Maria Chisuroeste

If you have a dog than sooner or later you are going to need a dog crate.  Dog crates are not cruel, as some people imagine, they are an essential accessory for anyone who owns a dog.  Dogs in the wild, are driven by a natural instinct to make a den as their own private niche.  Domestic dogs still have a need for their own space, but their owners certainly frown on a den in the middle of the living room.  The solution is a dog crate.

PLASTIC DOG CRATES
They may be fairly plain, but plastic dog crates meet the need for every dog owner.  Sturdy and inexpensive, plastic crates provide basic shelter for your dog while still allowing you to restrain them when necessary.

A trip to the vet doesn’t have to include a panicked dog wandering the car endlessly, a dog crate give them a safe place to relax during the drive.   A crate can be a refuge for your pet, and with a few favorite toys and snacks, it is a wonderful place for your dog to take a break from the busy world around him.

WOOD CRATES
Stylish and elegant the wooden dog crates available today are designed to match your furniture seamlessly.  You won’t even notice that it is a crate until a dog stands up and walks out.  Made from quality woods in a variety of styles these crates are the crème de la crème of the crate world.  While they can’t be used to transport animals, they can be locked if you need to restrain your pet.  Whether you choose a large crate that looks like a credenza or a small one that resembles an end table, you are sure to be pleased with your purchase.

BLENDED CRATES
Some crates want to make the best of all worlds.  Wooden trim may grace a crate made from wire or iron, whicker sides may be combined with slats of wood.  These crates are even more flexible when it comes to matching décor, but harder to find.

As long as a crate suits your needs, is secure and sturdy, it will work just fine.

Invisible fence is the name of a line of electric dog fences.  Over time though, the name has come to be associated with any non-visible dog containment solution.  The basics of this system include an underground wire connected to a power source that utilizes a radio frequency received by the animal’s collar.  In the collar is a radio receiver that warns an animal with a noise upon approaching the preset “fence” and then administers a small shock if the pet gets too close.

A period of training is instituted after the fence is installed.  Flags are left over the buried wire to give the dog a visual signal and then the dog is introduced to the system over a period of time that spans from days to weeks, dependant upon their learning curve.  They learn to associate the sound the collar makes with a warning, and wanting to avoid the subsequent shock, learn to back away from areas where they hear the warning noise.

The best of these systems have a number of accessories that work inside the home as well.  You can utilize the same disciplinary method to keep your pet out of certain areas of your home or off the furniture.  The transmitter can be programmed to accommodate your pet’s specific behavior patterns, allowing for great flexibility when training animals of different personalities.

Using invisible fences to help contain dogs is a growing industry.  I suspect we will see a steady increase in families incorporating an invisible fence in comprehensive dog containment plans. My dog showed immediate attention just like he did with his bark collar.