Crate Training Tips - Absolutely Necessary Requirements For a Dog Crate

The following are the minimum requirements for a dog crate. Cheap out on any one of them and either you or your pup will suffer the consequences.

Get the right size crate for the grown up version of the puppy.
This gets difficult if you have a mutts. As puppies, Alvin and Simon, both Cockapoos, were forecast to be 15 and 20 pounds, respectively. As grown dogs, they are 22 and 29 pounds. We got a small crate for dogs under 25 pounds. Simon does not fit in this crate.

Make sure the crate comes with dividers.
As the puppy grows, you move the divider to accommodate the pup's bigger size. The dog should be able to stand up and turn around in the crate.

A slide out tray is a must-have attribute.
A crate is much easier to clean if the tray slides out. The point of crate training is that you will not need to clean up poop and pee, but the one time you come home a little later than expected, you may have clean up duty.

The crate should fold up easily for storage and travel.
If it does not fold up, it will take up more space than you might want. Larger crates that don't fold up won't usually fit in a standard four-door sedan.

More Crate Selection Tips
A wire crate should work perfectly. Alvin chews everything and because he is half Bichon Frise, he has jaws of steel. He tried to chew through the wire, but it stood up to his abuse. It is not necessary to buy a plastic or wood crate unless you think one made of these materials fits your decor better than wire. You can even buy a crate that doubles as a coffee table, but that might cause problems when you have a party!

Onto The Main Event

Now that you know how to pick out a crate, start off crate training knowing the rules. Read these lenses BEFORE you start the training:

http://www.squidoo.com/dog-and-puppy-crate-training-tips
http://www.squidoo.com/More-Crate-Training-Tips