Review: Crates

*wood crate/bed image from costco.com* Some crates are more designed for the owner than the pet itself.

There is probably as many brands of crates out there as there are breeds of dogs. Some collapse for quick storage, some won't budge after they're set up. And then you have the color choices from a standard grey to hot pink with stripes. So which crate is really the best? After all one thing they do not offer are affordable crates. Here's a brief run down on my opinion on the most common crates available in most areas.

Soft Sided Travel Crates.

I have personally gone through 3 of these before I completely gave up on them. They are wonderful, easy to store and transport crates. The tension poles collapse allowing them to fold up into a storage bag, perfect for storage or throwing in the back of your car. They are pretty light as well making them easy to carry to a show while walking your dog. I found them to be pretty easy to use and equally easy to clean with a hose on a sunny day. But my dog also found it easy to tear off the zippers and claw apart the mesh within minutes. Despite my dog's need to eat these I still do recommend them for use in show like situations, but never for actual kenneling of your dog and definitely not for potty training.

Plastic Crates
These are by far my favorite option that is out there. First off they are easy to clean either by hosing them out or by using a pet safe solution and a towel. If your pet has an accident or gets sick the solid bottom walls contain the mess inside the crate, and not all over your floors and walls. The limited view from inside the crates recreates the feel of a natural den for the dog and also provides a sense of security for the dog. They are however not easy to move around once fully set up. I choose to toss the screws and bolts that attach the top to the bottom and use zip ties that I can simply cut to take it back apart (this of course is not airline safe if you need to ship your pet). You can also spend a wee bit more and buy crates that have quick connects instead of screws. I have not had as much trouble with dogs destroying these types of crates but it is possible. I would not recommend these crates for highly destructive pets. My mother's beagle was able to pull off her wire vent bars in a few hours, but my malinois has yet to put one scratch in his.

Wire Crates

Personally I would never spend a dime on these types of crates, all though they do have several advantages to them. They collapse and can easily fit under a couch or in the back of your car. Most of them come with an additional wire panel to size them properly for a growing puppy. The plastic tray bottom slides out without opening the main crate for easy cleaning, and most of them have more than one door which can be very convenient. But if your dog has an accident in one of these it is very likely the mess will quickly decorate any surroundings. Also they pose a high danger for pets. The openings allow for paws to easily get stuck. The plastic tray is easily chewed on (although some brands now carry metal trays for this reason), and I have seen numerous cases of dogs being able to pry the bars apart which can lead to many different injuries. Ask my mother's beagle who pried apart the top rows of bars and got her head stuck!

Now again these are all my personal opinions on the basic crate options that are out there. I was not paid by any crate makers to write this. Also note there are many more varieties out there that I have not listed, and only you can know what is best for your pet.

For more information on choosing and using a crate visit us at www.gatewayk9training.com .

Gateway Has Moved

Gateway K9 Training is no longer based in Florissant Missouri. We now are setting up shop in Dittmer Missouri off of Highway 30. Our new 6 acre location needs alot of work, but in the future we hope to open up a state of the art boarding and training facility to continue to meet the needs of our clients.

But what can you expect from Gateway now? As we settle into our new location we are not offering any inhome lessons at this time, but those should start back up later this summer. We are offering one on one private lessons at our location, and will shortly be opening up group classes depending on needs and demands.

Also we are offering limited Boarding Training stays in our home for your summer vacation needs.

Last month our main computer for maintaing our website crashed so our website most likely will not be reflecting these changes for a few more weeks. To see what's new please continue to visit this blog our our forum through the site.

You Can't Teach My Dog to do That!?!

I have heard the statement "You can't get my dog to do that!" many times during my career as a dog trainer. I believe that statement to be the biggest setback of almost every pet owner out there. The truth is, yes I can. And yes you can.

I remember one client who came into my office a few years back with a pit bull terrier and a hound mix. While we were talking I had my Australian cattle dog sitting quietly on her crate behind me. The prospective client joked that there's no way his two dogs would ever be able to behave that well. So I made him a bargain. If I could get his pit bull to do that he'd sign up right there for my group classes. Within 10 minutes his dog was mimicking my cattle dog, quietly sitting on a pet bed, and needless to say he signed on the dotted line.

Now this is not a testimony to how great my training skills are, although I would love it to be one. What I am getting to is that many owners deny their pets adequate training because they believe their dog can be no more than a disobedient family member. I have heard reasons stretching from their dog's breed, to age, to up-bringing to finances and back. But these are all just excuses.

There are circumstances that can affect training. In reality a dog's breed does have a lot of effect on how quickly a dog will learn, or what skills they will exceed at. For instance I would never ask a Maltese to herd long horn cattle. Sure we could train the dog to do it, and I've met some Maltese who believe they can... but why? And of course age and health also will change how the dog learns, but there is no task that is impossible.

Take my mother's beagle who just recently passed. We are talking about a full fledged, stubborn basic obedience drop out, only cares about food and rabbits, hound dog. She became a family member long before I had any interest in dog training. But to my surprise at the age of 14 she learned every trick my puppies were learning for my dog training classes. The secret was finding out how to motivate her. Before she passed this beagle could play dead, speak on command and do several other tricks.

To get back to my original point here is that any dog, of any breed and of any age can learn anything! But the owner must be dedicated to teaching the dog and be in for the long haul. And most importantly be able to know whether or not it is worth it, and in the best interest of his dog.

Keeping Your K9 Active and Happy in the Winter

The weather can put a damper on hours of outdoor fetch and walks, but there's still several ways to keep your pet active and happy without braving the outdoor weather. Here's a small list of ideas....

• Hide and seek in your home. Have family members hide in different areas of your home, armed with treats. Release your pet, and have him race around finding his lost friends. Try other variations such as hiding your pet's favorite toys or treats and helping him search your home to find them.
• Do Tricks! Even if your pet can't have a lot of physical exercise, brain work can do them just as well.
• Take your walks indoors. Visit your local pet store to get your daily walks in, even during the worst of weather.
• Weave polls indoors. Visit your local dollar store and stock up on 6 or so toilet plungers. Affix them to any tile floor, and weave away with your dog!

Of course these are just a few ideas to get you started. What activities do you and your pet enjoy during the winter months? Please leave a comment.

Welcome

Welcome to Gateway K9 Training's new blog. We hope to use this site for news, training tips, information and more. Please check back often as we update this page.