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The quality of your dog’s crate is something that should be taken into careful consideration
By Helen Ledford
After all, dogs are naturally denning animals, and they need a place within your home where they can feel safe, protected, and secure. Having walls on all sides allows them to rest assured that potential threats won’t sneak up on them as they let their guard down to get some rest.
The truth is, the main concepts of crate training are often misunderstood. It’s not about locking your dog up when they misbehave, nor keeping them contained when you need to leave the house for a while. Rather, it’s about giving your dog a home that is truly theirs, so that they can learn to respect it and ultimately develop more respect for your family’s home as a whole. It goes without saying then that you should put some thought into the crate you buy for your pup. You want something that will be able to appropriately designed to accommodate them for the years ahead.
It All Starts With Size
When you’re evaluating different crates to bring home for your pet, perhaps the most important factor to take into account is how large your dog will be as a full-grown adult.
You’ll find many articles citing the fact that an over-sized crate can cause problems for your dog, mostly having to do with housebreaking. While there is certainly truth to these statements, do not get confused and think you need to buy a crate that is appropriately sized for your puppy as they are currently sized. It’s no question that dogs grow up fast. If you are truly concerned with having a crate appropriately sized for your puppy, it probably makes sense to buy a more affordable, temporary crate for now and invest in a high-quality crate when they get closer to their full-grown adult size.
That said, if you have a fairly small breed such as a Dachshund or Pomeranian, there is probably not much point in buying a heavy duty dog crate for them. The wear and tear that they are likely to put on it throughout their lifetime is fairly minimal. For medium and large breeds, however, there are many reasons why you would want to consider a heavy duty dog crate over something more standard – and they are not limited solely to the build quality.
Benefits of a Heavy Duty Dog Crate
Beyond the obvious benefits of a sturdy build construction that will withstand your dog’s use for many years to come, a heavy duty dog crate is also a perfect fit if your family travels by car frequently and brings the pup along for the trip. Heavy duty dog crates are almost always mounted on swiveling castors, making it easy not only to transport the crate from location to location, but also to move it around the home when you want to tidy up for guests or simply rearrange the furniture.
Another great feature found in many models of heavy duty dog crates is that the locking mechanisms are designed to be virtually escape proof. If you have guests over that are allergic to dogs or they are simply afraid of them you can keep your pet safely contained for a period of time – even if your pet is particularly clever with locking mechanisms as so many dogs are.
The last point I want to make is that because heavy duty dog crates are built to higher quality standards than your run-of-the-mill model, all of the other features that we’ve come to expect are simply more well thought out as well. For example, the catch trays that line the bottom of the crates are usually well made, easy to clean, and easy to access. When your dog inevitably makes a spill, sheds some hair, or otherwise, it’s dead simple to remove the tray, clean off the mess, and put it back in place in no time. Plus, if your dog is an incessant chewer, you’ll be confident that your crate was well made and will be able to withstand the abuse. Just hope you can find a chew toy that your dog prefers – it will be so much better for their teeth in the long run!
About the Author
Helen Ledford is an avid dog lover, blogger, and owner of The Pampered Pup. Her interests include dog training, premium dog supplies, and of course boutique dog clothing, costumes, and toys.
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