Taking Your Puppy Home
Firstly I must stress that it is illegal to travel with your dog unrestrained in your car. You must collect your puppy with either a car safety harness or a suitable and secure pen/crate to keep you and your dog safe whilst driving. I would recommend that for your puppy's first few car trips that you make previsions for any little accidents from either anxiety or excitement.
As some puppies will grow to be large dogs, repeatedly replacing smaller crates to accomodate your growing dog can be costly - however material creates such as these can be a cheaper option.
Soft dog crates come in a range of sizes and are cheaper to repleace as your dog grows and can be used as a secure car carrier and a bed at home until your dog is big enough to have a more permanent crate. It is also light enough to carry with your puppy on visits to the vet - thus reducing anxiety.
When choosing your puppy's first bed, it should be big enough for your puppy to stretch out, but not much larger. This is because your puppy will at all costs avoid a toilet in his / her bed, but if desperate, the opposite end of his / her crate would make the ideal place to do what little puppies need to do. If you already have your puppy's crate you can resolve this issue by blocking off the majority of the space and adjust this as your puppy grows.
A crate is an ideal bed for your puppy/dog as it gives your pet an enclosed area that would represent the dogs den. This den is warm and safe for the dog, but also assists you in training. As well as crates having their benefits in your own home, most home boarding kennels will insist that your dog is crate trained so if this hurdle has been overcome in the first place, your pet will feel more relaxed about staying away.
