Dog Crates Consider Purchasing A Soft Side Dog Carrier For Your Needs

Dog Crates: Consider Purchasing A Soft Side Dog Carrier For Your Needs

Dog crates used to be available in only two styles: wired or plastic. Nowadays there are numerous designs, colors, and different material that make up a wide range of dog crates to choose from. Each dog carrier model has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending upon your needs.

Soft Sided Dog Carriers

One very popular type of dog crate is called the soft sided carrier. Soft sided dog carriers are easy to move around and extremely lightweight. Most models can fold up like a small suitcase whenever it is not in use. There is plenty of ventilation due to the mesh panels that are on the sides and front of the carrier. The floor is typically padded and the doors are shut securely by a zipper.

Soft sided dog carriers are great so long as your dog is inside while you are around. Otherwise, because of the material used, many dogs have been known to completely chew or claw their way out of the plastic mesh sides. If your dog gets a little rowdy with the tendency to chew and claw when left alone, then you may want to consider a different type of crate.

What Size Should You Get?

Soft sided crates are no different than any other type of dog crate when it comes to choosing the correct size. Just make sure that it is large enough so your dog can stand up on all fours without hitting its head. He must be able to turn around, stretch, and lie down.

Any size larger than that is not recommended, especially if you are still working on housetraining your dog. Having too much room inside the dog crate will cause your puppy to use the bathroom in the back without worrying about the mess. Remember that the point of crate training as used to housebreak a puppy is to give him no choice but to wait to be released from the crate in order to use the bathroom in the proper location.

You can certainly purchase a crate that is a little larger than what your puppy requires, but for maximum effectiveness you will need to adjust the space inside. Simply block off the back of the crate by inserting a block of wood or a box that is cut specifically for the area. Many crate manufacturers provide divider panels with their crates for those dog owners that may want to use the same crate for different sized dogs.

BONUS : Dog Crates – Why Using A Crate Is An Invaluable Dog Training Tool

Having the right dog crate when you start raising a new puppy is essential for various reasons. Some puppies do not yet know how to cope with large open spaces since they are new to the home and a perfect size dog crate can help calm him down. Dog crates are also a fantastic way to easily housebreak a puppy. All in all, a good dog crate is an invaluable training tool regardless of what type of puppy you have.

Dog crates are also a perfect solution to puppies that become overexcited. All you have to do is put your puppy inside the crate in order to help him relax. If your dog has to be left in the house unattended for a few hours, then having a crate is a stress-free way for you to be gone from the house and not worry about your puppy getting into trouble around the home or soiling the carpet.

Dog crates are also a great way to feed your puppy in case he becomes easily distracted. Simply put his food bowl inside and off he goes in an enclosed area where he can focus on eating his meal.

And here are a few more tips when it comes to using a dog crate:

1. Make sure that you get the appropriate size crate based on your dog's height and width. This is especially important if you are housebreaking your puppy with a dog crate. If the box is too large then your puppy may use the bathroom on one side, but keep sleeping on the other side, which defeats the purpose of crate training in terms of potty training.

2. If you have a fast-growing puppy, then consider buying a large crate that is meant for an adult dog but that has a divider built into it. This way you can divide the crate in half so that your puppy will be able to lie down comfortably and still be able to turn around if needed. A divided dog crate can also be used for your larger puppies by removing the division bracket.

3. One last aspect of using a dog crate that you should consider is the type of bedding that you place on the floor. Some dog owners have noticed that their puppies still use the bathroom inside even though the crate is the appropriate size for potty training. In most instances it turns out that the bedding that they laid down was a little too thick and had a tendency to induce urination in dogs. Instead, try to lay down less comfortable bedding that your dog does not consider to be used for urination, like newspaper for example.