One idea is to isolate your pet in one room only, or if he stays in his cage while you are at work then put the dog cage in one smaller room, that is easy to heat quickly via the use of something like an oil heater or a small space heater that doesn’t use a lot of electricity or gas. Of course, you can and probably should, make sure that the heater is on low. Just have it on high enough to take any chill out of the air and to ensure that the temperature in the room will stay at a level that your dog is comfortable with. It is certainly better than making your little chihuahua wear chihuahua clothes all day and night long, even when inside.

Another idea, although this isn’t something I am terribly fond of, is to provide soft comfortable bedding for your dog.  I’ve seen some dogs that love those fluffy lamb’s wool mats to lay on, and they do provide a lot of extra warmth for your dog.  Of course, if your dog is a naughty chewer like mine is that really wouldn’t be so appropriate. But if you are sure that your dog isn’t going to tear it to pieces, when bored, then you could invest in one of those. You do have to be careful though because fleas and other mites love to make their home in those type of blankets as well.

A novel idea I read about lately was the concept of buying a heated dog bed for your pet.  Again, I’d be hesitant about buying one for my current pet dog, as I’d be afraid she’d chew through the cord and get electrocuted. My cat, however, would probably spend the entire day there. From what I have seen they don’t overheat, but merely warm up the bed enough to make it cosy and comfortable for your pet. They are recommended also for older dogs who experience joint pain on awakening.

Cutesy:  The type I have termed ‘cutesy’ are the dog cages that don’t look like one. Instead they look like a giant mushroom, or a castle, or they’re just green and pink and ugly with flowers and fluff and frills all over them. These are not really meant to blend in with your surroundings, but are meant to stand out and be noticed.   They are not always that useful, in my opinion, and they are more for looks than anything else.  I wouldn’t necessarily recommend you getting something like this, unless you want it for a special occasion or room of the house and it’s not something that you’ll use for your pet all the time.

Decorative:  Then there’s the other type of dog cage, the one that blends in so well with the rest of your furniture that it doesn’t even look like a dog cage at first glance.  I’ve seen some beautifully made items, that really were quite outstanding.   These type of cages are often made of a hard wood, or sometimes bamboo, and it is possible to mix and match them with your existing furniture.

They are a little harder to come by, usually found in pet specialty shops. One popular dog crate fashioned in this way on sale at the moment doubles as a dog crate and bed, or an end table.  The little dog just lounges around in its bed while you have your coffee and cookies sitting on top of it.  Knowing my dog, I wonder how long the cookies would stay there if I got one for her.Well, she’s a Retriever, so to get a cage that doubled as a table for her would mean I’d get a new dining table I suppose.

I read somewhere that dogs love to lay beside furtniture because it helps them feel more secure. I have noticed that my dog loves to plop down beside me, or beside an empty chair as opposed to sitting in the middle of the room and I can imagine a smaller dog fitting quite nicely inside an end table that doubled as its dog cage.  These type of cages though wouldn’t be very useful for the larger breeds of dog.

When it comes down to it, it seems that the best type of cages for the larger breeds of dogs would be the more durable types, either the soft cage or the wire mesh cages seem to be the best for them.  Wooden cages are nice, and they do look quite nice inside too but if your dog is a chewer they wouldn’t last very long.  So maybe you’ll need to keep your decorative style dog cage for your small breed dogs and invest in something a bit bigger and more durable for the bigger breeds.

There are many reasons why it is a good idea to invest in an outdoor wire-mesh dog cage or chain link dog kennels, even if your dog usually is an indoor dog.  It’s better to have one so you can restrain your dog outside comfortably, than just chaining him up when the need arises for him to be outside for a while.

There are a few different things to take into consideration before going ahead and making a purchase.

Are you looking for a portable dog cage?

If you want to move the cage around your backyard, or if you travel and your dog boards somewhere else, or you take your dog on your travels with you, then you’ll need a cage that is easily transportable.  Many dog cages fold up, and thus can be pretty easy to move from location to location. This also makes them very easy to store when they’re not needed.

What size should you get?

A couple of considerations here. Firstly, how much time will your dog spend in the dog cage. If he’s going to spend a lot of time there you want to make sure there’s plenty of room, so he can stand up, lift his head up, or lay down and stretch out, without feeling at all cramped.  Then, there’s the size of your dog, and whether it’s full grown or still a puppy.

Will you also have a kennel inside the dog cage or pen?  Or is it going to just be a temporary place to put your dog when needed.  All of  these things are very important considerations when trying to decide what size of cage you need.

What should your cage be made out of?

Generally I have found that the chain link cages are the best, some come with a roof that provides shelter from rain and sun.  The roofing is not necessary though if you’re able to move the cage around, or if you’re just using the dog cage as a more temporary dwelling for your dog.

Make sure that it doesn’t have any metal pieces sticking out, and that it’s sturdy enough to withstand the dog pawing on the side to try to get out. Remember too that some dogs are very good diggers, and they have been known to dig their way out of a cage by digging a hole then squeezing out through it. If that’s the case, you might want to put the dog cage on pebbles or cement.

There is a large variety of dog cages available for purchasing, with varying cost as well.  Whatever you choose, make the right choice of dog cage for your breed of dog.

How does using a dog cage work?  It works pretty well actually.  When we brought our Golden Retriever pup home we started crate training from the first moment we brought her inside.  It may sound cruel to keep the puppy in a crate, but it’s not cruel at all if done correctly.  We let her wander around outside, sniff the ground, in the area where we would direct her to normally relieve herself.  Once she went pee we brought her inside and let the family have some play time with her.  At first, we’d take her outside every couple of hours, when she was awake, as puppies have very small bladders.

Once play time was over we put her into her dog cage. She could still see all the activity going on around her, and though she whined a bit at first she soon came to think of  the dog cage as her haven, a place away from everything where she could sleep and rest.  Puppies nap a lot. Usually she’s settle down and take a nap. As soon as she woke from her nap we’d take her out of the dog cage to her ’spot’ outside, and we’d wait with her then till she’d done her business.  Of course we’d praise her loudly whenever she relieved herself.  Then we’d take her back inside, and depending on what was going on, we’d either leave her out for a bit of run-around and play time, or we’d pop her back into her crate.  Usually we’d let her run around for a while, outside of the crate but sometimes we had to put her back in the dog cage if no one was around to watch her or if we were busy doing something and she’d get underfoot.

Following that routine, of taking her from her dog cage outside to relieve herself, then taking her back inside, she was trained within a few days. In fact, she rarely had any accidents inside, and when she did it was usually our fault for not taking her outside often enough or for not noticing her when she stood by the door.

Of course we’d also take her out about 15 minutes after she ate, and waited till she’d had a bowel movement before bringing her back in.  First thing in the morning we’d take her out too, and last thing, before we went to bed ourselves at night.  When she was very little she’d wake once or twice during the night, whining and we’d need to take her out then too but within the month she was sleeping all through the night.

It was  a bit of work at first, but considering how tough it can be to train a puppy, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to train her with the dog cage method. I’d highly recommend it for others who are trying to train their puppy.

Reasons for choosing a soft dog cage:

• Portability, meaning they’re lightweight and easy to travel with
• Anyone can pick them up and move them around.
• Machine washable
• Folds up and is easily stored.
• Perfect for setting up inside your house

However, there are some other considerations when deciding whether to get a soft dog cage.  Under some circumstances you would not want to use one. Here are some reasons for not buying a soft cage:

• Your dog is going to live outdoors
• Your dog is aggressive, and hard to restrain
• Not good for dogs that like to dig, or dogs that paw at things excessively
• Do not use them if you’re dog is going to be left unattended for a long period of time.

The soft dog cage comes in a variety of different sizes, and they are suitable for dogs ranging in size from the petite Chihuahua all the way up to the Golden Retriever.  It goes without saying that the larger dog cages naturally cost a fair bit more.  Prices range anywhere from around $40 up to $70 or more, depending on the brand of cage you buy and the size.

They are really great to have on hand, even if you’re not planning on using it every day. If you ever travel with your pet, or go on vacation with your dog you will find this a great investment. Plus, one added benefit is that if you can get your dog used to settling down in his soft dog cage, then no matter where you go your dog will always feel secure and ‘at home’ providing his portable dog cage is around.

Most soft cages are constructed from heavy duty polyester, often strengthened wiht PVC backing. This helps them be durable and water resistant at the same time, though you wouldn’t want to leave your dog out in one during a big storm, or where there are strong winds.

They are very convenient for people who don’t have a lot of living space, as when not in use they can easily be folded and stored. This also means that they’re easy to travel with, as they don’t take up a lot of storage space.
Most of the soft cages I’ve seen also have adjustable ventilation on up to all four sides, which is covered with mesh, allowing them to easily see outside.

Of course they come with all kinds of attachments; leashes, carry bags, soft rugs, additional water proofing, etc.  I think they are a great choice for any dog-owner, and I highly recommend getting one even if you’re not going to plan on using it all the time. There will be times when you need to use one even if you don’t travel with your dog, for example if you have to restrain your dog for a short time, and the soft dog cage is comfortable, easy to store and use, and very easy to clean.

Uses for the Dog Cage

A dog cage can be useful for many different reasons.  They can be used to:

• House train your new puppy
• Provide a secure resting place for your puppy, a place he can call his own where he can retreat to when he’s tired of playing.
• A safe way to transport your puppy
• Restrict your puppy to one known location when you are busy and can’t keep an eye on him.
• If your puppy or dog is primarily and outdoor dog, but you need to bring him inside for some reason you can limit his movement around the house by keeping him in the dog cage.

Types of Dog Cage

There are many different types of dog cages, ranging from the familiar, sturdy folding wire cage, to  the decorative wooden crate that looks like a piece of your living room furniture.

The cheapest and simplest is the folding wire crate.  This is an open dog cage with a plastic tray that slips underneath it to catch any messes.  It’s open on all sides. When not in use it can fold down into a compact size.

Soft dog cages or crates are becoming very popular these days. They are soft and durable, come in a variety of colors. They are often semi-closed with plastic windows in them and a door in the front.  They’re warmer than the wire cage and prettier to look at.  They’re also very comfortable for puppies to rest in.

Wicker cages are a little heavier than the wire or soft kind. They are usually well crafted and a nice looking piece of furniture.  They remind me more of an actual dog house or dog kennel rather than a dog crate or cage.

You’ve probably seen the airline approved dog carriers. Sturdy plastic with ample air holes, and an opening at the front where the animal can enter or leave.  They’re generally a bit more expensive than the wire or soft cages, but are essential if you’re planning on traveling by air with your pet dog.  They’re actually one of the best suited cages for any type of long distance travel with your pet, and if you do travel a lot or are planning a long journey even by car you may want to invest in one of these.

Wooden designer cages are made to blend in with your furniture. Generally made from harder wood, they are artistic and asthetic.

What type is best?

It depends on your budget and what you are going to be using the cage for. Another very real consideration is the breed of dog you’ll be using the cage for. If your dog is a chewer (like my Golden Retriever is) it wouldn’t be worth your investing in a soft cage, or a wooden or wicker cage.  They’ll gnaw on the hard edges and chew the soft material to pieces!  It could end up being very expensive keeping your dog in a house.

If your dog is a chewer you may want to go for the sturdier plastic cage or the wire cage.  We used a wire cage for our dog when she was a pup, and it was perfect.  We kept her in it for a good deal of the day when she was little, and she was house-trained this way. Whenever we were busy and we couldn’t keep an eye on her we’d pop her back in her cage.  If she was out of her cage and she wanted a rest she’d creep back into it herself.  We also put her to bed in it at night-time.  As it’s open, we actually covered it over with a light cloth to keep out the majority of the light but it was think enough to let in plenty of air. If we didn’t do that she’d wake at sunrise, which was about 5.15 a.m. when we first brought her home.

So, in summary, when considering what type of dog cage to get base your decision on what you will use it for (puppy training or travel), your budget, is your dog a chewer, do you want it to fit in with the rest of your furniture?    Looking at it from this angle will help you make the right choice.

Remember though that keeping your dog in a dog cage for too long can make your pup restless and unhappy.  Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise each day, particularly if you’re keeping him in a cage for some of the time.  If you can’t walk every day, dog treadmills can do a great job of giving your pet plenty of exercise.