Content
- How long can the dog be in the shipping crate?
- Positively associate the shipping box
- Different uses of the dog carrier
- What is the best dog carrier?
Getting a dog used to the crate is a relatively process. easy and very useful when traveling with the dog by car, plane or other means of transport. In addition to being the safest means of transport, the use of the carrier is indicated in other cases, such as when the dog is with fear.
Find out in this article by PeritoAnimal how to get the dog used to a carrier and what basic advice you should follow. Keep reading!
How long can the dog be in the shipping crate?
The transport box is the ideal tool for transporting a dog. However, when keeping the dog in a cage, if you overtime can negatively affect the animal welfare, causing stress and anxiety. For this reason it is important for you to know how many hours the dog can be in a cage.
An adult dog can spend a maximum of 2 to 3 hours in a cage. After this time, it is essential to allow him to go out to urinate, drink water and stretch his legs for at least 15 minutes. On the other hand, a puppy shouldn't spend more than two hours locked in a shipping crate without eye contact and supervision.
Positively associate the shipping box
We'll explain to you, step by step, how to teach your dog to use the carrier and associate it with positive moments. For this you must use positive reinforcement. You should always have dog-friendly snacks or snacks on hand as they will be very helpful:
- To start you must disassemble the carrier and place the box in a large place in the house, such as the living room. You can leave the carrier there permanently until you finish training your dog, or you can take it out and put it in whenever you need to work. Our recommendation is that you leave it there permanently.
- Let your dog smell the carrier and in no case can you force him to enter in it. The aim is for the puppy to enter by itself.
- You must make the carrying case a comfortable and comfortable place. For this you can put a pillow or blanket inside. You can also use synthetic dog pheromones that are very positive for nervous or anxious dogs.
- Every time your dog approaches the shipping crate you must reward him with a snack. This way, your best friend will understand that when you approach that object, you are rewarded.
- If your dog is interested in getting into the carrier, you should do a training exercise called a searching (spread snacks around the transport box. and even leave some treats inside. If your dog is not interested in these prizes, look for others of more value to him.
- Every time your puppy enters the carrier, also reinforce with the voice. A "very good" may be enough for him to start positively associating this transport tool.
- Later, when the dog enters the carrier, you can put toys or snacks that last longer inside. You must assemble the shipping box at this point, so that he gets used to the complete structure.
- During the entire process, you can never forget to reinforce with your voice, caresses and snacks.
- When the dog starts spending more time inside the carrier, start working with the door: you should open and close while offering the prizes to him. This step should take a few days to close the door completely.
- Once your dog has no problems with opening and closing the door, you can close the door for a short period of time, such as a minute or two. You can leave prizes inside to distract him and he will continue to associate the process in a positive way.
- Now it's a matter of keep increasing the time progressively.
If you notice your dog trying to get out of the carrier, it means you were too fast. You must go back and remember that this is a long process which usually lasts between one to three weeks.
Different uses of the dog carrier
in addition to being useful when traveling, the shipping box may also be indicated in other circumstances. For example, you can use the shipping box like a bed when traveling.
Also, if your puppy suffers from a fear of thunder, for example, and has a well-associated carrying crate, it is preferable for him to stay inside rather than hide in a room without a refuge for him to feel comfortable with. In this case, the shipping box can be used as a "child" for the dog take refuge whenever you're afraid. Under no circumstances should you trap it inside. The door must always remain open, otherwise stress, anxiety and fear levels can soar.
It can also be interesting to use the carrier in cases of dogs that suffer from separation anxiety. Dogs can associate the cage with a comfortable place of refuge. In this case it is not indicated either. close the cage. It should only be used as a positive tool.
What is the best dog carrier?
The ideal, especially for travel, is to opt for a transport box hard and resistant, which cannot be broken or disassembled in the event of an accident. The most used are the transport boxes of Rigid Plastic, more economical. You can also find boxes of aluminum, much safer, but also more expensive.