Dog kennel: his own little spot!

A dog kennel may look like an unsociable cage to the untrained eye, but a crate for your dog is incredibly useful and necessary for any dog owner. Your dog may even come to regard his crate as his nest: his very own place! In this article, you will read all about the dog crate.

What is a good crate?
A good dog crate is there to enhance your dog's quality of life: it offers comfort and convenience to your dog. Also, the ideal crate for your dog is safe, easy to carry and will last a long time.

How big should a crate be?
A crate should be large enough that your dog can easily stand, turn around and lie down in it. Determine the ideal length and height of the dog crate by taking the length and height of your dog and adding 15 centimetres each. For the width, take three quarters of the height.
If the crate is too small, your dog will naturally not feel comfortable in it. But this is also the case if the crate is too big. He will then not see it as his cosy den. This can also mean that he does his business in the crate. You can choose to buy a small crate first for when your dog is a puppy and switch to a large crate later. Another option is to screen off a large dog crate with a crate divider, so the crate is not too big and your dog will feel at ease faster. Which size crate is suitable for which dog is shown below.

Is a crate good for a dog?
A crate is good for your dog because it helps with toilet training, you can transport your dog safely in it, a dog crate ensures quality sleep due to the few amount of stimuli and your dog can see his crate as a safe environment. In it, he can't play any mischief either!
The most important thing in this is that your dog sees his dog crate as a positive and safe environment. After giving your dog some training, he will then really see it as his own place! This is where he can retreat to unwind, away from all the stimuli, and sleep soundly. This also helps with toilet training, because your buddy will not want to soil his own spot. He will do his best to hold up his wee. However, do not let him do this for too long. In fact, it takes about six months for puppies to fully develop control over their bladder. Eventually, after some training, he will hold his wee in your litter too!

Bench small dog
Puppy Bench: This bench is suitable for most puppies from 6 to 10 weeks old. The suitable size for a puppy bench is 47 centimetres long, 30 centimetres wide and 37 centimetres high.
Small bench: Among others, a Maltese, Chihuahua, Pug, Shih Tzu, Dachshund, Miniature Keeshond, Épagneul nain continental and Yorkshire terrier will fit in a small bench. This can be 63 centimetres long, 43 centimetres wide and 49 centimetres high.
Medium-sized crate: For medium-sized dog breeds such as a Beagle, Pekingese, West Highland White Terrier, King Charles Spaniel, French Bulldog, Welsh Springer Spaniel and a Miniature Schnauzer, it is useful to use a crate 76 centimetres long, 48 centimetres wide and 53 centimetres high.

Large dog crate
Large crate: A large dog requires a large crate for your dog. Do you have a larger dog, for example a Bulldog, Cocker spaniel, English Setter, Shar pei, Pitbull terrier, American Staffordshire, or an English springer spaniel? These fit best in a crate of 90 centimetres in length, 55 centimetres in width and 62 centimetres in height.
Dog crate extra large: This dog crate is really big! A crate 107 centimetres long, 71 centimetres wide and 77 centimetres high is perfect for your Irish Setter, Bearded Collie, Belgian Shepherd, Border Collie, Boxer, Malinois, Golden Retriever, Labrador retriever, or Dalmatian.
Very large crate: Because every size has its own size, there are also very large crates. Namely, this one is 121 centimetres long, 78 centimetres wide and 84 centimetres high. This type of dog crate is needed if you have a Leonberger, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Bernese Mountain Dog, or Saint Bernard, for example.

How long to leave dog alone in dog crate?
A dog aged 6 to 10 weeks should be left alone in the dog crate for a maximum of 30 to 60 minutes at a time. For puppies aged 11 to 14 weeks, this is 1 to 3 hours at a time. Does he see the crate as a pleasant environment? Then, from 17 weeks, your dog may spend 4 to 5 hours in the crate.
This time has to do with how often your dog needs to do his business. When dogs sleep at night, their biorhythms cause them to relieve themselves less often. If you put the dog in the crate for longer, it can cause stress and problem behaviour, such as separation anxiety. It is also not wise to let the dog eat and drink a lot before putting him in the crate, as this will make him need to get out earlier to do his business. When you let the dog out of his crate, he should be able to do his business immediately. It is even better for your buddy to then go for a long walk together, so he can release all his pent-up energy in this.

Source: Petplan