What are your views on using crates?
We believe the crates are almost an essential part of dog training and daily life; we have crates for each one of our dogs. When used properly, a crate is not a negative place where the dog is "locked up"; the key to this is to not use it as punishment.
One of the key things to remember when using a crate as part of the potty training process, is to make sure the puppy doesn't have too much room in his or her crate. It's best to use a divider, put a box in the crate, etc. If the puppy has too much room, they will go to the bathroom on one side of the crate, and then live on the other. Dogs do not want to soil their own environment, so by limiting their space, you're forcing them to hold it, which benefits house training.
We generally crate all of our dogs when we are not home; we found that this is the easiest way to guarantee that no personal property is damaged while you are away. Dogs need a lot of sleep anyhow, and this is the perfect opportunity.
We own a couple different crates, but our preference is the MidWest Homes for Pets Dog Crate. The double-door adds a bit of flexibility in how/where it's positioned for just a couple dollars more than the single-door. The 36-inch should be sufficient for most of our puppies, but the 42-inch may provide a bit more room for some of the full-size boys if desired.
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