
Actual Crate Weight: 23 Lb
Boxers, Dalmatians, Collies, Airdales, Setters, Aust. Shepherds, Dobermans

Varikennel #500 40"x27"x30"H
Actual Crate Weight: 27 Lb
Afghans, Retrievers, Pointers, Shepherds, Rottweilers

Varikennel #700 48"x32"x35"H
Actual Crate Weight: 44 Lb
Irish Wolfhounds, Newfoundlands, St. Bernards, Mastiffs, Greyhounds

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New dog very aggressive?

lyubov ruf

A week ago, my friend and I found a West Highland Terrier in her apartment complex. Apparently, he was being aggressive and a family had called the pound on him. He was on a leash that was wrapped around a pole. He growled when anyone got too close. I got close enough to sit next to him and hushed him till the pound came.

The next day, I visited him at the pound. He was quite scared and kept scratching at his kennel, recognizing me immediately. He let you pet him and everything!
Fast forward to today, my friend's mother decided to adopt him. Yesterday, my friend gave him a bath and cut his hair, and he behaved well. When we picked him up, he was so happy. We took him to Petsmart, and then ate outside at a restaurant. That's when things got bad.

While we ate, I tied his leash around a chair. He was exploring around and just hanging out with us. When it was time to go, I went to undo his leash, and he bit me! He was very protective and weird about the leash and didn't want anyone to touch it. He became extremely mad, we were lucky to have gotten it untied somehow. After a car ride back to her house, he seemed to have calmed down. We took him in the backyard, where he ran around and let us pet him. He was jumping all over us, just so happy to be free! My friend's sister, who is very good at training dogs, quickly taught him how to sit using treats. Since we planned on taking him to a groomer later, she out the leash back on. Things got weird again. He became very protective again, but this time, it lasted hours. He ended up biting 3 more people. He bites hard, I was even bleeding a bit.

I just don't understand. He was so excited and well-behaved, then he quickly turns. He has a vet appointment tomorrow, but I don't know how we're going to get him in the car. Believe me, we have tried EVERYTHING to distract this dog. Does anyone have advice?

Answer
We don't know why this dog is the way he is. It could have started with a physical problem. Or maybe the dog is just not right in the head, a medical problem, but one that might be impossible or very costly to diagnose. Or, maybe someone tied him up and beat him. We just can't know.

I know a lady who bred a litter of gorgeous pups. Six months later she got one returned for biting. She did everything she could to save that dog, including paying for a very expensive MRI on the dog's head. The MRI showed that the dog was actually missing his frontal lobe on one side of the brain. There was an empty space where it should have been. NO training could fix that. The dog had to be destroyed. The lady then spayed/neutered both the dog's parents.

The rule of thumb is that biters must be destroyed. The problem is what if he bites some kid in the face? Almost nobody could give him a quality life AND assure that he wouldn't bite anyone ever again. Good dogs are destroyed in shelters by the thousands every day in the USA -- most people will advise to destroy any biter and go save one of the good dogs.

The thing is that most dogs have a good deal of what we call bite inhibition. It means you'd have to push them really far to get them to bite. They will TRY not to bite you. But once a dog has bitten multiple times, we know he has no bite inhibition. He will bite anyone any time he is annoyed. That's what you're seeing with this little guy.

It's a tough call. If he were mine I'd try some systematic desensitization on him with a clicker. But it's too much to explain here. And if it didn't show dynamic results fairly quickly, I'd have him euthanized. And I'm a trainer.

If your friend wants to keep him, in spite of knowing that he's a lawsuit waiting for a place to happen, the place to start would be to muzzle him and take him to a vet. The vet can rule out medical causes (but probably can't rule out actual structural problems with the brain for any reasonable price).

The next step would be to find a clicker trainer who is good with aggressive dogs.

But my advice to her seriously would be to take him back to the shelter, get her money back, and tell them what happened. They will destroy the dog. It's a terrible shame, but there is very little chance that he can be rehabbed to be reliable. She can ask for advice over on ClickerSolutions and see what they say, if she likes. That list has a lot of expert trainers on it.

In the meantime your friend's mother should realize that if the dog bites someone, she could be sued, her homeowner's insurance could cancel her, and she could lose everything she owns, including her home. Yes, that happens. So remember that when you read the bleeding heart advice here from inexperienced people.

Oh, to get him in the car, you put a muzzle on him, then crate him, and off you go. Open the crate door and put a leash on him at the vet. Keep the muzzle on him till you get him home.

Bringing a dog from E.U. to U.S.?

***JD***

I have a dog (Dalmatian) and i live in Europe, i am moving to the United States, and i would like to bring my dog. I herd that wether my dog has or doesn't have a disease, it MUST be quarantined for 41 days. If my dog does not respond socially to the examiners, my dog will be put to sleep??

What can i do to prevent quarantine
What vaccines must my dog have
How long before the trip must the vaccines occur

Thanks

Answer
The USA does not have a quarantine on dogs coming in from Europe.

To bring your dog into the USA you must have:

1) if the dog is over 12 weeks it needs proof of a rabies shot.

2) you dog will need an Health Certificate (in English) issued within 10 days of your trip stating the dates, manufacturers, expiration dates of the vaccines your dog has received. It must also state that the dog has been ex mined and found free of disease, internal and external parasites.

3) The airline will require you to have a shipping crate of the proper size.

Upon arrival your dog isn't examined by anyone but you will need to have your paperwork approved by customs. The dog will then be released to you in the same crate that you put it in when you left Europe.

If you are returning to EU with your dog in most cases you will need the same but some countries will require a titer test for rabies and some may still require a quarantine. GB and Sweden are examples of ones that do.

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What size crate should my mini American Eskimo have?

Susan Wu

So were getting this rescue pup Tyson which is a mini american eskimo. He's most comfortable in a crate, so we need to go get him one. Hes already a year old so I doubt hell be growing more..

What size crate should he have? It needs to fit his bed and water dish so I think an 18 inch one would be way too small. Should I get a 30 inch? Is that too big?

He became un housebroken when the rescue switched him to a different foster home. So it can't be big enough for him to pee and poo right? My mom thinks that the 24 inch is too small, but i'm not sure.

Thanks a lot <3

Answer
Using a crate to housebreak a dog means you don't want the crate to be too big. Dogs don't want to go potty where they sleep. If it is too roomy, he will potty in one end and sleep at the other. The crate should be big enough for him to lay down comfortably and turn around, but not much more than that.

You can buy water bowls that are designed to attach to the bars of the crate, so it doesn't have to take up space on the floor of the cage. Limit the water available to your dog at night, or put ice cubes in there instead so he doesn't drink too much and is more likely to pee overnight. Here are the bowls I'm talking about: http://www.petco.com/product/6987/Lixit-Carrier-Cage-Crock.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch

Dogs don't generalize very well, so moving to a new house does mean they need to be housebroken upon moving. It shouldn't take as long as it would take if he was a puppy and unable to physically hold his bladder.

Dog crate for my Huskimo puppy?

Cara

I am getting a new puppy. He is a Siberian Husky and American Eskimo mix dog. I do not know how big of a crate I need. I do not want to get a huge crate even if I have room for it. His breeds' info is: The Huskimo is a medium size dogs, having a maximum height of 24 inches and weighing in the region of 40-60 pounds. I will get a divider but right now I need to know how big of a crate I need. ie. height and length.
Okay, I KNOW he is not a breed. I did write that he is a Siberian Husky and American Eskimo mix. So I know he is not a standard breed. Thank you very much.

Answer
Huskimo is not a breed, it's a goofy name some backyard breeder make up (I have a Husky/GSD mix and I've seen people call them "Shepsky" and I hate that)...but regardless of what you call your mutt (that's what he is and that's what mine is), if you don't know what he'll max out to be then go with the largest of the 2 breeds and look up what the average size for a male is...you can get crates that have a moveable panel inside so you can use the crate for a puppy and just move the panel back to give them more room as they grow...

I bought a crate for a dog up to 100 lbs for my girl, and she's probably around 75 lbs...the crate does have the moveable panel though, but I never had to use it...my "mutt" is taller and heavier than standard females of either breed that's part of her mix...

Since "Huskimo' isn't a breed and there is no standard, no one can tell you what size crate to get...look up Siberian Huskies online and American Eskimo dogs, and whichever has the larger average size for a male, assume your dog may get that large (or larger) so you are more assured of getting something that you can use...better too big than too small...

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Dog crate?

Nafe

I have two Jack russell terriers and unfortunately there left alone on weekdays for about 5-6 hours. I walk them as much as possible but I have some serious trouble leaving them at home. I leave them in the living room and the preparation involved is crazy, I put a gate up, move furniture, take cushions off couches as they occasionally wee, so now i'm considering getting a crate or pen. Should I leave one in crate and one out? Buy two pens? Leave them In same pen? I also feel I should get one as big as poss so they're not too confined or would it be better to leave them in one recommended for their size ( cosy ) ? I cant leave them in any other rooms and the living room setting up is so tiring. Any advice would be great, thanks

Answer
get a crate for each that is only big enough for them to stand up, turn around and lay down in. anything bigger is just room to poop. crate training is a fabulous way to housetraining. it should be started from when you get them, that is probably why you have such a hard time with them going in the house. without proper training in a cage a dog can't learn to respect the enviroment they live in.

Is it okay to leave my dog in his crate for 6 hours?

I'm sure

I have a 9 month old puppy and I go to school every week day, I crate my dog every night before I go to sleep and his crate is in the kitchen which leads to the back door. This is what I normally do:
Let my dog out of his crate, open the back door and put food in his bowl at 7:40, I stroke him/ pet him for a few minutes then go to school at 7:45. My sister goes to college 9am or 11am sometimes and my mum goes to work every day. My sister or my mum closes the back door before they leave (whichever leaves last). Then I get back home from school at 3pm. I let my dog out and give him more food. But by the time I get back, the kitchen is really messy. I know it's because his bored, but I buy him lots of chew toys and snacks and I know not to put things in his reach, but he still manages to chew the walls and the floor, and we pay rent for our house which means it belongs to someone else, and it will be very expensive to fix.

Anyway, this is what I would like to do (only if its safe and okay) :
Wake up at 6:30am and let my dog out of his crate, open the back door and feed him ect. Who ever leaves the house the latest closes the back door and puts him in his crate with more food, water and toys. Then come back home at 3pm and let him out again.

Please tell me if this is okay and safe, or if it would be animal cruelty. And basically tell me what I can do to improve the situation.
All help is appreciated

Answer
I would consider it wrong to leave him crated like this all day IF there is any other choice.
He is old enough to be trained in behavior and to use a litter box, (somewhat like a cat), and to NOT destroy everything in sight.
TAKE him to obedience school yourself, so you BOTH learn what is needed.

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Boarding kennels vs dog sitter?

snookies68

Which do you prefer and why. Does anyone know of any good quality boarding kennels in Adelaide? Alternatively can you recommend a good pet sitter? I need to leave my 3 little dogs and a friend has always been able to look after them but this time he can't. Do you think they are better off at home rather than a kennel? I have visited some kennels and they look very average, cements floors, wired doors and it's heaps cold inside. My dogs are in house dogs and sleep on my bed so I want a good quality kennel.

I mean it's also pretty hard to trust people with my dogs coz they are like my children... any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Hello...I use a pet sitter I just like my dogs in there warm cozy home not locked in a cage..Call your vet they may do pet sitting or have recommendations..There are pet hotels that a step up from kennels some are pretty fancy....Best of luck hope this helps...

Puppy/dog wanted in ADELAIDE SA?

Rebecca W

Hello im looking for a puppy, im located in Salisbury North, so the puppy must be in adelaide, feel free to comment with, details of puppy/dog with a location and contact details.

Answer
Go to dogzonline.com.au, select the breed your looking for in the Puppy pages section. All the breeders listed on there are registered with the Australian National Kennel Club, which means they are required to make sure the puppies they breed and sell are from the best possible parents and are free of any hereditary diseases. One of these puppies will cost you more money up front to buy, but you'll spend less time at the vet paying for hip or knee problems, eye or mouth problems, or any other things that are common with poorly bred "backyard breeder" puppies. The puppies will be sold with pedigree papers, vaccinated, microchipped, and most breeders will give you some puppy food samples and a toy or too to help the pp settle in, and their help and advice for the life of your puppy. Good Luck

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Crate training Labrador pup?

Roodi

I will be picking up my Labrador pup in three weeks and am looking for any advice regarding bringing it up in it's first year. Are the wooden floors downstairs going to be a problem, crate training tips etc....

Answer
The most important thing to remember is, controlling a dog's environment is the most effective training tool any owner has for properly raising a puppy. When a dog who hasn't learned your rules yet has too much un-supervised time in your house and they start making their own decisions about how to occupy their time, THIS is where most dog owners get themselves into trouble. For whatever reason people feel bad restricting a dog's movements and somehow view it as unnatural. A better way to look at it is it is the most fair, even-handed, humane way to raise your puppy because you're setting them up for success and not failure. By using confinement and supervision to control the environment you are preventing them from getting into trouble and learning bad habits while they learn about the world and come to understand the rules of the house. We watch our human childen closely and try to keep them out of trouble when they are still crawling around in the toddler stage. And when we cannot watch, we put them in a crib or play pen and close the door to their room. We don't feel guilty about that, so why should we feel guilty about preventing a dog from running around the house by itself?

1) Keep a bowl of a really high value food reward by the crate. Not cheapo Walmart stuff. Dried chicken or beef, something a dog will LOVE. Teach the dog a crate command and give them one every time they go in.

2) At the initial stages, crate training should always take place while you are there. The dog will be more likely to stay calm about the situation if you are in the room, meaning her first experiences with the crate will be calm ones. Let the dog spend time in there while the family is in the room going about their normal routine. Praise him from time to time when he's being calm so you can let him know that makes you happy.

3) NEVER let the dog out of the crate while it is in an excited state, and never try to stuff the dog in the crate immediately after they did something wrong, or while you are in a negative frame of mind.

4) The crate should be in use every single time you cannot watch the dog. Alot of people will only crate a dog when they are out of the house or in bed, but let it run free and un supervised the rest of the time, and wonder why the dog still misbehaves. This is because they are not using human supervision. The dog does not need to spend the first year of its life behind bars and you do not need to have your dog next to you while you take a dump. The idea is through a combination of supervision and confinement they will not have the opportunity to learn bad habits during the most formative stage of their life. If it is practical for you to keep the dog with you, keep them with you and on leash. When it is not practical, crate the dog. I don't care if you have to take your eyes off them for 5 seconds. This is 5 seconds when they should be crated. Otherwise, if in the course of that 5 seconds they decide to chew your carpet, and they find out that chewing carpets are fun, you now have to deal with a dog who wants to do this every time they are left alone.

Problems with my dog?

Jolly Gree

He tends to cause some trouble from time to time. Just today he ate 47 cookies out of 48(they were little cookies). They were sitting on the table to cool and I wasn't home and my mom went to take a quick shower. He does the same thing with the counters, he'll jump up and try to eat things. We push them back as far as they can go or put them on top of things. But today we couldn't do that because we had other cookies already cooling on the counter as far away as they could go. Another problem he has is getting on the couch. If you leave the room, sometimes he gets on the couch but when you come back he quickly gets down and walks away or lies on the floor. He also has a problem whenever people come over to our house. He gets really excited and runs around and won't leave them alone. He's never hurt anyone or anything, he just gets in the way. I've tried taking him on walks before people come over to get rid of some of his energy but that doesn't do anything. And if you leave the door open for 1 second he takes off out the door and I have to go get him. My mom doesn't go after him. If I'm not home and he gets out, he'll usually end up coming home, twice we've had people bring him home. He doesn't get out often but when he does I'm worried that he'll get hit by a car or something. I really don't know what to do. My mom is getting fed up. Most of the time he is good and doesn't cause too much trouble. It's mainly the couch thing. But I'm sick of him eating things from the counter or table. One day he's gonna get ahold of something he really shouldn't have and he's going to get sick or die or something like that. I know he knows that the things he does is bad, when you catch him doing it or come out right after he's done, he'll walk away with his head and tail down and usually go lay by the door, he kinda sulks. I really need some help.
He is neutered.

He's a Golden Retriever and we don't have room for a crate big enough for him. We used to have one but we were borrowing it from someone and they needed it back.
Eating things off the counter/table is the biggest issue. He'll eat any food he can get to.
We don't neglect him, leaving him alone in the living room/kitchen for 15-20 minutes isn't neglect. I was at school and my mom went to take a shower. (This was actually the first time he took food from the table) He gets plenty of attention. I play with him and go on walks every day, when I'm home he's always around me and I do spend time with him. And it's not like we leave the door open and unattended. When someone comes over and we let them in, sometimes he slips through. And we don't normally leave food on the counter, we had to today because we had no where else to put them. Like I said before, the majority of the time he is well behaved. He didn't not get on the couch this much before but he started to a lot more recently. If me or my parents are around and he's on the couch we tell him to get down and he does, my brother doesn't. He doesn't care if he's on the couch or not.
Oh, and we can't gate off our kitchen since it's open and connected to the living room and dining room. If we had baby gates he'd either be stuck in the hall or the basement (we have a split level).
We have a baby gate. When he was younger we put him in the basement.

Answer
Baby gates work well, if you don't have a crate. Walmart sells them pretty cheap. Get one and put it up in the doorway to keep him out of the rooms you don't want him in.
Also, make a shake can. Rinse out an empty pop can and put 12 pennies in it and tape it shut. When you see him doing something wrong, shake the can loudly and firmly say no.
A couple of times of that and as soon as he even sees the can, he will stop his wrong behavior.
Golden Retrievers can take awhile to grow up!
Here is a website that you might be interested in looking at.
http://www.all-about-goldens.com

Hope this helps!

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is dog crate waaaay too cheap?

So, i am looking for cheap dog crate, and i found this one, but the price ..... it says it's good quality, but i really dont know....i was willing to pay $20 for a crate, but then i found this one.... please help me! I just need ur opinion. :)

Other comments or suggestion will be VERY helpful :)

thanks.

oh here is the crate:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pawhut-24-Wire-Folding-Dog-Cage-Crate-Kennel-w-Divider-/140600248038?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20bc6d86e6

Answer
Yes, it's a GREAT deal if you can get it for that. However, you have to bid on the item and it depends on how much the other people and yourself are willing to pay. You will not find a new crate for $20 though. Crates are expensive unless you can find a good one used on craigslist or at a yard sale.

Where can I buy a cheap dog crate in Aus?

Joni

I am hoping to get a yorkie poo pup soon and I was wondering where I could buy a cheap dog crate in Australia? Also, does the dog need the crate when it gets older? If it doesn't, what would be the best age to get rid of the cage? Thanks :)

Answer
Your little mutt (which I hope you are adopting from a shelter!) would do best in a small crate.

Here are a couple to get you started on your research:
http://shop.vebopet.com.au/store/small-24-collapsible-metal-pet-crate.html
http://www.mypetwarehouse.com.au/ALL-FOR-PAWS-WIRE-CRATE-SMALL-61CMX46CMX53CM-p-18188
http://www.petsunleashed.com.au/wire-crate-small

Yes, you can continue to use the crate as the dog gets older. He/she will most likely seek it out to sleep and lie in.

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what would be the perfect dog?

kranig93

i have lived in apartments my whole life and never have been able to have a dog. my and my mom are thinking about getting a dog anyways. so we dont want the managers to find so we want a small dog that doesnt bark a lot. i was looking at a toy poodle or a yorkie. would these dogs work? also what other dogs would work?
p.s my mom wont let me get a cat. and even though i live in an apartment, i will still care for the dog even if it means i have to drive it to the park in order to walk it
p.s again our managment is lazy. our upstairs neighbors have like 2 or 3 cats and we didnt mind at first until they poured cat pee onto you patio then we complaining to the managers. they didnt do squat so we are not afraid to get a dog and besides we are off the lease so if they do want to kick the dog out we can just move
sorry when i said you patio i mean our patio

Answer
Poodles are intelligent but, like yorkies and other small dogs they can be mouthy. It all depends on the size of your apartment and how much time you have to devote to training. Yorkies due tend to be a very expensive breed to purchase though. Plus you need to decide if you want a shedding dog, or non-shedding hair dogs that need to be frequently groomed. Pekingese are great dogs, and usually bark at strangers and other dogs, Shih Tzu are great too, they are very playful and more quiet. I've known poodles to bark for hours and they are very stubborn. Italian Greyhounds are also a rather quiet breed and love to be with their owner. No matter what small breed dog you get remember the importants of crate training puppies get into everything.

Yorkie puppy afraid of other dogs?

phlips

HI there! I have this awesome bold yorkie who is very playful around humans. But that's about the only thing he lives up to in his fine breed. Yorkies are supposed to be hunters, but if he saw a rat, he would probably freak out. He is virtually afraid of his own shadow. We try to introduce him to dogs of all sizes. He was even afraid of a dog smaller than him, still a yorkie. I suggested to my parents we take him to a training class to socialize him, but my paaren't arent up to that cuz moneys tight because of gas and everything, and im only thirteen and there is nowhere in walking range with a training class. I am not joking i think one of the reasons that he is so afraid of everything is because he was fixed...is this possible? Also he had previous owners and im afraid they spoiled him to the point where he was not ever taken out or anything. Also he barely walks anywhere. I take him outside but he only walks down to the backyard, which is good for me right now because i broke my foot and my sister is way lazy, but he will never walk even around the block. I walked him around it twice and thought that he would get used to the idea but he iisn'tcatching on. And i know this is even more to ask but do you have any tips on potty training?
Thanks a great deal in advanced :)

Answer
Sounds like he never had any socialization. You just need to let him see lots of other dogs and have good things happen when he sees them.

To do this, I would suggest you or someone start walking him. When you see another dog it is okay to stay pretty far away (far away enough that your dog is calm) and just give your dog some treats. Point to the other dog and say some happy things like 'That is a nice dog!'. If the other person tries to let your dog "meet" their dog then step away with your dog and ask them to please keep their dog away. Say you are training or that your dog doesn't like other dogs. Don't force your dog to get sniffed by other dogs- this will only make it worse.

Start by working at a far distance from other dogs and after months pass work up to getting closer. When you decide he is ready to start sniffing other dogs make sure it is a calm, friendly dog!

I doubt that it is because he is fixed. Far more likely that it is because he was never taken to classes, socialized, never had good experiences with other dogs.

If he doesn't want to walk just do very, very short and very, very fun walks. Walk half way down your block or just right in front of your house and give him lots of treats. Take a toy or throw a ball for him to chase short distances. After you have walked for like 5 minutes just take him back inside and ignore him/don't play with him (right away, it is fine to play with him later). This way he will start thinking that walks are fun time and going back home is boring time.

Potty training: Crate when you can't watch him. Keep him on a leash that is tied to you the rest of the time and watch him all the time. If he starts going just calmly say "outside." and pick him up or lead him outside. Always give rewards and praise for pottying outside. My dog is 1.5 years old and I still praise him EVERY SINGLE TIME he potties outside!

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How does a dog shock collar work?

How does a dog shock collar work? because my husband says we have to get one for both our dogs. I was sad to hear this but the problems is that my dogs bark all night at anything they hear. In particular ambulances, and other dogs walking by. During the day the problem is even worste- Can someone help me?

Answer
By shocking your dog on a very sensitive part of their body, making them fear you.
You do not have to get one for both of your dogs.
These methods - and the use of shock collars - are dangerous methods of "training" and are not effective.
There is no reason to use these methods.
They are just as bad as those fences.
I agree with professional [positive reinforcement] trainer Victoria Stilwell and the points she has made about electric dog fences.
I also agree with her on her stance for shock collars as a training method.

" * Using shock to train dogs. "Many dogs are anxious about going out in their yards after receiving the shock and freak out,â not wanting to go out in the yard again.
* The electronic fence is dangerous. "Countless dogs run through the electric fences and they get shocked so badly that they don't want to come back. . . lots of them are getting lost."
* "A lot of dogs are getting killed because they go out onto the road" after running through the fence.
* Electronic containment systems do not stop other animals and people coming onto the property.
* "People leave their animals out with a false sense of security."
http://www.examiner.com/small-dogs-in-new-york/victoria-stillwell-no-shocks-for-dogs

http://dogtime.com/electric-fences-safe-ethical-diane-podolsky-faq.html

Look at these articles: http://positively.com/files/100101-bestfriends.pdf
http://positively.com/2011/01/17/electronic-collars-vs-traditional-leashes-for-exercising-dogs-on-town-streets%E2%80%94a-cause-of-debate-in-one-small-town-in-missouri/

Also dogs bark for numerous reasons! Mostly boredom and lack of attention by owners.
Read this article about barking: http://positively.com/2011/06/04/barking-barking-barking-etc-etc-etc/

So I beg you DO NOT use shock collars, or electric/invisible fences, as a way to train your dog. Be RESPONSIBLE and do your RESEARCH about what damage they can do to your dog.
Use positive reinforcement training - it is most effective and not cruel.
Look at these sites:
American Kennel Club - www.akc.org
United Kennel Club - www.ukcdogs.com
The Association of Pet Dog Trainers - www.apdt.com
APDT Rally Obedience - www.apdt.com/po/rally

www.clickertrain.com
www.clickertraining.com
www.clickerteachers.net

www.patriciamcconnell.com

www.peaceablepaws.com

www.trulydogfriendly.com

Help... Need GOOD Dog advice?

Acer214

My dog is 3 1/2 months old. He already knows basic skill like sit, and lay down, etc. But there is one thing that he does that is VERY embarrassing! He jumps up on EVERYONE. Anytime someone comes over he jumps up at them, just to get their attention but I hate it!! I've tried to make him stop by making sure to correct this every time he does it. I have even made my guests squat down to his level and pet him but as soon as they stand back him, he's jumping again! I have put him in his kennel to take him out of the situation for about 5 minutes but then as soon as he comes back he's jumping again! I have even left him on his leash when people come over so I can pull him back to correct him but that doesn't even seem to work! If anyone knows anything I can do! Please please please.. I want this bad habit to be over!

Answer
You should watch the show "it's me or the Dog". Victoria Stillwell is a dog trainer who uses positive reinforcement to train dogs. This is a big problem for lots of dogs because it's on nearly every episode. Before your guests come in, you should have your dog in a sit stay. If he jumps up on peopple, they should cross their arns across their chests and turn their back on the dog while you use a tasty treat to get him back in a sit stay position. If he jumps up, they need to turn their back. If he stays down he gets a treat. He will get the connection pretty soon.You could also supply your guest with tasty treats and can give them if the dog sits and stays.

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Why is that the media only broadcast certain dog attacks?

My Pony

I don't get this and am just looking for opinions to maybe understand this better.
Why is it when a Pit bull, Rotwieller, German shepard, or any other dog that's stereotyped as "aggressive or vicious" attacks someone weither provoked or not it get plastered all of the news and in the newspaper for days and made into a huge ordeal. But when a Lab, St. bernard, or any other dog stereotyped as "a good family dog" attacks someone weither provoked or not it's never plastered anywhere and if it is its for like a day then its no big deal.
I have 2 pits and had a lab but had to put my lab to sleep because she continued attempted attacks on everyone including me. She's the only dog I've ever owned that I ever put in a kennel and it was only after her 1 first attack on me and 1st attempted attack on my moms puppy. I gave her 1 month and attempted to train her but she continually tried to attack everyone including a professional dog trainer. I had no choice but to put her down because it wasnt getting better and couldnt risk her attacking anyone else especially a child. My 2 pits have never lunged* at anyone or even attempted attack on another animal but yet they are still stereotyped as the vicious fighting dog to most people.
So having owned dogs on "both" sides I think the media needs to be reinformed on what aggressive and vicious means and that its not the breed of the dog, its actually the dog itself. But in actual reality it isn't even the dog thats bad, it's people in general owner and/or victim. "Bad" dogs come from bad owners and/or provoked or abused by bad people.

*****i know this sounds like a rant but I really do want other opinions on this so maybe I can understand the method behind it. Honest opinions only give reasons behind your opinions you can even use personal experiences. I'm honestly just trying to understand.******

Answer
Have you tried flying a plane into a long suspension bridge or into a skyscraper?

The media - esPECIally tv - require shock-horror in order to attract the type of people who watch tv (my tv gets turned on about once a year, to watch the local IRB Rugby 7s tournament - life's too short to waste in front of the idiot box! However, when my radio station announced the first plane hitting the first tower on what was 11 Sept.2001 in the USofA, but the 12th where I am, I switched my set on and watched in horror from midnight to 6am).
Alfred Hitchcock very successfully scared lots of us with "The Birds", where our feathered friends turned against us.
Naturally that inspired a host of imitators where other of our animal friends turned against us - those nice honey bees became "Attack of the Killer Bees"; those nice doggies became "Cujo".

Things like "Rambo" and "The Terminator" don't really scare us - that sort of thing doesn't happen to "us". But the possibility of being turned on by our "friends" DOES terrify us (as with an episode of "The Avengers", where the family cat was made to claw its owner to death). The thought of being eaten alive REVULSES us.
Hence the attraction to the media of "Dog Kills Child" and "Dog Kills Woman then Drags the Body Around".

Next is the "Give a dog a bad name" syndrome.
Back in the 1930s to about 1960, anyone who was nipped by a dog reported it as being an Alsatian if it had prick ears, a Labrador if it was black and didn't have prick-ears, a Collie if it had a shaggy coat.
Then the Dobermann became the popular attacker.
Then the Rottweiler became the popular attacker.
And now the Pit Bull Terrier is the popular attacker.

There is no doubt that SOME members of each breed earned that reputation - survivalists and criminals want to scare rivals away from the HQ, so get hold of the biggest, strongest, most ferocious dogs they can, then train them to be savage. A nasty case a few years ago involved a lawyer who was "looking after" the guard dogs of 2 of his clients while the clients were in gaol - and the dogs escaped from their inadequate enclosure and mauled & killed. GREAT for the media who could get pics of the places where the attacks had happened and could record eyewitness tales!
And naturally they named the breed involved exactly as did the witnesses who followed the "Give a dog a bad name" rule.
If you have tracked down actual investigations you will find that what is reported in the media is rarely the actual breed or crossbreed "as wot done it".
But there ARE characteristics of the bites inflicted by particular "breeds". As examples, GSDs tend to inflict a single bite that stops the person and leaves up to 4 deep painful-but-survivable punctures; whereas PBTs tend to tear a chunk out then come back for another, which sends the victim into shock. (Too many people - yourself included - forget that the PBT has Terrier genes. And a characteristic of Terriers is the shaking action with which they kill vermin. Whereas a characteristic of Bulldogs is to just hold on forever.)

But in simple terms....
The media:
(1) Report what attracts an audience and so sells advertising space/time.
(2) Name the breed as whatever is scariest of the breeds that the "Give a dog a bad name" eye-witnesses said.

And FYI:
⢠The time to start training a dog is the moment you get it home - at that stage you use only reward-reinforcement methods.
⢠The time & place to start SERIOUS training is in a training club class that begins when Pup is 18-22 weeks old - NOT wait until it is an uncontrollable adult with a bad attitude.
Les P, owner of GSD_Friendly: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/GSD_Friendly
"In GSDs" as of 1967

how long of a rest should dogs have before they fly on on airplane again?

hj

I'm thinking about taking a trip and want to bring my dogs along because I don't know if i can trust other people looking after it? But before even considering that I want to know how much stress dogs have when flying. Any side effects? How long should I wait between flights before they would be ok to fly again?

Answer
depends on the dog, and how well they travel.

My dog travels well.. he was on a plane twice within a week.

Do check with the airline in advance and find out what arrangements need to be made to fly with your dogs.. you cant just show up at the airport and bring your dogs.

If your dogs are stressed easily about travel, or are nervous or easily stressed in general, You'd be better off to find a good boarding kennel while you travel... your vet or groomer could reccommend one.

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Is this a good apartment dog?

bebegurl

They're a little dog and soo adorable. i'm moving into an apartment soon (pet freindly) and i wanted to get a little puppy to keep me company! i'm going to beauty school and i'll be able to take care of the dog and give him PLENTY of attention in the afternoon. would this be a good dog? if not could you recomend some! but i really don't like pugs or dogs like that.. i don't like most little dogs and i don't want to have a big dog because i have a small apartment..
I forgot to say the dog!! haha i was planning on getting a west highland terrier

Answer
West highland terriers are good apartment dogs, and so are other small breeds like yorkshire terriers, chihuahuas, italian greyhounds, dauschunds, and small poodles. Research the breed online first, and then make your decision. Just keep in mind that some small dogs are yappers, and you don't want other people in your apartment building complaining. A good website is www.petfinder.com . This website will give you a list of dogs and puppies available in your area. Most of these dogs are also crate-trained, potty trained, spayed/neutered, etc. And the cost will be much lower than if you got your dog from a breeder or pet store.

what is the best type of dog?

Nanna N

my family is deciding on either getting a brittany spaniel or a yorkshire terrier, yes we have done research on both breeds and are capable of taking care of a puppy we currently have a west highland white terrier (or westie) and she had a stroke and is now paralyzed but don't let that fool you she can get around really well... anyways what type of dog do you think would go best with her she is very mellow (my westie) and loves to snuggle and be pet all day long she doesn't go on that many or far walks (her stroke) but we wouldn't mind not taking her on walk for the other dog so don't worry they will get exercise so yeah shes very mellow so what type of dog would go good with her when my friend let us watch her yorkie/Chihuahua mix she ignored the dog.. kind got jealous and would sometimes chase her (in a game) but she wouldn't play tug of war with the toys (shed immediately drop it and let her take it (she doesn't really know how to play with other dogs) but she is still the dominant one lol um and our neighbor had a papillion and she would chase it but not in a playful way because she thought it was a squirrel and she wanted to catch her... so I'm not sure a small yorkie would be a good choice, and my neighbor has a big lab and she (as in my dog) kept trying to get the lab to play with her and was being very nice to her so yeah do you think she'd get along better with a yorkie or brittany spaniel :) thank you
its my sisters choice as my parents are bribing her with a puppy if she'll go to a junior college nearby for a year so yeah jsut wnated to give her my input but i think iw ant to go with a yorkie becuase the other person said brittany spaniels are hunting dogs and i have a pet bird

Answer
I have a Brittany spaniel, and I love him to death! But be aware that Brittanys need a lot of exercise and are a very anxious breed. My breeder always said a Brittany needed at least one good off leash run a day. You need to be able to provide a Brittany with a safe place to run around, and chase birds, squirrels, rabbits, etc. They love to hunt and are really good at it (as a puppy my Brittany caught a bird). As for the anxiety issue, they need to learn to be on their own. Crating is the best idea and the more exercise given, then less anxious your dog will be. Brittany Spaniels are very smart, but they do need to be trained and it will take a little bit of time (like with any dog). Unfortunately, many people don't deal with the nervousness/anxiety of their brittanys well, so many people (including vets and dog trainers and behaviourists) stereotype Brittanys into the group of dogs that will become fear biters, this means that they get so nervous and afraid that they may bite (a reputation of other spaniels including the springer spaniel). My Brittany is anxious, but he does not bite, but I work very hard on this and am constantly training him to keep him up to my (very high) standards. My Brittany is also not a huge people dog. He will cuddle when he is tired, but the rest of the time he'd prefer to be catching birds, and butterflies.

I know many yorkies, and the people I know who own them love them. I am not a small dog person (although I think westies are great!). Yorkies are less likely to bug your westie. They are more cuddly and prefer to be with you than with another dog. As puppies they are playful and they need to be socialized with other dogs and other people. Yorkies are happy just to be where their owner is. They can be yappy, but its usually just a warning bark when the door bell rings to let you know someone has arrived. They are also playful little dogs and enjoy just a run around the backyard to wear off their energy or a game of fetch to tire them out.

Personally, if I were you I would go for the yorkie (even though I love my Brittany) because I think that your dog will be happier with a yorkie who doesn't bug her or take you away from her too much, where a brittany may be a bit more of a handful, and a bit more of a pain to your westie.

Good luck choosing a puppy!

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how can i train my dog to live normally inside the house?

anne

my labrador has lived her entire life outside (in the garden/backyard inside a doghouse). we are planning to build a new house and i want her to actually sleep in my room. but of course, since shes not adapted to that, how can i train her to be normal with that environment? because she might destroy the things in the room and stuff (something she so cant do outside lol cause theres nothing there except for plants)
shes 3 years old :)

Answer
This takes time and patience. Your dog doesn't know the house rules and you may need to take your time to train him how to behave. Probably you should use a crate to help you train him. Also you don't have to hurt him to correct a bad behavior just a simple strong NO! will show him when something is wrong, if he does something right you should give him a treat and if he does the something wrong again a simple now or hit a news paper in your hand will let him know. Also the crate has to be big enough for your dog o move an turn but not to big. Dogs doesn't pee or poop where they sleep so they won't do it in the crate. If he behave you can let him in the house, if he doesn't just put him back for a while in the crate and he would understand that if he behave he wold be abble to stay out. Also here is some info on house breaking:

WHOâS REALLY THE BOSS?
Course 101 in Becoming the âAlphaâ
âIn the beginning, our puppy was very affectionate and just licked us, now he is starting to play very rough with us as soon as we walk in the door. Although no one has really been injured, he is grabbing our hands with his mouth so hard it is starting to hurt.â
âWhen I went into the kitchen, I found that my dog knocked over the trashcan and was eating the garbage. I went over to scold him and he growled at me. I thought he loved me. Why is he now growling at me?â
âOur dog loves us and is sweet most of the time, but any time that we try to make him do something we want him to do, he snaps at us.â
Are these all âbadâdogs? No. What all of the above dogs have in common is that they have all started on their way to be âalphaâ dogs. Even though the families love them very much, these dogs are following natureâs guide for becoming leaders of their packs. These dogs have easily learned that with a little assertiveness, they came be the real boss of the family!
Here are a few âdogâ body language signs to determine if you have an âalphaâ type dog.
1. Your dog jumps up on you or even puts his foot on you leg or on top of your foot, he is clearly telling you he is a higher pack member.
2. If, when you are walking him, you dog puts the leash in his mouth, he is telling you he is a higher pack member.
3. If he is dominant over food or toys, he is telling you that he is a higher pack member.
4. If he forces you to pet him frequently, he is telling you that he is a higher pack member.
All animals have prewritten internal programs, such as migratory birds, dogs or âcaninesâ have prewritten social pack social order programs. Similar to the military or corporate business structures with people, all canines must clearly see where they rank in your familyâs pack.
The leader of the pack is known as the âalphaâ or supreme boss. The big cheese of the pack is the first to eat, getting the best of everything when and where they want. The âalphaâ may be a male or female. The âalphaâ forces their demands on the rest of the pack through force and intimation.
Many dogs are very comfortable being lower members of your âpackâ or family. They always listen to all human members of the pack. Other dogs desire to have more say in the pack and will start not listen to certain members of your family. The dog generally will not listen to members of the pack who do not display confidence in themselves.
Many times we unintentionally tell our dogs that we want them to take over leadership of the pack from us. We do this by treating the dog as an equal. We sit on the floor with them, we feed them before we eat, and when we take the dog for a walk â we let the dog go where he wants. We think that by doing these things, he or she will realize how good they have it and how much we love them. In reality, it is just the opposite. It is like spoiling the child and the child then treating the parent with disrespect. Ironically, the smaller they are, the more that we tend to spoil and baby the dog. This makes the dog feel like he or she is expected to be the dominate one and that we want them to boss us around through aggression.
Many people admire many of the characteristics of an alpha dog. They are normally smarter than the average dog, they are affectionate when they want something, their aire of confidence makes them look very majestic, and 95% of the time they make us very proud. It is the 5% of the time that they suddenly turn into the worst dogs in the world!
In the animal kingdom, the leader of the pack does not have to answer to anyone. When the âalphaâ is forced to do something that they do not want to do, they will normally show their dislike for the situation through one or more of the following domino or stepped levels.
1. Intense stare.
2. Tensing of body language.
3. Brisling of hair
4. Growl.
5. Bite.
Just as the rattlesnake shakes the rattle at the end of itâs tail before it bites, all dogs go through the following five steps before they bite. Dogs never skip one of these steps. They might go through the steps very quickly, but ne

How to potty train a dog without using a crate?

Rena Fermi

Ok so I want to potty train my puppy girl so my mom won't sell it but I don't want to use a crate and pee pads, I want to take it outside to pee or let it pee on the newspaper! Please answer!!!

Answer
The best method for training ANYTHING is Positive Reinforcement (+R) +R uses Praise and Treats or Praise and a special toy that is ONLY used for training. When your pup or dog does a behavior you want them to do...such as going potty when you have taken them outside, YOU Praise and Treat them the moment they have finished going potty. You can even SAY..."Oh GOOD DOG!" the moment they squat and START to go potty. Of course if your pup is a little shy, don't yell out the praise, tone it down a little and sound very happy, proud of your smart little pup, just not too loud. If your pup is quite "full of himself" a real "happy-happy, joy-joy personality, you can be a bit more excited without scaring the pup or dog.

If you want to really set your young pup up for success, YOU initiate trips outside to start, till they advance enough to learn to âtell you.â I suggest with pups 8 to 12 weeks of age that they be given a chance to go out every time they transition from one activity to another.

This means: they wake upâ¦.go out, eatâ¦go out, playâ¦.go out, take a nap and wake up againâ¦you got itâ¦they go out! Young puppiesâ bodies are not developed enough to hold it, but a short time.

THE FORMULA: number of months old + 1 hour is about how long your pup
MIGHT successfully âhold it.â (3 month old puppy + 1 hr = 4 hours MIGHT HOLD IT)

This does not mean that an older dog can keep from having an accident for over eight, ten or twelve hours. A dog/puppy/for that matter, anyone, drinking a healthy amount of water and eating a healthy amount of food, will need to GO POTTY in a reasonable time frame. How long can YOU hold it, if you are drinking and eating normal, healthy amounts? I would bet youâd want to visit a bathroom for something during an eight hour time period!

The Formula is merely a guideline as to the development of your puppyâs body ability. Itâs not written in stone. If you are crate training your pup, it gives you a reasonable time
frame to consider if you or someone needs to visit the pup during the workday for a mid-day potty break or two.

Crates, Baby Gates and a Tether are just tools to help you and help set your dog up for success. The Baby Gate can keep your puppy contained in a puppy proofed safe room with an easy to clean floor. The crate is NOT a punishment, but is supposed to be your puppy's own personal place to sleep or be safely contained when you need to be away from home for a few hours. The Tether is what you can attach to yourself and your puppy so that you are totally aware of where the pup is and can easily look up and check on what the puppy is doing at any given time.

If you allow an untrained puppy or dog to run loose in the house without CONSTANTLY watching it, you WILL have accidents, they can't help it. So, that is why we take advantage of "tools" to help set the puppy up for success in NOT having accidents all over the house.

You don't HAVE TO use a crate, but using one helps you to keep your puppy or dog from having accidents when you must be gone from the house. That's all.

A copy of POTTY 101 is listed in my source below, it's what I give my clients for House Training. Small change..do not use garlic on anything any time, it can build up to toxic levels with dogs. I'm in the process of updating this document.

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what breed of dog is easiest to crate train?

gangie49

we are looking for a new puppy, but would love an easy crate train
we are looking for a small, lap dog that is very loveable and enjoys being mostly inside

Answer
If trained properly and slowly and done right any dog will crate train. Dogs are den animals so most will take to it quite well as long as you don't intend to leave him in there all day long, crates should only be used for short stays of up to 4 hours more than that is cruel.

Good luck

EDIT: If you purchase from a petstore where it's been crated since arriving don't expect it to housebreak using the crate, remember, they've been trained to go where they live because they have no other choice. You can crate it but it will poop and pee there.

Dog chews any bedding in his crate, anything out there indestructible that he can sleep on?

BroCade Ma

I have a 9 month old Labmaraner that loves to chew .... he is finally good outside of his cage. Doesn't chew carpet, wood flooring, shoes, ect anymore.

Thing is, we live in a very small home and he wakes us up every couple of hours at nigh, while in his cage from hearing his claws, dog tag, to him plopping on the ground.

Having his bed or a rug down really masks it .... thing is, he eats it. He ate his bed & the stuffing.

We just put down a piece of carpet yesterday .... were gone for ohhh two hours today at church came home and it was all torn up. I even gave him a brand new, large pig rawhide bone to chew on while we were gone, which was gone too when we got back.

What can I put in there that he wont eat? Do I need to get a muzzle? But, I don't want to because I like to give him toys & a bone when we leave so he has something to do.

Someone has told me about Apple bitter spray ? Does that work/and is safe?

Answer
These are mouthing & chewing breeds - any bird or hunting dog is. That means NO stuffed bedding EVER. It also means you means you need to satisfy your dog's desire to chew. Your issues are likely more than what bedding you should use - you need to address the underlying causes. Focus on these three things:

1. turn your dog into a chewtoy maniac.

Use kongs - they're natural rubber and virtually indestructible. Buy these three 4 products as a start: classic kongs (by 2 or 3); kong stuffaball; kong genius and the kong bone. Stuff the kong classics (kibble, treats, peanut butter, yogourt, etc) moisten and freeze. Pop these in the crate whenever you go out, or even when you're home.

Give him the the stuffaball and the genius periodically - at least one or the other per day. Use a mixture of kibble and the odd special treat, e.g. freeze dried liver. He will push them all over the house to get the treats out. Pick them up when he's done so he doesn't get bored of them. Stuff the kong bone with peanut butter and treats. These toys satisfy his need to chew, but they also test him mentally because he needs to work to get the food out.

Pet Stages also makes a good rubber & rope toy and a few others that your dog will enjoy - just make sure they are indestructible. These toys and the kong bone you can leave out, like in a small toy tray. What'll happen is your dog will seek these toys out when he feels a need to chew.

Just keep at it with your dog and he'll focus on these toys - he'll seek them out when he feels a need to chew. That means he won't chew your home or belongings (although he'll likely always be attracted to stuff with a your heavy scent, e.g. socks, underwear).

2. Exercise: your dog has a lot of energy and must be exercised - walk / run for MINIMUM of 1.5 hrs day at this age. The more tired he is the less anxious and the less he'll chew. If you don't have time, get a dogwalker.

3. Watch for separation anxiety. This is a known issue with Weims. He'll chew to relieve anxiety. Does he whine and bark when you go out or when you put him in his crate? The best way to avoid or mitigage separation anxiety is 1 and 2 above. Don't make a fuss over him when entering and exiting your house - try and turn it into a non-event for the dog. You can even practice entering and exiting. E.g go out the front door and come in the back.

Finally, don't use any bedding until you're sure this issue is under control. It could kill him. If you feel you can risk it, don't use a bed per se - use a mat. There are couple of excellent products on the market - we have a mat for winter (dark color, more plush) and a mat for summer (light color, less plush).

Re bitter apple: it's fine and yes it works with most dogs, but not really intended for a dog's bedding - because your dog sleeps on that bedding. Use it on items around your house.

Good luck - I bet your dog is a great dog outside of this small problem.

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whats your dogs canadian/american kennel club name?

Miss Melis

I'm trying to explain to a customer who is french about picking the name( i dont speak french). i'm going to run them through a translator, but i need some examples for him. so, whats your dogs show name?

Answer
I will not give out any Kennel names here or what breed/breeds of dogs these are. Just remember that the Kennel name is first: Examples:
(Kennel name) Seabourn Spirit
Spirit "N the Skye
Tootsie Roll
Absolute Justice
Khar Ben Kopy
Patrick Swayze
Sidecar Harley
Love E U N Red
Willow Dancer
Elite Edition Holly

..i would like to register my dogs(pugs)can you pls help me think of a kennel name?

arleen

Answer
Kennel names, or affixes, are a very individual thing. I chose mine from a place name (actually the Roman equivalent of a town we had lived in in the UK, before moving to Canada - sadly as there is no reciprocal agreement between Kennel Clubs, that affix had been taken by somebody else on our return to the UK so we had to think of another!!). Others will use a combination of their two names (if there are two people involved). And so on. So sorry, I can't help you.

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I have heard that you should not get a crate that is too big for your dog. Is this true?

Sherlock

What would be considered too big? my 6 month old german shep/lab puppy weighs 50-55 pounds but he is supposed to get bigger so we got him a crate meant for 60-90 pounds. Is this fine? He only sleeps in it at night he is not in it during the day.
He is already completely potty trained, I got him from a rescue and they potty trained him so I do not have to worry about him going to the bathroom in it. It is not significantly bigger than him. Do I still need to block of one end?
He is already crate trained so he likes his crate and we put him in right when we go to bed at around 10-11 and take him out first thing when we get up. We put a large sheet over the top.

Answer
1 - The crate should never be used for punishment. That is the fastest way to guarantee your pup will hate the crate. Remember that fact when you are tempted to force the pup in the crate when you are upset with him/her for making a pile, puddle or tearing up something. Remember when the pup does behavior like that, you failed to keep close enough watch on the pup. 2 - The crate should be large enough that when your dog is grown there will be room to sit, stand, turn around and stretch out fully.You may want to get a smaller crate for when she is a pup or get a crate that comes with a partition to block off a small area for the pup. Don't allow him room enough to turn a corner of the crate into a toilet. 3 - The crate should be an inviting place. Dogs are den animals, they like a den to call their own. It is their safe place, where they go to chill out, to take a nap. Or to get away from something that may be scares them a little, like the vacuum, thunder or arguing humans. Some dogs like a blanket or large towel draped over their crate to give it that cave effect. Keep the crate with the family,not stuck in the basement or garage. Dogs are pack animals and her family is now her pack. While the pup is being house trained do not use a thick absorbent pad for the bottom of the crate. You don't want something that will easily soak up all the pee. Maybe just use a towel at first. When the pup is no longer eliminating in his crate then you can put in more comfortable bedding. Most dogs like a blanket as they can bumble it up, do their nesting. Put a good chew toy in the crate. One they can not get chunks off. Put a couple of treats in the crate, make it inviting. Praise the pup for going in. 4 - Lure your pup into his crate, do not push him in. Forcing her in could cause a dislike of the crate as it will be a negative experience. After the pup has went in and out of the crate a few times and seems okay with it, not apprehensive, you can close the door when she goes in. Leave it closed, with you in the room, for about 10 minutes. Open the door when the pup is not whining. If he starts whining, wait for the whining to stop before you open the door. If you let her out while protesting you will quickly teach "whine and you come out". Not the message you want to send. As the pup gets used to the 10 minutes add another 10, and so on. When the pup is comfortable with short stays in the crate start leaving the room for short intervals 5 - While being house trained your pup should not have the run of the house. The pup should either be right with you so you can see what he is doing or crated. Some people leash the pup to them.If you are in the kitchen and the pup is in the front room, don't blame the pup for that pile or puddle you find. You were not watching close enough. Put the pup where she can not see you and clean up the mess with an enzyme cleaner. If the pup sees you cleaning the mess it will give the idea that is your job. It's okay if they see you pick up outside, but not inside. The enzyme cleaners eliminate the odor, not cover it up. You want to eliminate the smell. You can't cover it to where the dog can't smell it. Just because you can't smell it doesn't mean the dog can't. 6 - As you, and the pup, progresses make sure you use the crate some when you are home, not just when leaving the house. When you do have to leave give the pup a good long walk so she can do the deeds then have him go in the crate about 10 minutes before you go. Do not do long good-byes, reassuring the pup she will be okay. It will have the reverse effect telling the pup something is wrong. When you come home, no big immediate greeting. Ignore the pup for 10 minutes before letting him out. You don't want the pup thinking your coming and going is a big deal. 7 - To help reinforce that the crate is a good experience feed the pup her meals in the crate. Be sensitive to the pups needs, don't leave him in the crate longer than that little bladder can be controlled. At night you will have to get up and take the pup out. They can only hold their bladder for roughly 1 hour for each month of age. A 3 month old pup can hold herself roughly 3 hours. Rule of thumb, some maybe a little longer, some maybe a little less. The smaller the breed, the smaller the bladder. Do not leave the pup longer than he can wait, then be upset because there is a mess. Your fault, not the pups. 8 - Teach your pup a verbal command for getting in the crate. You pick how involved you want the command to be. Remember to when
giving a command, any command, preface it with the pups name. Do not repeat commands. That gives your dog the choice of when to respond. When she goes in give a treat and praise. 9 - Do not leave toys in the crate they can chunk pieces off and choke on. Remember rawhides are choke hazards, if you allow them do not leave the pup unattended with them. Remove your dogs collar while crated.

Hoping to fly my dog from Tampa to Dallas- help?

:)

I have never flown with my dog before, but plan on doing so in the next few weeks. I am flying from Tampa to Dallas, and have a Shiba Inu / Chow mix that weighs about 55-60 lbs. I was planning on finding a crate that fits under a window seat for Southwest Airlines, which is 19"L x 14"W x 8.25"H.
What I am wondering is, will a dog of her weight fit in a crate of that size? She's a medium sized dog and can be easily picked up, but am worried that I will buy the crate and then find out she does not fit. HELP!

Answer
a 55 lb dog will not be allowed in the cabin, only in cargo. I believe the weight limit for in cabin is like 15 maybe 20 pounds, if that.

no crate that a dog that size could fit in will ever fit under a seat. any animal must be able to stand up and turn around completely. the smallest pet carriers are the ones that fit. nothing larger.

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