For years I had always been so wary about caging puppies and adult dogs and, if the truth be told, actively disapproved of it! Locking up a beloved friend in a cage? How cruel was that? I would never do that!

About 6 and a half years ago I moved into a new rented property as a stop-gap and had my two Goldens, Sophie & Jemma, with me. Everyone knows how bad Golden Retrievers can be when it comes to chewing, and my two were no exception! To be fair Sophie, at that time, was 4 years old and was really passed the ‘bad’ stage. But Jemma was only 6 months old and was a nightmare! How on earth was I going to protect this new property from her over-active jaws and teeth?

Helen-Jane, our Buyer, said the unthinkable: ‘Train her to a cage!’ As you would expect from my previous comments, I was up in arms: ‘Never!’

Now the well-known saying ‘Never say never’ springs to mind...

All went well for 2 weeks or so. Then disaster struck. I returned home one day to find the kitchen like a bombsite: bucket emptied all over the place, the lino torn up, the door and skirtings scratched and chewed. I sat down and wept.

The next morning, I went cap-in-hand to HJ (Helen-Jane). She took me into our meeting room, sat me down and said one word: ‘CAGE’. I felt like a naughty schoolgirl being reprimanded by the Head Teacher! This time I had no option but to listen to her. She explained all the advantages of caging:

• Your dog will always be safe
• Your belongings and home will always safe
• No upset when you come back in – therefore not giving off bad vibes to your dog
• Can take your dog anywhere and know he/she will be safe
• Can also help with house-training
• If movement has to be curtailed for one reason or another
• And, most importantly - Your dog will love it!

She then went on to explain the best way of training an older dog to the cage:

Put up the cage and put in a warm, cosy lining with the dog’s own smells on it. Introduce the dog to the cage gradually, leaving the door open to allow the dog to come and go as he pleases. Choose an appropriate word, (I use ‘Bed’) and when he goes in it say it. Put his water bowl up in it (one of the hook-on ones are brilliant for this!) and start feeding him in it at all meals. Make sure you have one or two of his favourite toys left in the cage. Start closing the door on him for short intervals of time, soon he will lie down in the cage and be totally at ease when the door is closed on him.

With Jemma this worked well and she very quickly accepted the cage in her life. And my stress levels were greatly reduced! The house was always the way it had been left! And what a welcome I got when she was let out! I was converted.

Therefore when Katie, my Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, came to me four years ago as a 7 week old puppy, I had no doubts she would be trained to a cage as well. I chose a cage which I knew would suit her as an adult dog and bought the 30” one. The best way to ensure the correct size is to speak to your pup’s breeder as nowadays, most breeders use and recommend cages. To size an adult dog for a cage I would suggest you measure out an area on the floor with string and then place the dog inside it. That way you will immediately see if the length and breadth of the cage will be large enough.

As a baby puppy, the cage was rather on the large size for Katie but I decided to use one half for her bed and I laid newspapers down in the other half for her toilet purposes. Having the two doors made this so easy to accommodate and clean out.

The big day arrived and we brought Katie home and introduced her to her new surroundings and, of course, the cage.

We understood that the first few nights would be a difficult time for her, having left her mother and siblings but at least she had the company of our two older dogs. I was relieved however that she would be caged at night, at least that way I could be totally sure she was safe from the bigger, stronger dogs, and, as it became apparent as time went on, that they were safe from her!

The first couple of nights she did cry and bark and it was hard to ignore, but we persevered and she soon settled into the routine. During the day, if we went out, she was put in her cage too. And she was fed in it, and if she needed ‘time-out’ for being too boisterous she was ‘sent to bed’! Before long, she would go into the cage of her own will when she needed a sleep or a rest. It was her safe place. Nothing bad happened in the cage.

We also found it really helped with her house-training too. Most dogs want to be clean and do not want to ‘mess’ their bed. To start with she would do her business on the newspaper side of her cage but after only 2 weeks or so, she started barking through the night to be let out. At first it was about 3am which was not ideal but we had to be fair to her and put up with it. Then week by week it became later and later until when she was about 14 weeks old she could manage through until 6am which was totally acceptable.

Now Katie is older she no longer uses the cage to sleep in but whenever she needs to be secured for one reason or another she will go into without any problems and it is obvious she thoroughly enjoys the time she spends in it.

A few months ago Sophie, who is ten, was involved in an accident and her pelvis was broken. The vet recommended cage rest for 4/6 weeks to help the healing process. Sophie, because of my previous views on caging, had never been caged in her life. Now there was no option. To ensure a full recovery, she had to adhere to a strict no-exercise programme, to the extent of being carried in and out of the house for toilet purposes. To be fair to Sophie she is an ‘easy’ dog and totally accepts what life throws at her, so she adjusted very well to life in the cage, and after the recommended period, thankfully, she made a full recovery and is now bouncing about on her daily walks. No-one would ever know what she had been through. And I must add that when Sophie was allowed to lie outside the cage with one of the doors open, there were fights (albeit friendly ones!) between Jemma & Katie as to who could get into it first!

We have also taken the cages with us on ‘away’ days. Katie’s cage is small enough to be put up in the car which also ensures her safety (and ours) when travelling.

CAGES ARE WONDERFUL! when used properly ie do not use the cage as a ‘jail’ and leave your four legged friend in it for hours on end! That is not their purpose.

The Dogit cages in particular are lighter than most which makes moving them easy. They fold down easily and the advantage of having the two doors means they can be set up wherever suits you best. The brown finish gives them a classy look which will fit in with most decors. And the price is fabulous too! What more do you want to keep your best friend safe and content?

See further information about the Dogit Cage