# Anyone use PLASTIC crates



## DiDi (Apr 12, 2005)

Does anyone use PLASTIC crates like this one? Metal ones seem a bit scary to me...like real jail or something. I dunno why it reminds me the jail in Silence of the Lambs.


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## puppy_luv4life (Mar 31, 2005)

> _Originally posted by DiDi_@Apr 17 2005, 07:03 PM
> *Does anyone use PLASTIC crates like this one?  Metal ones seem a bit scary to me...like real jail or something.
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i think thats the best type!


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

We have a small one like that for travel...and a big metal apartment size for the house.


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

> _Originally posted by tlunn_@Apr 17 2005, 10:06 PM
> *We have a small one like that for travel...and a big metal apartment size for the house.
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Oh, and I like the metal better b/c you can see them better. The plastic is more closed...so I like the metal better myself. I can see them/they can see me.


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## Lilly521 (May 29, 2004)

I like the metal ones because they seem more open and cooler. I have a plastic one for taking me cat to the vet but Sunny goes in sometimes and he likes laying it in but I woudl worry its to dark and stuffy to leave him in.


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## Sunshine (Aug 20, 2004)

I have one similar to that for Abby, but unless we are travelling I don't lock her in it - I just leave it open for her - first in her play pen and now in her play room so that she can go in and be safe, but still come out and see me


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## Sylphide and Shrek's Mom (Dec 4, 2004)

A voice from the other side...we don't crate at all. All 3 or our furbabies have full run of the (puppyproofed) house. They have comfy beds in every room in case they want a special spot. Sylphide, however, prefers the couches. 

We did buy them cute canvas carrier/crates for when they were babies. They are open and available anytime, but Sylphide and Shrek never use them.


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## Chelsey (Dec 17, 2004)

> _Originally posted by puppy_luv4life+Apr 17 2005, 11:04 PM-->
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i think thats the best type!
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We have that same one for chelsey. The smallest size , cat size, because she has a habbit of pooping in her crate... now it works great no more poop. At least for a while


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## miko's mommy (Feb 8, 2005)

Someone told me (I think it was our trainer) that the metal ones are not as safe (they can collapse), so the plastic ones are better.


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## msmagnolia (Sep 8, 2004)

I use the plastic crates. I like the plastic because it is more "den-like". The door is open at all times during the day, and then closed at night. When I leave the house the puppies go into an x-pen. All of my dogs love their crates. They are never used for punishment and we don't use them for feeding either.


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## NC's Mom (Oct 23, 2004)

The only time either of my dogs was ever "crated" was when they were recovering from their knee surgeries. Both have full run of the place. They are both very well-behaved, so it isn't a problem. And, when something happens, like when Little C went on that wallpaper trip, I know that it is because of boredom and that, is MY fault. That means that I need to rotate the toys, possibly buy a few new ones, play with them more when I'm home, etc. (Oh, and spend over $300 on furniture to cover the bald spots on the wall and keep Little Twerp away from them.)









We do have a dog cage. It's not a "kennel"...I'm not going to use nicer sounding words for what it is. It's a metal cage. It's VERY safe and sturdy...I can sit on it and it WON'T collapse! This is where Little C spent more time than she cares to remember following her knee surgery. It now has about 10 inches of fluffy bedding crammed inside with a wrap-a-around fuzzy thingy that makes the sides soft and snuggly. It's draped with a hand-knitted purple afghan and the only reason it still has a door is because no matter what I tried, I couldn't get it off short of cutting it off. This is like a cave for them. They love it. They can hide in there and see what I'm doing, but I can't see them because of the way the afghan is draped. 

I realize that someone people do this, but I personally am NOT comfortable with locking them up while I'm not home. It's THEIR home, too. I've never considered dogs to be an animal that needs to be caged up. Hamsters, yes. Dogs, no. They are the children I will never have. How could I lock them up?


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## abbey (Apr 4, 2005)

I have the metal one. The door is open all day and Abbey goes in to nap and get away. We do close it while we eat and she is eating at the same time, so that we don't have a begging dog at the table. I think she would prefer this one however, since she is always watching our every move! It's in the kitchen and when I'm cooking she watches out every side as I move around the kitchen. And when I go upstairs (she can't master stairs yet) she looks up out of the crate and watches me go up the steps. Abbey doesn't like a towel over her crate so I don't think she would like the plastic one (too closed in).

They would probably get used to whatever you have them in though. Maybe you could check with the breeder to see if she has been in a more "open" environment. Abbey was kept in a baby play pen so she was not used to being closed in.


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## glamourdog (Apr 17, 2004)

I know alot of people have great success with them, but we've never used them. 

We have always had doggie doors so our little ones could get out. Now we have an 8' fenced yard, I've made very sure that the gate is secure and the bottoms are boarded up (stained to match the fence).

My gate is locked to keep people and kids from letting them out.

We used to have a little tiny patio and a little garden at our condo in San Diego, we put a sliding glass doggie door in there so they could use the garden.

My only concern has always been hawks, but we never see them around here (dallas now), so I try not to worry too much about it. 

Wish there was a way to be sure about keeping hawks away though.


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

> _Originally posted by okw_@Apr 17 2005, 11:19 PM
> *Someone told me (I think it was our trainer) that the metal ones are not as safe (they can collapse), so the plastic ones are better.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=53641*


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Not sure what kind of metal one they had. Mine is collapsable but you really have to work to do so. It isn't something that is going to happen accidentally.

I have the metal kind and love it.


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Lexi's Mom+Apr 18 2005, 10:08 AM-->
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Not sure what kind of metal one they had. Mine is collapsable but you really have to work to do so. It isn't something that is going to happen accidentally.

I have the metal kind and love it.
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Mine collapses too..but I had SO much trouble getting it together...I WOULD NEVER try to collapse it back down!







I don't think it is going to happen accidently...


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## carrie (Aug 24, 2004)

> _Originally posted by NC's Mom_@Apr 18 2005, 01:16 AM
> *I realize that someone people do this, but I personally am NOT comfortable with locking them up while I'm not home.  It's THEIR home, too.  I've never considered dogs to be an animal that needs to be caged up.  Hamsters, yes.  Dogs, no.  They are the children I will never have.  How could I lock them up?
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=53646*


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Aside from having my own biological children, I feel the same way.


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

> _Originally posted by tlunn+Apr 18 2005, 10:23 AM-->
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Mine collapses too..but I had SO much trouble getting it together...I WOULD NEVER try to collapse it back down!







I don't think it is going to happen accidently...
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I know what you mean. The only time I take it down is when I'm going out of town and have to set it up in the back seat of my car. Major pain. I have to take it down to get it out to the car, put it up in the car, take it down to get it out of the car, put it up in my parent's house. Then I have to do it again when I come home.


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## Lilly521 (May 29, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Carrie+Apr 18 2005, 10:27 AM-->
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Aside from having my own biological children, I feel the same way.
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Oh I dont close Sunny in his kennle anymore, just for a first couple months when he was peeing all over the house and didnt know it was wrong to be doing that. He has the whole house during the day now though.


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## milo (Mar 17, 2005)

> _Originally posted by DiDi_@Apr 17 2005, 07:03 PM
> *Does anyone use PLASTIC crates like this one?  Metal ones seem a bit scary to me...like real jail or something. I dunno why it reminds me the jail in Silence of the Lambs.
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I have that exact one for Milo, he loves it. I've taken the door off though. We've never crated him, only closed him in a room with tile while training... but now he has almost free reign of the apartment and has been accident free for over a week! Yeah! He goes in his crate to sleep or if he gets in trouble for something, but the door stays off. It's his safe zone, I think he likes that it's a little dark in there.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

Catcher used that exact one when he was a puppy. I never used a metal one with my first Maltese, Rosebud and couldn't imagine using one. Then for some reason I ended up getting one for Kallie and then for Catcher, too. I really love the metal ones. I got the one coated in black so it is a little bit less institutional looking. You can also get them in a gold plating. I took a tool (pliers?) and closed the areas where the crate fits together to make sure it could not accidentally collapse. I feel good that it is securely put together. So, I've used both kinds and I love the wire type. One thing I love about the wire one is I can see K & C in there and see what they are up to... if they sneaked something in there that they shouldn't have, for example, and it is almost like they are just sitting on the floor without a crate because the wire crate is so unobtrusive. Catcher's crate is right next to my bed and he is able to totally see me and I can see him. I can't imagine him being in a closed in crate. I really love it. I'm not sure if you've seen the photo of K & C in their crates but here it is again!


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## littlepeanut (Dec 5, 2004)

I have the plastic one and a metal one. I used the plastic one for in the car when Peanut was a pup. I have the metal one set up in my bedroom and the plasic one is out in the living room now with the door off. He seems to like both the same. It was just that when he was younger he was trying to chew the plastic one a lot, but he's stopped doing that now.


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## FannyMay (Nov 18, 2004)

> _Originally posted by DiDi_@Apr 17 2005, 07:03 PM
> *Does anyone use PLASTIC crates like this one?   Metal ones seem a bit scary to me...like real jail or something. I dunno why it reminds me the jail in Silence of the Lambs.
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I have this type too. The first one we had was free from the pet store where we got Fantasia and it was smaller and really thing with a metal door. We used this one till she grew out of it and we gave it to my mother-in-law for her cat so she could take him to the vet in something. Then we bought another crate like that but it had a plastic door. Fantasia chewed it off and we had to get another crate (same kind) but with a metal door. I leave the door open in the bedroom and only close it when we take her to the vet's or we travel. I like it because it's easy to take in the car and she likes it because she can hide in there. I have a pillow with a pillow case on it in there and her baby blanket. I also like it because when we stay at other peoples houses she has a place to sleep that we can just carry with us everywhere.


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## 020202 (Jan 26, 2005)

We use the plastic one like pictured. One is beside our bed and at night time Izzy goes in there and we lock the door until we give her the okay to come out in the morning. We also have one in her gated community that she can go into and sleep when we are gone from the house and she's gated for her safety. The one in her little gated area has become an awesome source of fun for her. Before we leave we will stuff all her toys into the plastic carrier and shut the door but not lock it. Then we stuff something in front of the door and Izzy will spend an hour getting the door open and dragging all her toys back out of it. Then she sleeps because she's exhausted from having to 'houseclean'.


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

> _Originally posted by 20202_@Apr 18 2005, 10:50 PM
> *Izzy will spend an hour getting the door open and dragging all her toys back out of it.  Then she sleeps because she's exhausted from having to 'houseclean'.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=54030*


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Awww.







How cute!


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## gigimom (Apr 17, 2005)

I'm jealous of those of you that can give your babies free run of the house. My husband would have two cows and a pig if I did that. I too use the metal crates at bedtime although I hate doing it. Funny though, they really don't seem to mind. They're usually so tired from playing together that they just crash.


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)




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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Nichole_@Apr 20 2005, 08:36 PM
> *For those of you who have two or more dogs and crate them seperately, I am curious as to why you don't crate them together?  Is it a safety issue?
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=54688*


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I feel they need their own space ... a place that is theirs ... where they can't get at each other's bones, etc. I think Kallie would be intimidated having Catcher in there with her. If I did have them both in one crate, I would get one twice as large as their individual crates. If they were affectionate toward each other, etc. it might be different but they play very well together but do not nap, sleep or cuddle together at all. When Catcher gets older and mellows out... maybe it'll happen. Right now, I'm the only one he wants to cuddle with.


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## gigimom (Apr 17, 2005)

> _Originally posted by gigimom_@Apr 20 2005, 05:55 PM
> *I'm jealous of those of you that can give your babies free run of the house. My husband would have two cows and a pig if I did that. I too use the metal crates at bedtime although I hate doing it. Funny though, they really don't seem to mind. They're usually so tired from playing together that they just crash.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=54639*


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Personally, I separated mine because as puppies, if one went potty in the crate, they all thought it was okay to do it. As they get older and get better with their potty training, I may try it again. Also, one of my girl's personality is such that she really doesn't like being bothered when she's "relaxing" in her crate. The other two however, love the company.


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## MikeyandMe (Apr 8, 2005)

Hi all. I've had Mikey for about 2 months (he's 6 months old now) and I've kept him in the same plastic crate as the picture. Only when I leave the house and at bedtime. Eventually, I'd love to be able to leave the door off so he isn't confined when I'm not at home, but the few times I've tried that...he's poop behind the couch everytime. Do you think he's still young and will stop doing that? Should I keep trying?


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