Similar to us humans, Scottish terrier dogs love to have a place of their own that provides them with a sense of security. That place is a crate. Many dog owners think of a crate from a human point-of-view as if it were a cage or a prison and avoid or postpone this very important step of their dog's education.

When done correctly crate training is beneficial to both dog and owner, for several reasons. If you are dealing with a young Scottie, crate training will help ease his adaptation to the new home, will protect him from eventual dangers or dangerous situations he's not prepared for, will keep things you wish not to be chewed up out of reach and will make it a lot easier to housebreak him. Not mentioning that a crate makes travelling with your Scottie more safe and secure.

Crate training requires several small steps, as well as patience and consistency. Here are some tips to help you out with proper crate training your Scottish terrier:

1. Get the right size crate for your Scottie, preferably one that will fit him as an adult but that can be divided into sections to be adjusted to his size while he's a puppy. A well-sized crate should allow an adult dog to stand up and turn around, leaving at least four inches of extra space in the length.

2. Now your puppy will need to learn about his new place. Introducing your Scottish terrier to the crate the right way is an essential step for successful crate training. Encourage him to enter the crate by placing a treat at the entrance. Praise him once he takes it, then toss another treat into the crate and give him a command to enter the crate. Praise and reward him once he does what you said. Repeat the procedure so that he begins to associate the behavior with your command.

3. Once your Scottie becomes used to the crate, begin giving him his regular meals inside the crate.

4. Your Scottie must associate the crate with pleasant moments, thus never use it to punish him or he may end up seeing it as a bad thing.

5. It is not advisable to keep your Scottish terrier confined to a crate for too long periods, i.e. for more than six hours. Scotties are active dogs and may develop behavior problems as a result of boredom.

By following these simple steps, with a little time and effort you will be offering your Scottish terrier a place where he feels comfortable and safe and at the same time you will make your life as a dog owner easier and more enjoyable.