If your dogs are crate-trained, how do you get rid of the crate?

[BamaTanya]

Our sweet dogs were crate-trained before we adopted them from the SPCA. Now they're 1.5 years old and I think they're grown. They're lab mix and weigh 80 and 70 lbs (male and female). After a while, they got their own crates, and because of the room in our house, the crates went into different rooms. It's so sweet to see them greet each other when I let them out every morning!

 

Anyway, I have TWO big crates taking up space in my den and dining rooms. I'd like to have the space back. I don't mind if the dogs sleep in the same spots or if they decide to sleep in the children's rooms (dh is allergic, so I think our room should stay dog-free).

 

How would I transition them? Will they have sleepless nights if I take their crates away? Would they just wander around if I leave the crate doors open when we go to bed? I don't think they'd have any accidents, but I'd rather not awaken to chewed up encyclopedias . . . KWIM?

 

They're really so easy with our current system, maybe I shouldn't change anything . . . but that crate will have to move before Thanksgiving dinner!

[Carrie12345]

My aunt's 5yo dog will sit in his crate and whine at night until someone remembers to close the door.

 

One of my 4yo dogs doesn't want to be anywhere but his crate after dinner, no matter what kind of fun we try to offer.

 

Crates are their dens, and you may wind up having a tough transition on your hands if you get rid of them.

[Dooley]

I agree with the usefulness of crating.

 

My Weim was crated but after a year or two, he acted like he would really rather be out with our other dog. So I let him sleep on his bed at night. They both sleep in my room, door closed. I have always done this just so I know what they are doing. Usually, nothing.

 

I wouldnt have moved him, had he not "asked" me to.

[hornblower]

Try propping (bungeeing) the doors open (or just take the doors off) and see how it goes. Give them a nice dog bed nearby. As extra incentive you could pull out the mats they use inside their crates normally & put them on the new beds just so they smell right. Put in some different fabric into the crates. Some dogs really love their crates, or you might find that they happily sleep somewhere else.

 

If your dogs really like the crates, you can make/buy funky furniture crates for them. They make nice end tables... http://www.denhaus.com/den/b/build.asp?page=Home&

 

I only crate in the car, not in the house. My dogs do get up and wander around in the house at night. I want them to. It's their job to check out noises etc. They're not destructive & don't disturb us unless there's a problem.

[gingersmom]

My german shepherd loved his crate. It was like his room and when he went in there it meant he didn't want to be bothered. There is no way I could have gotten rid of it.

[Jann in TX]

We did crate our first German Shepherd before we knew better (BAD BAD for their hips...). When we were confident that he was potty trained we took the door off of the crate. After a week we took out his comfy dog bed and placed it next to the crate--once he slept outside his crate he NEVER returned. He DID prefer his dog bed to be in a corner--that gave him all the 'security' he needed.

 

X-Large dogs really need to stretch out fully at night. A crate big enough for this would be the size of a twin bed! I'll have to post a picture of our 2yo GS sleeping in his 'road kill' position--fully stretched out on his back with arms STRAIGHT up in the air--his jowls droop like Snoopy's (showing his teeth)so he has this funny 'grin' on his face too! Our big boys sleep on a futon cushion or on the floor 'guarding' a door.

[Mommyof4ks]

It depends on why they are crated I guess. We had to crate our dog when we left the house, because she would chew on things and tinkle on the carpet. She was fine at night, she just did not like being left alone.

 

If you can leave the dogs out while you leave the house, then they may not mind being let out at night. I agree with the dog bed idea though. Our dog is old now (10) and we no longer have carpet (she only likes to tinkle on the carpet not the hard floors), so she is fine to stay out all day. We no longer have the crate.