Why don’t you recommend wire crates for Ridgeback puppies?

 

A picture’s worth a thousand words, particularly in this case. Ridgeback puppies love to chew and gnaw on the bars of wire crates like the one pictured. A slight turn of the head, a bit of canine geometry, and those little teeth get stuck in the wires. Once you’ve heard the screaming and sent the thrashing of a puppy who’s gotten stuck this way, you’ll be plenty convinced

 

For this reason, I recommend a plastic airline-style crate for the first few months of a puppy’s life. Be sure to buy a size that will still accommodate your dog when he reaches full adult size; displace space in the crate with a large cardboard box so it isn’t too roomy; otherwise, your dog will be tempted to eliminate in it. A crate isn’t supposed to be a romper room: There should be just enough room for your puppy to stand up and turn around.

 

By the time a puppy hits six months old, his jaws are wide and large enough not to get stuck in the bars of a wire crate or pen. Make the switch to a wire crate then.

 

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