If you're a dog lover, there's quite possibly nothing more exciting than the idea of adding a new little fuzz-ball to your pack. If you're not already familiar with Crate training puppies, you might want to take a little time to explore this convenient way to keep your home running smoothly, and you're new pup happy and safe.

The crate should already be in place before you bring your new baby home, complete with bedding made of newspapers, towels or a cushion made specifically for the structure. Setting it up somewhere close to where you will be when you're home might be a good idea.

Keeping the cage close to where you are, can help the puppy feel more at ease, even when you're away. For a while he will probably want to be with you all the time.

The crate should be big enough for the puppy to stretch out in, but not big enough to allow him to roam around. If there is too much room, you will most likely have to deal with cleaning up much more mess than you would like. Things for him to play with can be kept in the cage as well. If he is going to be in the crate for more than a couple hours, water may be made available too.

A feeding schedule should be set up and followed. Feed the pup in the crate, and about fifteen minutes later take him outside to use the potty. Don't bring him back in until he does. Praise him with excitement before you bring him back in. Put a treat in his crate and praise him some more as he is enjoying it.

When you're home, the crate should be open, but don't force him into it, unless you have to leave. This area is supposed to be a place of comfort and security. If you punish him by sticking him in it, he will associate it with negative feelings and might possibly learn to fear it. This is not what you want. Nighttime and during the day when you have to leave the house are the only times when he should be in it for longer than a couple of hours.

While you are at home, keep the pup in his crate for an hour at a time. You may leave him in the room and watch television in another room, or get some housework done. There will most likely be some whining, and barking, but do not go into the room when he is making a fuss. When you no longer hear any cries, this will be a good time to go in and let him out. You must make sure to take him out regularly because puppies can't hold it in for very long.

Getting angry at the pup for doing something that is completely natural to him, will be a waste of time, and can hinder the training process. Never hit him and toss him in his crate for going to the bathroom. If he relieves himself in the crate, simply clean it out and continue training. With a lot of love, patience and time, your new pup can begin to see the crate as his favorite place to be. You might even find it difficult to get him out of it, once he accepts it as his special place.

Looking for more information about the steps to crate training, then visit TW Bell's site on how to pick the best dog crate for your animals needs.

Written by Tim Bell using tags: animals, crate training, dog training, Dogs, Home, Pets, small animals

Steps to crate training puppies will differ slightly when the age of the puppy is taken in to consideration and the end goals are assessed. Dog owners use crates to confine pets for reasons that include housebreaking, home alone scenarios, and giving their dog a place to sleep.

There is a lot if information online on this subject, and many experts agrees on most of the important points. Taking the time to check out a few sites will give you a good overview of how to proceed and explain why some things work and some don't.

Start introducing a dog - of any age - to the crate with a treat to induce it to enter voluntarily. Gentle urging and pushing may be necessary at first. Plan to leave the dog for a short time only at first, going about your business and leaving your pet to settle in. It is vital to ignore any fussiness, since you do not want to reward this behavior with even negative attention. Do not let the animal persuade you to release it by whining or barking.

So the first step is to choose a crate large enough for the dog to stand up and turn around freely. You don't want to large a unit, since the dog will like a cozy, den-like feeling of enclosure. Using food treats to get the puppy inside at first is perfectly alright. At first, reassure the puppy briefly that all is OK and go on with other tasks for a few minutes. Ignore whining or barking, since even yelling at the dog will convince it that its efforts to attract your attention are working.

In addition to reinforcing housebreaking, which will spare your floors, carpets, and frustration levels, crate training helps when the puppy must be left home alone. It will feel safer in its familiar crate and will not be able to destroy the house either because of nervousness or boredom.

Giving a treat when your pet enters its crate and providing a toy to chew on will help it wait patiently for your return. Many dogs come to regard their crates very fondly, retreating to them voluntarily for naps and putting themselves to bed at night. Often you will not even need to close the gate at night, and you will be able to enjoy your own bed without fighting your canine companion for the covers.

Training a puppy is much like teaching a child. A structured environment is very effective in either case. You may want to have more than one crate - one downstairs for the daytime and one in or near the bedroom at night, so your dog will not feel excluded.

Patience, love, common sense, and following the steps to crate training puppies will ensure success in this area of proper dog care. As your puppy grows up, the crate will become more and more of an asset to both of you.

Searching to read more about the steps to crate training, then visit TW Bell's site on how to pick the best dog crate for your animals needs.

Written by Tim Bell using tags: animals, crate training, dog training, Dogs, Home, Pets, small animals

Some people have the idea that using a crate to potty train their puppy is cruel. Nothing is farther from the truth. Crate training puppies teaches them right from wrong and enables them to quickly become a part of your family. The crate is not only for controlling the messes in the house but to give them security as well.

Before you bring the new puppy into the family, you should already have picked out a crate that will become his private den. You can choose from plastic or metal, each have their advantages. The material that you choose is really up to you. Both are meant for the exact same thing.

After the choice of crate has been determined, and before you have brought the puppy home, outfit the crate appropriately. If there is a tray of any kind in the bottom, place a towel or cardboard of some kind between it and the floor of the crate so it will not rattle when puppy steps onto it. This would scare him and not be a good beginning. He may then not want to go into it at all.

Be sure to select the right sized crate for your puppy. If it is too large, he will use far corners for his potty and your efforts will fail, creating worse problems. If it is more economical to purchase a slightly larger one, be sure you can safely add a divider panel to it to create a smaller space. Puppies instinctively do not want to mess in their bedding areas. Use that to your advantage.

There should be no food or water in the crate, only a soft cloth for snuggling, if desired, and a few safe chew toys. Puppies do love to chew anything they can get to. Make a schedule for crating the puppy based around his feeding and watering times. Puppies are fed several times a day so about thirty to forty minutes after feeding and watering, take him outside to "do his duty". When he does, be sure to praise him greatly.

Puppies at the age of eight to nine weeks are able to "hold it" for up to seven or eight hours, but around six hours is best, except overnight. The little darling can wait that long and be ok. Do not use his "home" as a place of punishment or you run the risk of him not liking it in there and refusing to go inside.

Training a puppy to be house broken is a job that requires almost constant attention. You must catch the little tyke in action or before that preferably, and remove him to the outside to do his job. It is almost like he is training you to catch him. Try not to leave him alone too long in the very beginning of this procedure, so there is no back sliding to deal with. Plenty of outside exercise, sunshine and love will go a long way in the process.

If you remember nothing else when crate training puppies (and all other areas of training), remember patience. Puppies, just like children, don't know what's expected of them. They naturally want to please you, but they don't know doing something as instinctive as urinating on the ground beneath them, is something that is unwanted by you. Never, ever, hit a puppy, especially when you're angry. This can make him fear your hands even when you're offering them in love. Your first instinct may be to yell, hit and throw stuff around, but your puppy will not understand this. He will only fear it. Practice being calm and understanding. Praise him wholeheartedly when he's done something good, and you may find that he responds to training much better.

Searching for more information about the steps to crate training, then visit TW Bell's site on how to pick the best dog crate for your animals needs.

Written by Tim Bell using tags: animals, crate training, dog training, Dogs, Home, Pets, small animals

Buying a pet can be a very complicated process. There are so many different animals to choose from! It's important to consider a few key aspects of each animal before making a decision with both the family and the animal's best interest at heart. Some animals are going to require a lot of daily care while others will only need weekly feedings and don't require any other care. Some animals also require a lot of accessories. For example one may need to buy dog food bowls, leashes, bedding, fish tanks, or hamster or ferret cages.

Some very easy pets to take care of are hermit crabs, miniature turtles, and beta fish. All of these do not require filtered water. A simple bowl of distilled water is suitable for the beta fish and miniature turtles. A hermit crab needs a small bowl of sand and a dish of drinking water.

These are ideal for busy families who want a pet to love but don't have the time to care for something that requires a lot. Beta fish don't even need to be fed if a type of plant is placed in their bowl. They can simply feed off of it. They would need their water changed about once every three months. Hermit crabs only need to be fed weekly. Turtles require a pinch of food each day and their water changed weekly.

One of the most popular pets is of course the domestic dog. A family must consider the breed before they bring a new puppy home. Some types of dogs are not meant to be around small children as their temperament is finicky and they may be prone to biting or snapping at little ones. Other dogs need a lot of care like daily walks and a lot of affection from their owner.

The household cat is a very independent animal who doesn't require much attention. The problem with cats is that their litter can be very bad smelling if not changed often. A cat owner may also face unwanted hair throughout the house if they have a breed who sheds a lot.

Caged pets are a joy to have and are very interesting to observe. They do not require a lot of human interaction but they typically do need a lot of care when it comes to keeping their housing clean. Animals like mice or rabbits need to have their cage lined with bedding like pine shavings. This must be changed at least once a week to avoid bad smells and also for the health of the animal.

There are a lot of different accessories one can buy to house their caged critters. There are multi-level types, open topped, and tunnel like varieties. They range in price from around thirty dollars to up to three hundred depending on size.

It's essential that ferret cages be large enough for the animal to fit in it comfortably and have enough room to run and romp. They like tunnels and burrows to climb through. They also will need a separate area for litter. Many varieties have more than one level providing them a sort of maze to climb up and down. Some are as tall as six feet and can be the main attraction in a family room.

If you are searching for more details on ferret cages then be sure to check out Tim W Bell's site. Tim W Bell has been involved in small animal business for 20 years. Stop in to see our marchioro ferret cage to see if they fit in your home.

Written by Tim Bell using tags: cages, ferret cages, ferrets, Home, Pets, small animals

What follows is a brief guide for what you should know before you start raising rabbits. Rabbits come in many varieties, but first and foremost the split is between wild and domesticated bunnies. If you come across a wild baby rabbit, perhaps in your garden, do not give in to the little voice inside your head that's telling you to "rescue" it. Leaving it alone will give it the best chance of survival, as it most likely has a nest nearby with plenty of sibling kits and a loving mother.

So if you have set your heart of having a fluffy friend, how do you go about housing him or her? You can house bunnies a variety of ways, and we will focus here solely on indoor rabbits. Outdoor rabbit variants are available.

One of the best options is to let your bunny roam free. This arguably gives them the best environment to live in, you can set up a bunny proofed room (see below), and place litter trays and food dishes in separate areas of the room, along with easily replaceable cardboard houses if they fancy a little hideaway from time to time.

If you do prefer the idea of keeping your bunny in a cage, go for the largest one you can fit in your house and make sure that you rabbit has plenty of time outside of the cage every day - most of the day if possible. They need room inside they cage to lie down and move about, along with plenty of accommodation for water, food and litter provision, as well as lots of toys. However you house your bunny, remember that they are social creatures and need attention and interaction so don't shut them away in a location that could make them feel abandoned or lonely.

So on to your home in general. Unquestionably it's worth bunny proofing! Rabbits are naturally pretty destructive, so you need to prepare to protect things like TV and hi-fi centre wiring, lamp and computer power cords to limit the damage done to potentially both your rabbit and your equipment.

To prevent that worst case scenario - bunny electrocution, ensure all those wires are covered with hard plastic covers, try flexible tubing, or locate them all underneath carpets or behind skirting. Rabbits love to squeeze into tight spaces, so block them off, and amazingly some bunnies can leap to heights of 36 inches or so, so move easily damaged objects up to high shelves. Make sure your bunny has a lot of toys to chew on too.

Every home needs greenery and houseplants to liven up rooms and freshen the atmosphere, however many plants can be extremely poisonous to rabbits, especially plants like holly, tomato, tulips and poinsettias, but make sure you check which plants you have around the home and search on the web to see if they are dangerous to rabbits.

In terms of what you should actually be feeding your rabbit, a mixture of fresh clean hay, fresh pellets - go for high fiber and low protein varieties, and lots of fresh vegetables like romaine lettuce, carrot tops, broccoli leaves and water cress. You can definitely introduce the occasional piece of fruit as a treat, maybe strawberry pieces or apple chunks.

If you are looking for more details on pet rabbits and cages then be sure to check out TW Bell's site. TW Bell has been involved in the animal business for 20 years. Stop by to see our multi level cages to see if they work for your home.

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Written by Tim Bell using tags: animals, cages, Home, pet cages, Pets, rabbit cages, rabbits, small animals