To crate or not to crate?

[busymama7]

We got a new dog for Christmas (see thread: I need some Christmas magic for details if needed)

She is doing really great. Learning to sit. Letting 4yo feed her from her hand. No aggression when kids walk near her feeding. A tiny bit of growling if a new man walks in the door but she settles once they pet her and the next time they come she's fine.  No potty issues at all. 

13yo is teaching her to sit with treats and she's doing ok with that. 

The first night she slept in the laundry room but she didn't like that so last night she slept with 13yo. She had her bed next to her bed but ended up with her. 

I am debating whether this is the right choice for her but I really don't think I care. 

I am still considering getting a crate for a retreat for her but again I'm not sure if it's the right thing. I've been reading a dog training book and she presented it as not even an option but just the way it should be.  I think I'm ok with it not being her sleeping spot but will that even work? Is it worth it to try to teach her to like a crate?

She is no problem in the house so far. She lays on the couch near us or we move her bed next to us(like when we are playing games at the table). The kids are going super slow with her if she's resting and she hasn't had a single issue since the first one Christmas day. Well she did growl at my 8yo nephew today just a tiny bit but he just left her alone and later she was fine with him. 

The dog training book wants us to work on potty, sit and crate at first but is addressing new puppies which she isn't. 

I don't think she would like the crate. She likes to be really near us(me mostly).  But I know there are benefits and if its worth it, we will put in the training time. She is seriously so chill. My gut tells me shes fine and doesn't need it but I feel like I'm doing something wrong. 

Thanks for any thoughts!

[Liz CA]

Here is my take. Someone else may be aghast but I am just being truthful.

We had a Neo mastiff (Avatar pic) when ds was a teenager. We had a bed for her. Soon she would sneak into ds's room and he would of course not kick her out but cuddle up with her. When I finally realized what was going on, it had been happening for several nights - neither of them were talking until I happened upon the quaint little scene.

Nobody has come to harm. Neither dog nor ds. It's not everyone's way of handling pets. We tend to be a bit lax about it. Your dog will be fine if you insist she sleeps on her bed. When we moved and had a new mastiff (other one had passed) and ds had moved out, I confined the Cane Corso mastiff to our large laundry room with a large, homebuilt bed. He was happy and could see over the child's gate I had up connecting the laundry room to the kitchen. He watched me cook and bake and we went on walks of course. I didn't want him in the rest of the house without one of us being in the room with him because he slobbered a lot and wiped himself on furniture. So, somewhat different ways of keeping a dog - neither one "right" or "wrong" IMHO. Decide what you can live with. Dog and children will be fine.

ETA: We have never crated but I hear that it can be very useful and many dogs find their crates to be a place of peace and quiet in a busy, boisterous family. We are a small family and it seems our dogs liked to hang out wherever we were.

Edited December 28, 2018 by Liz CA

[frogger]

Do you have room for a crate? Does the dog wake the children at night to go out? 

 

When we had the earthquake and there was broken glass everywhere the crate was a handy place for the dog to stay and not get her paws cut up.

There are times you need to do clean up like a child vomits or if you were carrying stuff into the house that you really don't want the dog checking out and it's nice to be able to give the kennel command and she runs right into it. Sometimes we don't even bother closing it.

[AbcdeDooDah]

If nothing else, we use the crate when we're going to be gone for a few hours.  Our puppy is 5 months and not completely house broken yet. 

She loves going into it after our first walk and taking a long nap before lunch. 

[Shoeless]

Our dog sleeps in a crate at night.  I'm sure he'd be fine out of it, but it's become our routine, so we stick with it. It's nice to have a safe place for him to go when needed, (broken glass, something messy that I don't want "dog help" with, fireworks that freak him out, etc.  We also have a cat, and crate time gives the cat some dog-free time to prowl around.  The cat and dog get along fine, but sometimes she's just fed up with him!

Whether or not you crate your dog depends on the temperament of the dog and the habits of the household.  If your dog is a chewer, it can be a weight off your mind to crate him when you cannot supervise.  I've known several people with dogs that like to chew chair legs, table legs, sofa cushions, walls (!!!).   

Edited December 28, 2018 by MissLemon

[Jean in Newcastle]

If you are ever going to board her it will be best if she is crate trained. 

[PeterPan]

My dog is small, though not quite as small as yours, and he sleeps in our old cat carrier. We have a crate, but it's big. The cat carrier we had from years and years ago, and it functions like a crate, giving him a place to go. We keep the door open, so he's free to go in when he needs a break. Because it's small, it doesn't take a lot of room. If we need him to be crated, it's a routine he's used to. We just had guests where someone was dog allergic, so we popped in the crate (cat carrier) and put him in a small room away from the person. That way he wasn't on them, asking for attention, and setting off their allergies. 

See what you think about sizing, but my dog is using a 23" pet carrier, which is $26 at Walmart Dosckocil Pet Taxi 23" Pet Carrier, Extra Small, Bei ...  It sits in the corner by my kitchen and just is no trouble.

I think if you DON'T train him to accept a crate, you might have times when you want that. My previous dog, a shelter dog, was not crate trained, and he SO struggled when we needed to crate him. And we're not talking at night and preference stuff but when we actually needed to. He would bark and chew on the wires and was in danger of hurting himself. That's just so unnecessary. Crate training is done very positively, with treats and making it a good thing. It won't cost you much if you go with a carrier like I linked, and it's really handy for when you travel, when he's sick and needs to be confined (it happens), etc. Like I said, we keep the door open and he CHOOSES to be in there. It's his turf.

I would be fine with the dog sleeping with the 13 yo. She wanted it and the dog is accepting her, so it's all good. The crate/carrier is just an additional thing. Once you get it established, you don't have to do it all the time or anything. She'll choose it herself. And yes, my dog does have beds, lol. He has at least two beds on the main floor. He just likes his crate/carrier, go figure. It's kind of snuggly.

Edited December 28, 2018 by PeterPan

[gardenmom5]

dd's puppy is crated at night at my house.   it's like putting him to bed.  I mostly cover the crate to block light, leaving some space for airflow. but he will settle down and go to sleep much faster than if he's free to roam. (and I don't have to worry what interesting things he's found.)

dd isn't consistent anymore- and he's capable of jumping up on her bed.   other times she will crate him.

[J-rap]

I don't think there's a right or wrong.  Growing up, we never crated our dog.  And my dh and I never crated our first dog after we were married and we had him for almost 15 years!  He was always with us, and he slept on the floor next to us in his own bed.  Sometimes when we were gone, we trapped him in a room (when he was younger and apt to get into a little trouble), but never a crate.

The pup we have now (actually he's mostly my dd's, but we'll be taking care of him a lot due to her schedule).  When he's with my dd, he usually sleeps with her in her bed.  Or sometimes he'll sleep in his bed ON her bed.  He's a small dog and he loves being near her.  But due to her schedule she's sometimes gone very late at night, and then she has him sleep in a crate.  So, he has gotten used to that too.  When I'm in charge, he always sleeps in his crate.  He's very comfortable there.  He's a 5-month-old puppy and still gets into trouble when left alone, so if I'm leaving the house for awhile, in the crate he goes!  I know he's fine with that.  He just kind of automatically gets sleepy when he's in his crate.  It's calming.  We have it so one side faces the outdoor window, and if he does wake up, he's entertained by looking out the window.  (The window goes down to the floor.)

Our lives are a lot crazier now, without that same structured schedule like when all our kids were younger and home.  A crate is a nice stable safe place for him to be in the midst of the craziness.  🙂  

How is your dog when left alone?  Where will the dog sleep when your dd's not home?  Is that a time when you might want him used to a crate?

[Carrie12345]

I am all about crating. My 100lb+ dogs had crates, and now my 3.5lb dog has a crate. Of course, I also have 5 kids and have had cats at the same time. This gave each dog their own private space, and kept/keeps them relatively calm when strangers/workers come to the house.

I've also never had to deal with any horrible messes or destruction when I've returned from being out, and the big guys never had issues with being boarded. (Little guy hasn't been boarded yet.)

That hasn't prevented dogs from winding up in people's beds, but I'm fine with that. I'm not a "you must be in your crate every night" person; I'm a "you need to be comfortable with this tool when you or I need it" person. I worry so much about the little guy getting hurt, stuck, or in some terrible trouble (or hiding tiny poop in a place I can't find!) when a human can't be actively supervising. The crate is safety and peace of mind.

[Pawz4me]

You have two totally different issues here. One is should you crate train (yes). The other is how you should use the crate (totally up to you and the dog).

I feel very strongly that ALL dogs should be crate trained (cats, too--it's not hard at all to teach a cat to not hate a crate/carrier). If they ever need to be boarded, need to stay at the vet's due to surgery or illness, or need to have their activity limited due to injury, surgery recovery, etc. -- being crate trained is absolutely invaluable. A hard sided crate strapped down is the safest way for a pet to travel in a car. Crate training is a part of the basic education that all well loved pet dogs or cats should have,  IMO.

But just because you crate train doesn't mean the dog has to sleep in it, or will need to be crated when you're gone, or will need to spend any significant time in it on a regular basis.

Crate training is the right thing to do. Absolutely. How you use it is up to you, and will vary depending on the dog and the family. There's no right or wrong on that.

Edited December 28, 2018 by Pawz4me

[ktgrok]

6 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

If you are ever going to board her it will be best if she is crate trained. 

 

1 hour ago, Carrie12345 said:

I am all about crating. My 100lb+ dogs had crates, and now my 3.5lb dog has a crate. Of course, I also have 5 kids and have had cats at the same time. This gave each dog their own private space, and kept/keeps them relatively calm when strangers/workers come to the house.

I've also never had to deal with any horrible messes or destruction when I've returned from being out, and the big guys never had issues with being boarded. (Little guy hasn't been boarded yet.)

That hasn't prevented dogs from winding up in people's beds, but I'm fine with that. I'm not a "you must be in your crate every night" person; I'm a "you need to be comfortable with this tool when you or I need it" person. I worry so much about the little guy getting hurt, stuck, or in some terrible trouble (or hiding tiny poop in a place I can't find!) when a human can't be actively supervising. The crate is safety and peace of mind.

 

17 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

You have two totally different issues here. One is should you crate train (yes). The other is how you should use the crate (totally up to you and the dog).

I feel very strongly that ALL dogs should be crate trained (cats, too--it's not hard at all to teach a cat to not hate a crate/carrier). If they ever need to be boarded, need to stay at the vet's due to surgery or illness, or need to have their activity limited due to injury, surgery recovery, etc. -- being crate trained is absolutely invaluable. A hard sided crate strapped down is the safest way for a pet to travel in a car. Crate training is a part of the basic education that all well loved pet dogs or cats should have,  IMO.

But just because you crate train doesn't mean the dog has to sleep in it, or will need to be crated when you're gone, or will need to spend any significant time in it on a regular basis.

Crate training is the right thing to do. Absolutely. How you use it is up to you, and will vary depending on the dog and the family. There's no right or wrong on that.

What they said. If you ever need to fly with the dog, have the dog stay at the vet for a medical procedure, or there is an injury that requires cage rest you don't want the dog to never have been trained to accept the crate. Those stressful times are not the time to teach that. 

Also, it sounds like the dog is still getting overstimulated some so it may help with that as well. I'd buy a dog that small the plastic carrier type, not the wire dog crate type. That way it doubles as a carrier when going to the vet or whatnot. Plus easy to pick up and move into the room you are in if you want, etc. 

[Ellie]

2 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

You have two totally different issues here. One is should you crate train (yes). The other is how you should use the crate (totally up to you and the dog).

I feel very strongly that ALL dogs should be crate trained (cats, too--it's not hard at all to teach a cat to not hate a crate/carrier). If they ever need to be boarded, need to stay at the vet's due to surgery or illness, or need to have their activity limited due to injury, surgery recovery, etc. -- being crate trained is absolutely invaluable. A hard sided crate strapped down is the safest way for a pet to travel in a car. Crate training is a part of the basic education that all well loved pet dogs or cats should have,  IMO.

But just because you crate train doesn't mean the dog has to sleep in it, or will need to be crated when you're gone, or will need to spend any significant time in it on a regular basis.

Crate training is the right thing to do. Absolutely. How you use it is up to you, and will vary depending on the dog and the family. There's no right or wrong on that.

ITA 100%, absolutely.

[cintinative]

We just adopted a 10 month old puppy about four weeks ago. We have a crate for him, but we were inconsistent in the beginning about using it. The foster had used it because she works and also because her resident dog was food protective.  Anyway, we now have some regrets about not using it more because he has separation anxiety and does not like the crate. So we are starting to feed him in the crate and encourage him to go in otherwise. We are at home most of the time, but we don't want him to be anxious the few times we do go and have to crate him (he is a chewer, btw).  Also, as others have mentioned, if we go on vacation he will need to be crated most likely (depending on the care situation we find) so we want him to be used to it.

I would love some input on how to get him more used to the crate. I read somewhere to put him in there during the day when we are home just to get him used to it (like when I am cooking and don't want him underfoot, etc.)

[marbel]

3 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

You have two totally different issues here. One is should you crate train (yes). The other is how you should use the crate (totally up to you and the dog).

I feel very strongly that ALL dogs should be crate trained (cats, too--it's not hard at all to teach a cat to not hate a crate/carrier). If they ever need to be boarded, need to stay at the vet's due to surgery or illness, or need to have their activity limited due to injury, surgery recovery, etc. -- being crate trained is absolutely invaluable. A hard sided crate strapped down is the safest way for a pet to travel in a car. Crate training is a part of the basic education that all well loved pet dogs or cats should have,  IMO.

But just because you crate train doesn't mean the dog has to sleep in it, or will need to be crated when you're gone, or will need to spend any significant time in it on a regular basis.

Crate training is the right thing to do. Absolutely. How you use it is up to you, and will vary depending on the dog and the family. There's no right or wrong on that.

I so agree with this.  Our dog was a rescue, he was terrified of the crate (we are guessing because he was transported on the dog underground railway from NC to PA), it was a huge hassle to get him to go into it and then he would shake and cry... we gave up too soon.  Life with him would have been so much easier if we had not taken the easy way out.  If we ever have another dog, a crate will be part of life. 

[Pen]

Our dogs generally sleep in human’s beds. Since early 1990s, They also are trained to be able to use crates if needed.  Sometimes a crate is available for the dog to go in if he she wants to.  

For our dogs, particularly  desirable crates to use as a personal den have been fabric type with soft bottom and sides—not as helpful if they ever needed to take a plane, but great for camping or hotel room or sometimes car travel.  We are in a usually cold environment so cozy crate may be especially positive for dogs here.  Some have handles on top and can be a carrier if dog is small enough as I think yours is.  

Currently we have no surviving fabric crates, but have a couple large-dog metal and plastic ones. One metal one is currently set up for (rare) use.  One plastic one is available to be put in truck bed if needed. 

 We have used the crates for other purposes too like kittens and chicks. 

Edited December 28, 2018 by Pen

[Pawz4me]

1 minute ago, cintinative said:

We just adopted a 10 month old puppy about four weeks ago. We have a crate for him, but we were inconsistent in the beginning about using it. The foster had used it because she works and also because her resident dog was food protective.  Anyway, we now have some regrets about not using it more because he has separation anxiety and does not like the crate. So we are starting to feed him in the crate and encourage him to go in otherwise. We are at home most of the time, but we don't want him to be anxious the few times we do go and have to crate him (he is a chewer, btw).  Also, as others have mentioned, if we go on vacation he will need to be crated most likely (depending on the care situation we find) so we want him to be used to it.

I would love some input on how to get him more used to the crate. I read somewhere to put him in there during the day when we are home just to get him used to it (like when I am cooking and don't want him underfoot, etc.)

Unfortunately, IME many dogs with SA also seem to have some sort of claustrophobia/barrier frustration. The dogs who need to find security in a crate seem the least likely to be able to do so easily. That's certainly not always the case, though, and hopefully won't be for yours.

With crate training an older puppy I'd start with baby steps as much as possible. Get a really good, high value treat (steak or chicken or a Milk Bone--whatever high value means to him), toss one or two in and when he goes in after them shut the crate door. As soon as he eats the treats open the door and let him right back out. Do it many times during the day, slowly extending the length of time he's in the crate. As he gets more comfortable with it you can even pretend to leave--grab your purse and keys, step out, raise the garage door, etc. Feed him his meals in the crate. Get a Kong or other stuffable toy and fill it with something yummy (cheese, peanut butter, cream cheese, etc.). Give it to him every single time you crate him when you go out. Or if he's more toy motivated you can get a special toy he only gets when crated--anything you can do to make the crate a special, positive place for him. Really, the ideal thing is to build on positive association with the crate slowly. Unfortunately we all live in real life and most of us can't set aside two weeks or two months where we never have to leave home and can work on crate training until the dog is totally comfortable. So do the best you can.

[Ellie]

41 minutes ago, cintinative said:

We just adopted a 10 month old puppy about four weeks ago. We have a crate for him, but we were inconsistent in the beginning about using it. The foster had used it because she works and also because her resident dog was food protective.  Anyway, we now have some regrets about not using it more because he has separation anxiety and does not like the crate. So we are starting to feed him in the crate and encourage him to go in otherwise. We are at home most of the time, but we don't want him to be anxious the few times we do go and have to crate him (he is a chewer, btw).  Also, as others have mentioned, if we go on vacation he will need to be crated most likely (depending on the care situation we find) so we want him to be used to it.

I would love some input on how to get him more used to the crate. I read somewhere to put him in there during the day when we are home just to get him used to it (like when I am cooking and don't want him underfoot, etc.)

This article might help.

[ScoutTN]

3 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

You have two totally different issues here. One is should you crate train (yes). The other is how you should use the crate (totally up to you and the dog).

I feel very strongly that ALL dogs should be crate trained (cats, too--it's not hard at all to teach a cat to not hate a crate/carrier). If they ever need to be boarded, need to stay at the vet's due to surgery or illness, or need to have their activity limited due to injury, surgery recovery, etc. -- being crate trained is absolutely invaluable. A hard sided crate strapped down is the safest way for a pet to travel in a car. Crate training is a part of the basic education that all well loved pet dogs or cats should have,  IMO.

But just because you crate train doesn't mean the dog has to sleep in it, or will need to be crated when you're gone, or will need to spend any significant time in it on a regular basis.

Crate training is the right thing to do. Absolutely. How you use it is up to you, and will vary depending on the dog and the family. There's no right or wrong on that.

This. 

[staceyobu]

I'm going to go with the crate training crowd. I don't think the dog needs to sleep in it, but there will be times when it is useful. You have someone coming to work on something in your house and the dog needs to not be underfoot. You have a toddler over who won't leave the dog alone. You have a sick kid who suddenly wants the dog out of his bed for the night. You can just lock the dog in a room, but our dogs tend to scratch to get out if they think high excitement is happening on the other side. We've also had dogs who have gotten sick and needed to be put on crate rest for a week or so. 

I also think it's not 100 percent necessary. I would just say it's a useful tool for your doggy toolbox.

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, cintinative said:

I would love some input on how to get him more used to the crate.

We just used a highly preferred treat and threw it in and praised for going in. It was a pretty fast phase because current dog was a puppy. The previous dog, who was already older (5-7 probably) when we adopted him wasn't so easy. I think just keep it short and clear and predictable. You never let them out when they're barking or having behaviors you don't want. You wait till they have the behavior you want, THEN reward by opening the door and praising. We also use a towel on top to tell him it's time to be quiet, and he'll get the clue phone and go to sleep.

 

[katilac]

4 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

 (cats, too--it's not hard at all to teach a cat to not hate a crate/carrier) no right or wrong on that.

 

Do tell! 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Dogs, cats and bunnies are all crate trained here.  Out of the five animals, only one sleeps in the crate nightly, but all can be safely transported and/or crated when necessary. 

[DesertBlossom]

We got our mastiff mix from someone who rescued him from the shelter but then was moving and couldn't keep him. She said she tried the crate and he always managed to get out. However he didn't do any damage to the house so she let him be. We never tried to crate him. He has a bed he sleeps on, but often opts for any number of other spots on the floor. I suppose there would be times it would be nicr to have him crate trained, they just happen infrequently enough I don't worry about it. 

We got a small breed puppy a couple weeks ago and she is being crate trained. Mostly because I don't trust her at night not to pee on the floor. She sleeps all night in her crate. However when we leave the house I tend to lock the dogs outside because they get along well and love to play anyway.

[busymama7]

Thank you! Lots of good info.

So she did spend 2 nights at the vet last week after her spay and she did perfect. They said she liked the kennel and didn't bark or anything.  I am guessing though that if we don't continue using one at home that she would become less comfortable with it over time.  So I guess I will go ahead and get one. My hesitation was purely not wanting clutter. We have a lot of people here and lots of stuff so if we were letting her sleep in beds anyways I was thinking maybe we didn't need it.  But the retreat part is really important plus I like the idea of being able to have her in there when visitors are around and such. 

ETA: someone asked about potty at night and no. She's sleeping all night without a potty break without issue. We are taking her out now ourselves but will probably put in a dog door soon for more flexibility in leaving and such.

She hasn't been left at home yet alone and so far hasn't chewed at all. No interest in a chew toy or in rawhide. 

Edited December 28, 2018 by busymama7

[Pawz4me]

7 minutes ago, katilac said:

 

Do tell! 

#1 thing -- Keep the carrier/crate out and accessible! Too many people put them away and only bring them out when the cat needs to go to the vet. Talk about a negative association! Plus cats like familiarity.

Most cats naturally like dark, cozy sleeping and hiding places. Make the carrier/crate one of them. Put it in a quiet spot with the door propped open, put a cozy blanket/old towel/bed in it, sprinkle some catnip in it occasionally. If you do those simple things many cats will make their carrier/crate a favored sleeping spot. And from there just start closing the door occasionally for short periods of time. Most cats who are snoozing won't care at all. Just don't forget to open it eventually!

[PeterPan]

1 minute ago, busymama7 said:

My hesitation was purely not wanting clutter.

That makes sense! Well definitely check out the small plastic pet carriers then. They'd probably be more than adequate. Snuggly is better for this, and it won't take up much room. You can tuck it just anywhere and she'll figure it out and be cool with it. We keep ours by the piano. 

[Pawz4me]

4 minutes ago, DesertBlossom said:

We got our mastiff mix from someone who rescued him from the shelter but then was moving and couldn't keep him. She said she tried the crate and he always managed to get out. However he didn't do any damage to the house so she let him be. We never tried to crate him. He has a bed he sleeps on, but often opts for any number of other spots on the floor. I suppose there would be times it would be nicr to have him crate trained, they just happen infrequently enough I don't worry about it. 

We got a small breed puppy a couple weeks ago and she is being crate trained. Mostly because I don't trust her at night not to pee on the floor. She sleeps all night in her crate. However when we leave the house I tend to lock the dogs outside because they get along well and love to play anyway.

Please, please be careful! Dog theft is a much bigger issue than many people realize. And the smaller/cuter/fluffier the dog the more likely it seems they are to be stolen. Small fluffy dogs can be "rehomed" on Craigslist for several hundred dollars. We live in a very safe area  and there is no way on earth I'd ever leave my dog outside alone. He doesn't even go outside in our fenced back yard for a quick potty break by himself. He's too precious to me, and cute enough that he would bring a high "rehoming" fee. Also, IMO young puppies should never be left outside alone. Well, maybe it your back yard is totally privacy fenced,  concreted and has no trees or shrubs. If there are sticks, mulch, anything a teething, mouthy puppy could ingest-nope. Not safe.

[DesertBlossom]

24 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Please, please be careful! Dog theft is a much bigger issue than many people realize. And the smaller/cuter/fluffier the dog the more likely it seems they are to be stolen. Small fluffy dogs can be "rehomed" on Craigslist for several hundred dollars. We live in a very safe area  and there is no way on earth I'd ever leave my dog outside alone. He doesn't even go outside in our fenced back yard for a quick potty break by himself. He's too precious to me, and cute enough that he would bring a high "rehoming" fee. Also, IMO young puppies should never be left outside alone. Well, maybe it your back yard is totally privacy fenced,  concreted and has no trees or shrubs. If there are sticks, mulch, anything a teething, mouthy puppy could ingest-nope. Not safe.

You can't see into our backyard from the street. And with a 60lb mastiff mix in the yard, I don't worry about people coming in to take stuff. When we are gone we are never gone for very long so I haven't worried about her. She's about 5 months and while she chews on her toys, she hasn't chewed on anything else. She spends much of her time outside anyway because the kids all play outside so much, the dogs are out with them. (This is our time for beautiful outdoor weather. Come June we'll all be locked inside. 😆)

[katilac]

1 hour ago, Pawz4me said:

 Most cats naturally like dark, cozy sleeping and hiding places. Make the carrier/crate one of them.  

 

Thanks, that all makes sense. We have five cats. Will it help to have one or two carriers out at a time, so they associate positive things with a carrier in general, or must it be 'their' carrier? They do each have their own carrier, but I don't know how we'd enforce ownership 😊

1 hour ago, Pawz4me said:

 He's too precious to me, and cute enough that he would bring a high "rehoming" fee.  

 

He is an adorable bit of fluff. What kind is he, and does that type tend to like cats? We're thinking about breaking our strict two-species rule (cats and sugar gliders at present). 

In my area, people will steal pets and then post them as 'found' and either claim an existing reward or simply insist on a reward that people pay because they don't want to chance anything. Jerks. 

[hornblower]

I own crates and I spend time teaching dogs to like a crate (very slowly, make it a game to run to the crate and lie down & relax in it, at first there are no doors, then I ramp up time and add doors etc) but my strong preference is to not crate dogs just because I believe in giving dogs as much freedom and choice as possible. I have done it once in a while with new dogs, dogs with sketchy temperaments and when I worried about them chewing up each other or the house....but I prefer to give my dogs freedom.  For instance, Olive was a book destroyer when we first got her so our bookcases were behind a wall of x-pen panels. I know others who have x-penned couches or kitchen counters in lieu of locking up the dog. I do have crates with no doors on them in the house & if the dogs choose to go in them, that's their choice. 

If you're looking for a slow protocol to teach a dog to like a crate (for car rides or if they're ever hospitalized or if you decide to get into dog sport and need to crate at ringside), check out Susan Garrett's Crate Games https://www.susangarrett.com/crate-games-online/ or work through the Sue Ailsby clicker training levels. Crate bhvr starts in level 2. http://sue-eh.ca/page24/page26/page10/

[Pawz4me]

2 hours ago, katilac said:

 

Thanks, that all makes sense. We have five cats. Will it help to have one or two carriers out at a time, so they associate positive things with a carrier in general, or must it be 'their' carrier? They do each have their own carrier, but I don't know how we'd enforce ownership 😊

 

He is an adorable bit of fluff. What kind is he, and does that type tend to like cats? We're thinking about breaking our strict two-species rule (cats and sugar gliders at present). 

In my area, people will steal pets and then post them as 'found' and either claim an existing reward or simply insist on a reward that people pay because they don't want to chance anything. Jerks. 

When we've had multiple cats I've generally just left one carrier out. Our last two cats--one was a big boy and one was a smallish female, so I left out the male's carrier since it was slightly larger. They'd both hang out in it at different times, and occasionally they'd snug in together.

He's a Shih Tzu and I think most of them tend to like cats or at least not mind them. They're pretty much a gets-along-with-everyone-and-everything breed. Beyond normal playfulness (especially when puppies) they don't have much of a chasing instinct and no hunting instincts other than hunting human laps.  The lack of those things helps when it comes to living with cats. 

[hippiemamato3]

Our little dogs are not crated at all. Our 2 year old lab mix does still use a crate, both occasionally during the day and for sleeping. She also chooses to go in during the day for naps when she is not locked in. Our older lab is never crated. 

[Arctic Bunny]

I just wanted to add that our dog’s “house” isn’t just for our convenience. It’s also always been a place for him to get away. So when we got him, and the kids were 5 & 7, his kennel was off limits, so they and their little friends were not allowed to pet him in there, or otherwise bother him. Also handy when people who are afraid of dogs come over, or the furnace guy is in and out all day, etc.

[easypeasy]

We never crated our small dogs on a regular basis. One is terrified of his crate (he was a rescue... and has plenty of issues, lol) but he's an angel outside his crate, so it was never an issue & we never bought him a crate. He's never boarded (goes to Grandma's House instead!) and only sleeps in human beds at night, lol. Our other small dog is crate-trained and we only use it when transporting her (she doesn't like car rides). Sometimes Grandma will use the crate at night so she doesn't have two dogs in her bed. This dog doesn't sleep with anyone at night, really... she finds someone's bed and crawls beneath it and sleeps there. Weird dog.

Then we got a big dog and definitely crate trained him. However, I hate that blasted thing (the crate, not the dog). It's ENORMOUS (and still not quite tall enough for him now that he's full grown! ARGH!) We keep it in the main part of the house so the dog isn't "alone," but it's an eyesore. I'm about to move the thing into a connected room to see if he has any issues being slightly out of sight from us when he's in his crate. (He HAS to have the blasted thing because he terrifies the two smaller, old dogs with all of his energy... so the little dogs need a break from time to time).

I WILL Say, it's nice to have a crate that the dog will willingly go into when you have guests over. Some people just don't like dogs... or your dogs are a bit much for them... or they have small children who maybe can't be trusted with little dogs... etc, etc, etc. It's nice to pop the dog into the crate before they arrive and never have to make the dog an issue one way or the other! Even our two small "angel" dogs are sometimes PITAs when people come over ("Pet me!! Pet ME!! PET MEEEE!!!).

 

Edited December 29, 2018 by easypeasy

[ktgrok]

I feel you on the big crate thing. We have the 48 inch one and it's gargantuan. 

[KungFuPanda]

Once our dog got old enough to not puppy-chew while we were out, we never crated again. He’s not destructive and doesn’t have accidents, so he gets the run of the house when we’re gone. He actually created his own den by sleeping under the dining room table on occasion. As long as the dog has a space to sleep in peace and get a time out from hyper kids, I don’t think a crate, or where he sleeps matters. I say let your son have that relationship with his dog. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

20 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

Once our dog got old enough to not puppy-chew while we were out, we never crated again. He’s not destructive and doesn’t have accidents, so he gets the run of the house when we’re gone. He actually created his own den by sleeping under the dining room table on occasion. As long as the dog has a space to sleep in peace and get a time out from hyper kids, I don’t think a crate, or where he sleeps matters. I say let your son have that relationship with his dog. 

Yes, my old disabled dog's "crate" is under dd's bed (which is lifted higher than most).  It operates the same way but doesn't have the barriers that an actual crate would create for her mobility as a partially paralyzed dog. 

Edited December 29, 2018 by Jean in Newcastle
spelling

[sassenach]

I'm 1000% on team crate. I don't know how people function without crating. 

[Selkie]

We’ve never used crates. However, we have a kennel room in our house. It has indoor runs, each of which has a dog door leading to an outdoor run. Our dogs usually have the run of the house, but can stay in the kennel room if we have people over or if we’re going to be gone for more than a few hours. It’s also handy when we have a young pup or new dog that isn’t fully house trained or hasn’t learned good house manners yet. If I have to run out to the post office or grocery store, I can leave him or her in a run and not have to worry about accidents or chewing. 

For young puppies, I like using puppy play pens when I want to keep the puppy nearby but contained. Like if I’m cooking dinner, I can move the playpen into the kitchen and it keeps the puppy from getting underfoot but he/she is still right there and a part of the action.🙂

At night, our dogs sleep upstairs with us. I have found with all my dogs over the years that they prefer to sleep with their humans. The ones who aren’t bedhogs get to sleep on our bed, and the others sleep on dog beds.