Caging Your Dog

One of the pleasures of owning a dog is raising it from a tiny puppy so that it becomes used to your home, you and your ways.

Many people recoil in ‘horror’ of the word – cage. No, you are not being cruel and unkind to your dog, you are giving him his own special place, his home.

A puppy is meant to be a pleasure to you. It is most important to have the cage ready when your puppy arrives in your home for the first time. This is going to be his home and your ‘life-saver’.

Put a square of Vet bedding or a dog blanket in the cage. Put some chewy toys in the cage for him/her to play with. These will need to be toys that are sturdy, and quite literally ‘chewable’, so that he cannot bite any pieces off and do himself damage if these pieces are swallowed. He will learn that this is his domain. He will learn to like it and expect to be put in the cage when necessary.

If, when you let him out of the cage and he tries to chew one of your possessions, quickly say ‘No’ and give him one of his own toys. You must be firm about this.

Do not use the cage as his punishment quarters or sin bin. Don’t tell him off when it is necessary to put him in his cage, just treat it as a normal occurrence. This is his home where he will sleep at night – his private domain. He will feel secure in his ‘home’ and he will learn to respect yours.

Dogs love to feel accepted into your home and sometimes the best way to make your new dog feel comfortable is to provide a place for the dog to go where it can feel secure. You may also need to confine your dog to the cage when you leave your home or when you go to bed.