Webpage Relaunch! & Crate Acclimation

Hello!, and welcome to the new face of Premier Pet Relocation!  We have maintained our professional staff and attitude regarding responsibly managing your pets' relocation, but now we want to make it even easier to get to know us as a company.

With the inclusion of our online Pet Travel Store, pet owners will be able to rely on us completely for their pets' travel arrangements, necessary forms, and airline approved travel gear.

Please take a minute to visit our new YouTube Channel, & also stop by our FB and Google+ accounts!  We love seeing the pet-related media that you all have to share... so please email trey@premierPETrelocation.com with an attached video file of your pets doing extraordinary (or adorable) things.  We will use footage for future videos, so stay tuned!...

How to Acclimate Your Pet to His or Her Travel Crate

Acclimating your dog to his or her travel crate can be an easy process so long you obtain the appropriate size crate well ahead of your pet’s move. Ideally, the crate should be placed in the corner of a room or in its own room in order to foster a private, inviting environment for your pet. The front door should be removed at first, and your dog should be left alone to explore the outside and inside of the crate at his or her own pace (most crates have a simple method for removing the door).

Next, place items that are important to your pet (i.e. a chew toy, a stuffed animal, a shirt that has your scent) in the crate. For pets that are prone to separation anxiety and other developmental issues, the more time you are able to leave the crate open for your pet to explore, the more likely your pet will become acclimated to his or her crate by the date of departure. You should begin to make the crate a part of the feeding ritual as well, and your dog should be relegated to the crate every time he or she needs to eat.

If done well enough in advance, begin incorporating the crate into your pet’s daily routine. At bed time (or before you leave for work in the morning), give the simple command, “crate” or “kennel” in a firm voice. Gently usher your pet into the crate with your hands, and reapply the door that was removed. Most pets will whine when placed into the closed crate for the first time. However, if they’ve previously had adequate time to explore the crate with the door off, then their whining should be minimal once the door is refastened.

The crate can become a place for your dog to go when he or she is breaking house rules as well. When such an incident occurs, rather than resorting to harsh, less effective punishments such as spanking or screaming, you can say in a calm but firm tone of voice, “crate” or kennel,” and your dog will slowly learn to go to the crate on his or her own. To be specific, the punishment for the dog is not spending time in an uncomfortable crate (the crate should have a bed or soft surface that enables the dog to rest). Instead, your pet should perceive the actual punishment as you depriving him or her of the ability to be out with its social group. That social group may just be you as the owner, but it could also be other family members and other pets. Either way, when your dog misbehaves, the crate becomes a helpful tool for discipline. It is your power as the dog’s master to regulate his or her food, toys, and free time. It is important that your dog is aware of this if you intend for him or her to respect you as the master.

Lastly, here’s a helpful tip for pet owners who still feel anxious about their dog travelling in a crate. Once your dog has become acclimated to his or her crate, place the crate in the back of your vehicle with the door facing forward (pointed towards the windshield). Bring your dog into the car and have him or her step into the crate. Then, proceed to your nearest automated carwash. There is no better way to see how your dog will react to flight conditions than by seeing how your dog reacts to the carwash. The majority of dogs that have become properly acclimated to their crates will endure the carwash from their crate with a peaceful demeanor.

If you’re able to witness a carwash free of major whines, barks, and sighs from your dog while it’s in his or her travel crate, then you can rest assured that your dog will experience a stress-free trip in his or her crate when the time comes to fly. Many owners that begin crate training their dogs will discover that the crate is a very helpful training application, and not just simply a box for travel.