Crate Training

I finally broke down and bought a crate for Miss Casey. I have been wanting to crate train her but was afraid I would completely fail and she would firmly protest. By firmly protest I mean stand her ground and refuse to enter at all.

Luckily a family around the corner was having a yard sale. A perfectly sized crate was a great deal. I could not resist. After washing and drying we put it up on the deck so she could see and smell it.

After an hour or so I put some treats in, but she was terrified of the plastic bottom. Being the ever resourceful beagle she tried every way possible to get that treat but could not. My husband had the idea to take the plastic tray out and she immediately went in for the treat. Good Girl. We brought it in and put it in the room where we watch t.v. I put a blanket in, one that is familiar to her. I also hid some treats in and under the blanket. Silly girl is smart enough to pull the blanket and the treats out. That was the end of day one.

Day Two

The crate sits with the door open and Casey's blanket spread out on the bottom. Casey has no interest but she is not afraid of it either which is a good sign.

During the day I put a couple treats in. She knew right away that pulling the blanket out brought her the treats. Not good when your dog is smarter then you are.

After some reading I learned I am doing exactly what I should be doing so I proceeded with the next step. Feeding her in there.

I put it half way in and she went right after it. She was comical as she stretched to reach the bowl. Upper torso and front legs were in, but she was very nervous about what to do with the hind end.

As the bowl slid further into the crate, her love of food overcame her apprehension and she went all the way in to lick her bowl clean. I held the door open so she could turn and make a clean get away when needed. She continued to go in and out sniffing and licking her bowl, not wanting to leave even a drop behind. I was so proud of her. She was getting comfortable with the crate after only one day of it being in the house.

Steady and slow, don't rush her, and she should be good with having her own "pad" It will be a blessing for the times we want to go away and take her with us.

Please Spay & Neuter Your Pets

According to the ASPCA, between three and four million pets have to be euthanized yearly due to over population. These are just the ones who are killed in shelters. How many more die in the streets? Hungry, sick, hurt, and lonely. These dogs and cats are left to fend for themselves, scavenging through garbage, defecating and urinating in places where children play, attacking people who pose a threat, and possibly spreading disease to the pets in our homes.We can not blame this on the animals. They are fighting to stay alive. The blame falls on humans. Humans who do not spay and/or neuter their pets. Humans who think it will be cute to have a litter of puppies or kittens, humans who think it is too expensive to spay or neuter, and humans who think it is cruel to have the surgery done.

Take a look at these statistics:
Average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in one year:

3

Average number of kittens in a feline litter:

4–6

In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats.

Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce in one year:

2

Average number of puppies in a canine litter:

6–10

In six years, one female dog and her offspring can theoretically produce
67,000 dogs.
Above stats borrowed from

http://www.tipoftexk9rescue.org/PetOverpopulations.html
Click to read the full article.

I'm sure you will agree that the above numbers are staggering. They are just an estimate from 2006. With the economy being what it is right now people are even more strapped for money and many are abandoning their pets. These once loved animals are now being forced outof their homes and must fend for themselves. Many are reproducing, causing the pet population problemto explode in the midst of a struggling economy. Simply put there are not enough resources to care for all these animals being born. Shelters must turn them away, rescue groups can not find homes, and most will pay the ultimate price.

So for the sake of all the animals please spay or neuter your dog and cat. If finances are keeping you from doing the procedure, contact Spay/USA at 1-800-248-SPAY (1-800-248-7729). They may be able to find a low cost program in your area. Burying your head in the sand is not going to make this problem go away. You have to take a proactive approach and HAVE YOUR PET SPAYED OR NEUTERED. DO IT NOW!!!