Choosing the Right Crate for Your Dog

A crate can be one of the most beneficial tools for any dog owner. It provides a great way to help housetrain your dog and a way to keep your dog safe when they are not being monitored, among many other benefits. The crate can be an asset to any pet owner, but choosing the right one for your dog can be a daunting task. There are many different types of crates on the market, so which crate is right for your pet?

Wire Crate

Pros

• The wire crate allows for great ventilation, which is especially important in warm climates. It is also good for dogs that tend to get hot easily.
• Most wire crates now come with the option of a wire divider. This allows you to expand the crate as your puppy grows into it.
• Wire crates come with a tray in the bottom, which means easy cleaning since the surface can be removed and wiped down.

Cons

• Some dogs may find it easy to escape from a wire crate.
• Large crates can be big, heavy and difficult to move.

Hard Plastic

Pros

• This crate is perfect for dogs that like to cozy up in a corner.  It is made out of hard plastic and allows for the perfect spot to cuddle.
• If you plan on any airline travel for your dog, this is the crate that all airlines require.
• Since the sides are made of solid plastic, it is typically the most difficult of all standard crates for your dog to escape from.

Cons

• The crate is made of plastic, therefore is bulky and takes up a lot of room. It also doesn’t collapse as nicely as other crates.
• The crate isn’t ventilated as well as other options, so it isn’t designed to be used in warm climates or with dogs that tend to overheat easily.

Soft Sided Crate

Pros

• Perfect for on-the-go travel, these crates collapse down and are lightweight.

Cons

• Since they are made of fabric, they are easily destructible, making them better for smaller dogs and dogs who are already crate trained.
• These crates feature a zipper instead of a standard closure. It can be possible for some dogs to figure out how to escape by unzipping the crate.

Heavy Duty Crates

Pros

• If you have a dog that is a destructive chewer, it might be necessary to buy them a heavy duty crate. These crates are reinforced in order to prevent your dog from escaping.

Cons

• Since the crates are reinforced, they are typically bulky and very expensive.

Choosing the right crate for your dog can be easy, as long as you know what your dog’s needs are and how you intend on using the crate. Take the time to find the right crate and to crate train your dog properly. 

Crate Expectations

So your puppy is doing great. Your pooch is crate trained and is not  having accidents in the house. Now the question is when is it okay to leave your puppy out of the crate when you leave the house or go to sleep? Whether it’s housebreaking, chewing or getting into things, you have to resolve the issue before your dog can roam around your house unsupervised. 

A good rule of thumb is for your pooch to go eight months incident free before letting your dog out of their crate unsupervised.  This means your dog should go an entire eight months without the specific issue. For a dog with housebreaking issues, this means eight months without having an accident in the house. For dogs with a chewing issue, your dog needs to go that period of time without attempting to chew on anything they shouldn’t while under your supervision. Same goes for getting into things; if this is the issue you have with your dog, they need to go that long without attempting to get into things while you are watching them.

The key to successfully having your dog crate-free in your house while you are away is making sure you start with small increments of time. This would entail leaving your dog home alone for no longer than an hour at first, and gradually building up to longer periods of time. Once they grow used to the hour alone, slowly extend the amount of time they are left out of the crate by themselves. At the beginning, your dog should still be confined, even though they are not being crated. This could mean letting them out of the crate, but leaving them in a gated space, such as the kitchen. It’s important to not let your dog have free roam of your entire house right away. Once your pooch has worked their way up to long periods of time in a confined area, you can then begin to give them free reign in other areas of the house. Again, with this transition, you want to start off with small periods of time and work your way back up to longer times. 

When it comes to letting your dog sleep out of the crate, the same eight months free of an accident rule still applies. Remember that you are sleeping, which would allow your dog plenty of time to explore unsupervised. 

While the biggest step in this process requires your dog to behave, you can also help by setting them up for success in their new, more spacious environment. Make sure there are not things around for your dog to easily access. If you had housebreaking issues, make sure your pet goes out before you leave or before you go to bed. If you have a dog that chews, make sure that you have Kongs and chew toys for them to keep their mouths occupied. Always pet-proof your house before you leave by putting away things that could cause problems for your pet, such as garbage and household chemicals. 

Leaving your dog alone is a process, and if your dog has an accident during this process, it’s best to go back to square one. This means if your dog has an accident, you need to return them to the crate the next time you leave, and again at night, until they go another eight months without an accident. Though this can be a long process, it will be worth it so you feel comfortable enough to leave your dog home alone and when you go to bed at night without worrying that they will have an accident. 

We know that life is busy and you may not have the time to go through this process. Morris K9 Campus offers customized puppy housebreaking and training to work around your schedule and help make this training process a little easier.

Road Trip - Helping Your Anxious Dog in the Car

So you want to get outside with your dog? There are so many options for outdoor fun as the weather warms up, but the problem may be that you have a dog that doesn’t enjoy car rides. Getting there is certainly NOT half the fun if your dog shows signs of stress, barks out the window or even vomits. Working to solve your dog’s issues in the car can be beneficial to both you and your pooch.
 

Try to determine what it is about the car that is causing your dog’s stress. Though you may never know what the exact issue is, there are always methods of improving the car ride. Some dogs will do better riding in crates, some can do better in a fixed position with a dog seat belt, and some might even need a frozen Kong in the car in order to keep the visual stimulus down. You can experiment to find out what works best for your furry family member before taking your dog on longer trips.

Start by getting your dog used to the car. Whether you have a puppy or an older dog, there are steps that you can take to help them adjust. If you have a puppy that is in its socialization window, which is before 20 weeks, it’s important to get your dog in the car as much as possible. Bring your puppy with you when making short trips. If you are running to the bank or picking your kids up from school, take them with you on these trips to get them used to the car. With puppies, you have the added benefit of adding different environments to your “socialization checklist” when bringing your dog in the car to run quick errands. Every place you bring them is a new environment that will help increase their confidence outside the home.

This process can be slightly different when dealing with adult dogs. For dogs that are afraid of the car, short trips as simple as driving around the block are key. Just once around the block and heading back home can help your dog better adjust to the car. It’s also important to end the short car trip with something that your dog loves, like a long walk. This method can also work for a dog that gets an upset stomach when riding in the car. The idea is to keep the ride short, and again end it with something that your dog goes crazy for, like a walk. This needs to be continued until your pet seems “over it,” and then you can begin starting longer trips with your dog. This process can be done with any dog that is having any type of problem in the car.
 

If your dog is clearly stressed out in the car, the best thing you can do is work on it over time. However, if you are looking for other things to help, they could benefit from the following:

• A Crate: Crates are a great tool for the car and can take some of the stimulus away that could be causing your dog‘s stress, like movement or sounds out the window. They can also serve as a safety measure; keeping your dog in a crate or in a single position through the use of a seat belt can help reduce risk of injury should you have an accident or even just need to slam on your breaks.

• Rescue Remedy: There are pheromone sprays similar to ones that a mother dog would naturally produce in order to help calm her puppies. These “Rescue Remedies” can be sprayed in your car in order to help your pooch calm down. Remember that it’s not a cure, but it can help your dog quite a bit.

• Thundershirt: The thundershirt is designed to help calm your dog by making them feel more secure. It’s important to first put the thundershirt a few weeks prior during feeding times and other random “good” times. You don’t want to just use the shirt as a way to calm your dog down. If you only put the shirt on the dog when they are going in the car, they will begin to associate the shirt with the car, which could hamper its effectiveness.

If your dog vomits in the car, there are steps that you can take in order to prepare them for the car ride. Don’t feed them before they go for a car ride, and make sure they aren’t consuming a large quantity of water before getting in the car. Keep a cleaning agent with you just in case, and remember that it is easier to clean up if your dog is in a crate.

With the weather heating up, it’s keep in mind your dogs safety when being left alone in a hot car. A car’s interior heats up very quickly, even in lukewarm weather and with the windows down. If it’s 70 degrees or hotter outside, it is definitely too hot to leave your dog in the car alone, even for a short period of time.

Remember to address the issues that your dog has in the car before your drive. You should never address an issue while you are driving; not only does it put you and your dog in danger, it also endangers other people on the road. By addressing your dog’s fears and stress prior to the trip, you can help improve the car ride for yourself and your dog, and move on to enjoying outdoor activities together.

How Do I House-Train My Newly Adopted Dog?

Unfortunately dogs typically don’t come from shelters or breeders house-trained, and it is important to immediately begin working on the behavior once you get your new dog home. It is also unreasonable to think that a dog coming from rescue, that is stated as house-trained, will immediately come into your home knowing what to do. The sooner you can put your pooch on a potty schedule the higher the success rate will be.

A dog that is not house-trained is the number one reason why dogs are returned or end up in shelters. However, house-training is something with a little structure can usually be solved; it is up to the owner to implement the right tools. When potty training your dog, it is important to keep long term goals in mind, whether your goal is to train your dog to make it a few hours or longer period of time while at work. Once you have a specific goal in mind, you can then put a plan in place to obtain it.

Creating and following a schedule will help them be successful. Dogs tend to do things routinely so a schedule is essential. This means feeding your dog at the same time every day, as well as potty them at the same time every day. When you begin potty training it’s important to notice trends, so for example if your dog eats at the same time every day, chances are they will use the bathroom at the same time as well. It’s important to also realize that puppies will not be able to hold it as long as adult dogs, and no adult dog should be expected to hold it longer than six hours.

Remember that the crate is your friend; a crate can be a great tool that can help facilitate potty training. It gives the dog the capacity to physically and reasonably build their ability to “hold” their urges. However, dog doors are not your friend; they are not the solution to your house-training problem, they might be the reason for it. Dog doors give no structure to your dog’s potty plan and it can be an unsafe situation when a dog is outside unsupervised.

Your dog counts on you to set them up for success. Be realistic about your expectations and understand that adjusting to a new home, new routine, and new lifestyle takes time. Plus, Morris K9 Campus is always here to help!

February is Responsible Pet Owner Month

February is responsible pet owner month, and to kick it off we are starting with your young four-legged friends.

So you just brought your new puppy home. The question is what makes a responsible pet owner and what can you do to allow your canine friend to live their best life? It is important to realize owning a dog is a long term commitment and should not be taken lightly. It’s also important to choose the right type of dog that is conducive your life style. Consider the time you have and the space available as well. Make sure you are prepared at home before bringing a new dog home.

Socialization is a key because as a puppy your dog will gain experiences that will determine what type temperament your dog will have as an adult. Morris K9 Campus offers a free puppy class on Saturdays, which is aimed at providing your dog a place where they will be introduced to anything that they may encounter in their adult life. It’s not only important to socialize your dog, but it’s extremely important to socialize your dog properly. The free puppy class provides the opportunity, to social your pooch in a controlled setting.

Puppy Dos and Don’ts:

Do:

• Do Train: Begin training your dog when they are a puppy, it’s better to train so you don’t have problems, rather than beginning once the problem occurs.

• Do Take your Puppy Everywhere: Introduce your dog to as many social situations as possible, keep in mind that a well socialized dog doesn’t just mean a dog that plays well with other dogs, it includes interactions with different people and social situations.

• Do Puppy Proof your House: It’s important to puppy proof your house, sure that anything eye level and below if your dog is standing on its hind legs.

Don’t:

• Don’t Scold your Puppy: It’s important not to frighten your puppy, instead of scolding them for bad behaviors, teach them proper behaviors.

• Don’t Leave your Puppy at Home: An under socialized puppy, can create a fearful adult dog.

• Don’t Leave your Puppy Alone Unsupervised: It’s important that if you puppy is unsupervised they are kept in a crate. It makes sure that your puppy stays out of trouble, so you can breathe easy when you leave them home alone.
Remember that being a responsible dog owner is the key to having a good pooch. It’s important to find the right dog for your life style and it’s your responsibility to help your puppy become a great dog. All Febuary long we will be looking at ways to help people become more responsible pet owner, so check back next week for more advice.

Three Most Important Things to Know About Housetraining Your Puppy

1. Crate Training***

The crate is one of the most important training tools in the development of your puppy. Some benefits are:

• If used as a training tool combined with a schedule, it makes potty training very easy.

1. It allows you to schedule and monitor patterns of bathroom habits
2. It helps your dog learn where going to the bathroom is acceptable
3. It reinforces housebreaking in such a way that it builds their ability and capacity to “hold it” when they are alone for longer

• A crate helps your dog learn how to self-soothe or gaining the ability to calm themselves and find comfort in being alone.

• It provides essential management during the “chewing” phase. 

Piper is getting the reward of playtime because she went to the bathroom outside successfully.

 2. Feeding Schedule

Having a regular feeding schedule is vital for the puppy and human when trying to housetrain:

• A feeding schedule and bathroom breaks should be timed together - realistically scheduled around the owners life schedule



• It gives you a bathroom “time period”, alternative to a dog that may go to the bathroom at any hour of the day unpredictably

• This helps predict when number two will most likely happen

3. Routine/Consistency

Dogs thrive on routine. Many things that a puppy experiences and learn will carry through the rest of their lives. This is essential because:

• It makes a distinct potty pattern for your dog

• It becomes a method of “accident prevention”


• It takes away confusion of outside vs. inside bathroom habits as to what is allowed and what’s not

• If you live in a multi-person household it is imperative that a routine is followed so that every member can follow it and leave no room for unplanned accidents.

Morris K9 Campus offers a Monday to Friday weekly program to help do this for you. Call us at 973-252-5100 for more information or visit http://www.morrisk9campus.com/puppy_housebreaking.asp.


Caesar taking time out for a quick photo.



***Keep in mind that Morris K9 Campus recommends that no adult dog should be crated for more than six (6) hours. Depending on a puppy’s age, we recommend that you follow the one (1) hour per every month of age method, based on housetraining progress. Adjustments may need to be made based on how well or not your puppy is doing with their potty training.