I am getting a yellow lab/german shepard mix. I bought his crate to fit his current size because I was told the helps to keep him from eliminating in the crate. Is increasing in size as the puppy grows correct or should I buy for his expected full size right away?
Thanks
2006-09-08 08:53:17 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
Buy it for the expected full size of the dog and get crate dividers. They sell them right at the pet stores, sometimes they even come with the crate (sometimes called puppy dividers). It is true that they should not pee or defecate in their crate if it is small enough. But also remember puppies have to pee often. They can only hold one hour for every month they are.
Good luck
2006-09-08 08:57:37 · answer #1 · answered by danielle5247 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
it is best to buy a crate that is big enough for him/her to stand up and turn around in, but not so big that he/she would be able to eliminate in a corner and still be able to curl up away from the waste. Dogs have a natural instinct to not sleep where they lay waste, but this being a puppy, you need to understand how often this dog needs to go out. At a minimum dogs usually need to go immediately after waking in the morning, after meals, after naps, around dinner time, and just before bed...it's a big responsibility , but well worth the result. It's not fair to expect the dog, just because she/he is in a crate, to hold it for too long. Even adult dogs need to be on some kind of schedule. And for what the person above said, you should NEVER EVER use the crate to discipline. It will associate the crate with having done something wrong, and will think it's being punished when you put it in there to leave for work.
2006-09-08 16:01:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I bought a crate for the dog's full future size. Then I took up some of the room by putting a large cardboard box in the back of the crate. Now it is temporarily smaller and I will remove the box as she gets larger.
2006-09-08 16:06:21 · answer #3 · answered by ontario ashley 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
"The crate is to provide not only discipline for him "
NO-NO-NO
The crate should NEVER be used for discipline!! It should be the dogs "safe place" and most favorite place in the world.
Buy the proper size crate the first time, and find a small box to take up the extra space while the puppy is little.
2006-09-08 16:02:37 · answer #4 · answered by tom l 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The thing that I've done for both of my puppy's crates is buy the crate with the divider where you can adjust it as you see fit for the puppy. Keeping your pet on scheduled feedings helps out a lot because then you have a better idea of when your pet needs to go potty. Since one of my puppies is potty trained and the other is not, its really nice that he is teaching her that she needs to potty outside. Also the bell tied to the door is a great way for your pet to let you know that they need to go outside.
2006-09-08 16:05:29 · answer #5 · answered by Luv My Corgi 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Thats really up to you. I have 2 german shephards, after they grew out of the small size i went and bought the biggest size i wouuld need for them, they never made a mess it it. once they are crate trained they will not go to the bathroom in there.
2006-09-08 15:58:04 · answer #6 · answered by miscoda 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is best to buy a crate for his full height, otherwise you will be buying a lot of new sizes fairly quickly. The crate is to provide not only discipline for him but to provide security for you puppy at times when you are not there.
2006-09-08 15:56:26 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Just buy the one for his full size. It just needs to be big enough for him to lay down, stand up and turn around comfortably in it. You won't keep food or water in it, so the bedding can cover the whole bottom if you use it.
2006-09-08 16:18:25 · answer #8 · answered by Lauren M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i just used one big one...how many crates do you want to have/afford?
2006-09-08 15:56:10 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋