Hide That Crate! A Guide to Making the Ugly Thing Go Away (Kinda)
A metal or plastic crate, while not being the most beauteous item in your dog's paraphernalia, is definitely a necessity for most dog owners, especially the ones starting out with young puppies. Let's face it, though, a crate is generally downright ugly in a room that is otherwise attractive. So what can one do to improve the looks of one's home, yet still housebreak Fido?
One option is to buy a 'designer crate', a crate that is made to both be useful and beautiful. However, most of them will cost a pretty penny. The Town Haus Dog Crate, by dogbedworks.com, which is made out of solid wood and brass accents, retails at 449.95 for the smallest model. (However, it doubles as a coffee or bedside table, so if you are shopping for that as well, you might consider it money saved) It also isn't easily transportable.
The eiCrate, by gopetdesign.com, looks like a bubble of wire and is a bit easier on the eye than your standard crate. It also can be fitted with a cover available by the same company. However, the price might make you run away with your tail between your legs - $320 for the crate and $179 for the cover. $575 for the starter package. And it only fits dogs between 4-40 lbs.
What if you already have a perfectly good crate and just want to disguise it a little? A sheet or blanket hastily thrown over the thing will temporarily hide it from view in an emergency, but if you want something that looks a bit more elegant, you might try making a crate cover. There are a few methods, but the 3-panel method is the quickest and easiest.
You'll need some fairly sturdy fabric, sewing implements (a machine makes the work go much, much faster) and a measuring tape. Measure your dog's crate and add 2 inches for the hems. For plastic crates, you may have to allow a bit more, as these usually widen until they hit the center of the crate, where the two halves of the crate are affixed together. Simply sew the 3 panels together and fit over the crate. If you really want to go all the way, find a piece of plywood and cut it so that it fits on the top of the crate, creating a little table.
Speaking of tables, another option is to find a table that fits over the crate, that you then can drape with an attractive fabric. This is a nice strategy that doesn't scream, "There's a disguised DOG CRATE here!" The table can be a nice accent the room the crate is in, it can be easily moved if the dog crate is going traveling and it's not going to be anywhere near as expensive as the Town Haus.
If you have enough closet space, your dog's crate can be put in a closet with a folding door, allowing you to shut it away when the guests come over. Unfortunately, if the dog needs to go into his crate, you will probably not want to shut Puppy away in a stuffy closet. Solutions to this are cutting a hole in the closet door so that the crate door can swing freely, hanging a pretty curtain in the closet so that it conceals the crate, or putting up a light screen in front of the open door. This can be awkward if the closet is in a high-traffic area.
Some people have had success creating a little 'dog area' with folding screens that hide the crate, food dishes, etc. You can make your own or keep your eye out at garage sales. You can create a nice folding screen with two sets of folding closet doors from a hardware store or home/garden center. Place the crate in a corner, if you can, and arrange the screen artistically in front of it. It affords your dog more privacy and you a more attractive room.
There are many possibilities for making your dog's crate less unobtrusive in your house. You can accomplish a nice disguise for relatively cheaply if you decide what you want and shop cleverly. Then you can stop wincing whenever you see the black-metal or cream-plastic monstrosity.
By Expert Author: Rozi Dover
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com
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