[Pipe_Dream]

Ever thought about crate training? I would have never given it a thought, but before we got our boys I visited a home where my wife was dog-sitting. Their Lab had been crate-trained, essentially the dog is in the crate when nobody is around to supervise him/her. This dog would go into his crate when he wanted to take a nap. Since he was full grown the door was never shut, it had just become his safe haven. I was sold, and we crate trained both our dogs. Worked like a charm. It has to be done in a positive way, and you can never crate them as punishment for doing anything wrong. But it can save you $$$ (slippers, pillows, remote controls) and can save your dog's life by keeping them from eating things they shouldn't. Just my $0.02 worth.