Many people view that confining a dog to a cage is cruel and unnecessary.

But when viewed as providing the dog with a safe, comfortable den that he chooses to lie in, the perception changes.

We have cage trained both of our Labradors with no ill effects, in fact our silver lab has learned to open the door from the outside when she wants to go back in!

When introduced correctly, a cage can be one of the most useful pieces of dog equipment you can buy.

Dog cages can be used in the house when you go out or go to bed, or when you have guests around.

They can be taken on holiday with you, so your dog has a familiar bed area to sleep in.

Also if your dog needs to spend a night at the vets or has to be restricted from running around due to an injured leg, your cage trained dog will not be put under more stress by suddenly going into a cage...

The dog cage should be large enough for him to stand up when fully grown, and should have a nice comfy bed inside.

Start by leaving the door open so your puppy can wander in and out as he pleases, so he gets used to it on his own terms.

Never just shove him in and lock the door!

Next try using some tasty treats to encourage him inside, and start to say "in your bed" just before he goes in.

Next you can start feeding him in the cage, and when he is used to that, start delaying the food until the puppy goes in when asked.

Use lots of praise when he is in the cage, and soon you will find the puppy associates this as a good place to be.

When your puppy happily goes in the cage for his food, you can start to shut the door while he eats. Open it up again straight after he has finished, so as not to stress him to much.

After some practice, you can leave the door shut for longer and longer periods.

After about a week or so, your puppy will treat his new den as the place to be!