Pet cages
Pet cages save you grief, and most animals like them!
What do you do if you want to have your dog indoors, but it is not fully house-trained? How can you be sure your new pet won't tear up the carpet or eat the sofa when you go to work?
Unless you don't work, have lots of spare time to supervise a pooch or enough money for a private trainer, you may be in trouble. The obvious solution is to have a safe and comfortable area for your pet that is immune to destruction and improper elimination. Many pet owners use airline carriers or cages to solve this problem.
Professional trainers, handlers and hunters have used crates and cages for years.
Animal care professionals and hobbyists accept crates and cages, but some pet owners still believe that a crate somehow harms the animal's psyche. In reality, dogs and cats are notorious for curling up for many hours at a time in small, dark, quiet spaces. A little positive reinforcement for entering and remaining in the crate can go a long way toward making such confinement a pleasant experience.
One of the best uses for a crate is to create an "accident-free zone" for your puppy. When you cannot watch the pup closely, confinement in a crate allows you to be sure the animal has not eliminated. When you do take the pup outside you can be sure that it will need to eliminate and you can be prepared to positively reinforce the correct behavior.
The amount of time you may keep an animal in a crate each day should be determined by what you are trying to achieve. an average of eight hours confinement a day can be safely maintained almost indefinitely. Longer period can cause problems.
Consistently requiring a dog to hold its fluid for 10 or more hours daily can lead to bladder infections and other disorders. Another danger to long periods of confinement is that the animal may eliminate out of desperation. Once an animal has lost its inhibition against soiling in the crate it is difficult to correct the problem.
Crates and cages are available in a variety of forms. Aluminum flight kennels can resist almost any type of abuse, but tend to be hot in warm weather. Heavy wire cages allow air to circulate, but tend to rust in wet climates and do not afford protection from the elements. A compromise between these two is the hard plastic kennel with a heavy wire door. These plastic crates have become the industry standard. An additional benefit to enclosed crates of metal or plastic is that they may stacked on top of each other while traveling or at home.
Another advantage of plastic crates is that they can be easily disassembled for storage. The top of the crate fits inside the bottom to form a compact shell. They are also easier to clean and sterilize.
Prices range from $21 for an inexpensive cat carrier to more than $500 for an aluminum carrier big enough for a Saint Bernard. Plastic crates for small to x-large dogs range from $40 to $125. Crates are available through Noah's Ark.
Some tips for using a carrier:
Information source
Animal Care Home Page
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