You bought a crate to keep your dog in a safe secure place while you are at work or when you leave the house and can not take your best friend with you.
Crates are recommended as long as they are large enough and as long as they are comfortable.
Many dogs who are left to roam the house when their people are not home go on a tear and destroy things because they do not like being left a long.
Crate training and use gives them more security, and saves your shoes from an untimely demise.
Make sure you get the right dog crate pads so that they are comfortable and clean.
The crate should be big enough for them to stand and move around a bit.
You don't want something too big, but you don't want to put them in something in which they have to lay down and can not move all day.
That is very bad for them both physically and mentally.
Instead, give them room, but make it cozy enough so that they feel secure.
All dogs should also have good dog crate pads so that they are warm, comfortable, and also so that you can easily clean them.
You want to have more than one if you have both summer and winter in your area.
For winter dog crate pads, you want something that is soft and warm.
These will trap and hold your dog's body heat and help keep them warm while they are in there.
You want to make sure that it is not so soft that they can tear it up, especially when you are trying to train them.
Get something tear resistant, soft, but also something that you can clean either in your washer, if needed, or that can be brushed off to remove dog hair.
If you don't clean them, they will start to smell rather quickly.
For the summer months, you want dog crate pads that do not hold as much heat so that your pet does not overheat while you are out of the house.
Don't forget that they need to stay cool too, so don't turn off your air or your fan while you go out.
It saves money, but your pet could suffer.
If you have an area where you can put the crate where you know they won't overheat even if you turn off the air, that is by far the best option for both your pet and your bottom line.
Don't forget to leave them extra water in the summer months.
Some dog crate pads are machine washable, and some need to be hosed down in the back yard to be clean for your pet and for your home.
Dogs like to have their own scent on things, so don't wash them too often, but also don't leave them with waste on them or if they stink too much.
If at all possible, use an unscented detergent without fabric softener (or find one of those that is also unscented) so that they do not have a smell they feel they must cover up.
Some tear up objects that does not smell like them, so keep that in mind while shopping.