# Crate



## Kaley (Sep 28, 2004)

just the tought of seeing Spike or lulu behind bars at the pet shop just tears my heart.. im not here to judge those who do.. but i couldnt bear to see them inside....
what are some benefits of using it? im trying to understand more why people do it.. since i have NEVER and WILL never DO IT!


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

-_-


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## doctorcathy (May 17, 2004)

yeah, i think the only reason you have a bad view about crates is because people dont know how to use them right. dogsshouldnt be in there for a long period of time and a crate shouldn't be used as punishment. 

i met a dog trainer that had her dogs crate trained. it was so funny because when the dog gets sleepy, he'll go in his crate and they tied a little rope toy on the gate of it---and he'll close it. lol. and he expects everyone to leave him alone when he's in there. its cute. ^_^


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## nataliecmu (Aug 12, 2004)

Martini uses her crate as a little "home" for herself. She will even close the door if Milo is bugging her... She loves her crate. If I am cooking in the kitchen (where I keep her crate) she will crawl to the back and just hang out. I have started to let her have the kitchen when both my roommate and I are at work. We gate it off and their two crates are in there. For the most part both of them play in their seperate crates. They each "store" their favorite toys in there too.







I don't think it is cruel, but I also don't use it for punishment.


--WOW Just noticed all my errors..had to do a little editing..


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

Lexi is crate trained. She loves her crate. When I'm at home she is usually following me around, but will run in the crate to get a drink every so often. She prefers to sleep in her crate. I'm trying to get her to sleep with me but she is very restless on the bed. She waking me up around 2-3AM and wants to go back into her crate. As soon as I put her in there she's out. She never complains about being in there. 

I tried placing the crate in my bathroom and then putting a gate in the doorway but Lexi dug a hole in my bathroom wall while I was at work. So unfortunatly for now she has to stay in the crate while I'm at work. I have a pretty good size crate so she has plenty of room. I think she sleeps the entire time though.


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

I, also, use crates and love them. I never use them as punishment... especially since I don't ever punish them anyway.... only positive reinforcement.

Anyway, they love their crates. I, like Lexi's Mom with Lexi, was trying to get Catcher to sleep with Kallie and me but he prefers his crate. 

When I go to work I tell them, "Mommy's going to work, get in your bed" and they'll go trotting off to their crates. They are never in there more than 5 hours and on most days it is only 4. When I get home they both have been sleeping and are not even freaking out to get out of the crates. 

The crate keeps them safe. There is just too much they could get in to here. Even if I locked them in a room, Catcher would eat the woodwork! 

I get the impression that they feel safe and comfortable in their crates. I think when we say we don't like crates that perhaps we are forgetting that dogs are not humans. A crate (or den) is a natural environment for a dog.


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

> _Originally posted by Kaley_@Oct 27 2004, 11:38 AM
> *just the tought of seeing Spike or lulu behind bars at the pet shop just tears my heart.. im not here to judge those who do.. but i couldnt bear to see them inside....
> what are some benefits of using it? im trying to understand more why people do it.. since i have NEVER and WILL never DO IT!
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=13450*


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Kaley, in thinking about what you are saying..... in a pet shop the dog is in the "crate" all day 24/7. This is different than crating a dog for a few hours. And the crates at a pet store are usually dirty and yukky and not cozy at all. Kallie has a huge (big dog size) wire crate with lots of pillows and blankets inside. Catcher has a smaller one right now since I am still potty training him and in a large crate he might be tempted to "go potty". When he is older, he'll get a huge one, too.

Anyway, to each his own........ for my babies... crating is a blessing for them...and me!


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

Brinkley is not crate trained...didn't try it...but I am not against it. He has the kitchen...which has now been expanded to the living room and den most of the time. He has been really good lately. He has a cozy house that he goes to when he wants to be left alone...and sometimes he goes inside the cat tower...







...this usually starts fights...









I agree that it is def. a choice...but it is fine if used correctly.


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## msmagnolia (Sep 8, 2004)

When we got Jolie the Bichon nearly 10 years ago we were amazed at how many of the books recommended crate training. I don't work so there was never an issue of her being left long periods of time in the crate. We decided to give it a try and after having used it successfully I would never have another dog without using a crate. We haven't shut Jolie's crate door in years, but she spends hours each day in there. It is her retreat. We're working with Sadie with the crate now. She's fine in there all night and is getting to where she runs into the crate when she wants a nap. I agree with all the others who emphasized that the crate was used for the dog's safety, as a training tool, and NEVER as punishment. I think that maybe the key to success is starting the dogs in there very early so they don't see it as restrictive.


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## mee (Jul 17, 2004)

i tired leaving jong-ee's crate in my room but she never uses it so i leave the crate in my car trunk

jongee sleeps with my on my bed (or she might think its her bed) 
and usually when she sees me getting ready to leave she just walks up the steps i made for her and goes on the bed and lays down with a sad expression..

when i come back home, most of the time she doesnt even greet me at the door <_<

she just stays on the bed (sleeping on top of my clothes) and waits for me to come into the room and i greet her while shes jumping up and down on the bed

i guess she likes the bed than a crate..

but when i went on my plane trip with jongee, jongee kept staying inside the carrier..guess she felt safe inside there coz of the werid airport environment..


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

I also use the crate when I'm travelling. I put it up in the backseat of my car and Lexi stays in there while I'm driving. That way I don't have to worry about her getting hurt if I have to stop suddenly. Or from her causing me to get in an accident. She sleeps most of the trip.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Crate training plays on a dog's natural instinct to be a "den" animal. A crate should be his special "safe" place, a place where he voluntarily goes when he's tired or just wants to be alone and undisturbed. It's his room. Used properly, a crate is a great training device that provides a lot of security for your dog. 

Most experts recommend starting a dog with a just a few minutes in his crate, then gradually building the time up. When a dog is older, many of us take the doors off the crate so the dog can go in and out at will.

Crates should never be used as punishment. Then they really are cruel. It is also cruel to lock a puppy in a crate for 10 hours a day while you are at work. Of course she'll hate her crate if it is used that way.


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## Maxismom (Mar 24, 2004)

From the day i got maxi he would not go in the crate and im not into the crate training thing at all now my neighbor he has the 2 sister cockapoos and he crate trains..The first night i had maxi he cried when i put him in there so i never did again , than the breeder guy told me to put his food in it and that would get him to go in and maxi wouldnt so that was that 
he didnt mind the carry bag he liked it when we went out now he likes me to carry him so he can see everything he is nosey!


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## Caesar's Mommie (Apr 8, 2004)

Caesar goes in a crate while we are both gone. He even walks into it himself, we no longer have to put him in it, he sees his treats go in and he goes inside sits down and starts eating his treats and playing with his toys. We have a blanket in the bottom for him, a water bowl that connects to the wall, food, toys and treats and we leave the tv on for him and leave the crate sitting on the bed. I think he doesnt seem to mind it very much but we make it comfortable for him, not just a bare cold crate.


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## Mystify79 (Apr 6, 2004)

I didn't crate train Tuffy mostly because he was already 80% trained to papers so I kinda felt it might hinder his progress. Sometimes I wish I had crate trained him just because there's no way I can put him in a crate under any circumstances or he'll cry like he's being tortured. But as to the cruelness, I don't see it at all.. most dogs like the feel of being enclosed and having their own personal space so to me a crate seems like a natural thing for a dog. JMHO.


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## Brittany Lot (Jun 24, 2004)

Zoe would only cry when we put her in her crate so we ended up not using it but I definitely see the benifits.

I actually just had to post because Tuffy's signature made my day! Everyone in the room I'm in just got a huge kick out if it....Good work!








Happy Halloween


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## Brit'sMom (Aug 18, 2004)

I too used to think the crate method was too harsh. My Shih-Poo never liked the crate, so I didn't use it. Brit'ny loves her crate. She never cries when she is put into it, but now she just uses it herself. IF she is bored or sleepy while we are still being active, she goes into her crate with her blankies pillows and toys, and goes to sleep. If she feels threatened, scared, or if there is too much noise she also goes into her crate.

Dogs are den animals so most of them like crates actually. My first dog did not so I trained him differently.


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## Kaley (Sep 28, 2004)

i didnt mean to be rude if i sounded like that im sorry.. it just lulu and spike are free to run everywhere in the house... and we like it like that i dont see a reason why put them in a cage.,.. if it works for you great.. we are very lucky that there is someone at home all the time.. maybe they stay alone 2% of the time.. and they mostly sleep.. as we left a camara once to see what they did...


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## Mystify79 (Apr 6, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Brittany Lot_@Oct 27 2004, 11:09 PM
> *I actually just had to post because Tuffy's signature made my day!  Everyone in the room I'm in just got a huge kick out if it....Good work!
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Thanks!


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## nataliecmu (Aug 12, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Kaley_@Oct 28 2004, 09:29 AM
> *imaybe they stay alone 2% of the time.. and they mostly sleep.. as we left a camara once to see what they did...
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=13667*


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I have always wanted to do that.........


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

> _Originally posted by nataliecmu+Oct 28 2004, 01:50 PM-->
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I have always wanted to do that.........
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me too!


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## Sunshine (Aug 20, 2004)

> _Originally posted by tlunn+Oct 28 2004, 04:18 PM-->
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me too!
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I think I'd be too scard to see what the little ratbag actually gets up to! LOL I'd probably be horrified!!


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## Caesar's Mommie (Apr 8, 2004)

When we first started putting Caesar in his crate when we left, my husband and I both felt really bad doing it. We set up a video camera on the dresser to film him when we were gone one time. He just slept the whole time, chewed on his toys some, but mainly just moved to switch positions to sleep. This really helped us feel better about leaving him.


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

Another reason to train a dog to feel comfortable in a crate is if you ever take her on an airplane and need to put her in a crate, she will feel comfortable and not freak out. Also, if he is at the vet for treament and in a cage, he will feel more at home and again, not freak out. Another reason is if your baby was ill and had to be confined for a period of time, you would be able to easily use a crate for that purpose. There are many times over the life of a dog when being able to crate them would be helpful and making sure they're used to a crate beforehand could be a lifesaver.


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## kodie (Aug 24, 2004)

I bought Kodie a crate when I first got him but I have never trained him in it!







I have it in his pen and the door is always open...he can go inside of it to sleep like a bed and thats it... I never trained him using it. When I first got Kodie he was only about 1lb... so I couldnt possibly train him to pee when he was told or allowed... he was also a baddd eater.. he ate when he wanted to. So my only opinion was to have a pen and put everything in it... a puppy pad, food, water, his bed, the crate... he was just toooooo tiny to train him like I did my Beagle. He was trained with a crate. I also took Kodie to work with me for the first 6months I had him because of him being sooo tiny. He need 24hr care.








My own personal opinion is that a tiny dog (anything under 8lbs) I would never train with a crate...


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## BrookeB676 (Oct 17, 2004)

None of mine every liked the crate thing either, not even Maya who was from a pet store! Then I heard about another idea which is getting a play pen! They are cheaper than crates and I LOVE it! I keep Maya's food/water/toys and bed on one side and her pee pee pad on the other. This gives her plenty of room and since it is mesh she can see through it so it doesnt feel so much like a jail. I know a lot dont mind the crate and their is absolutely nothing wrong with it, but I have found this to work really well with potty training and she doesnt seem to mind it at all. This has also worked for other small dogs that I have known. My dogs are both pad trained and outside trained (although my small yorkie isnt very good about letting us know to go outside







) Anyways, we have bells on our back door that our bigger yorkies rings to let us know he has to go outside to go the the bathroom and ever since we got the pen Maya goes on the pads if she isnt outside! I think it works great and if you are concerned with feeling cruel, it doesnt feel like it at all! Here is a link to the one that I and others I have known have used. I know it might sound silly but it realy works! 

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp...duct_id=2484130


by the way- it folds up and you can travel with it!


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## kodie (Aug 24, 2004)

> _Originally posted by BrookeB676_@Oct 31 2004, 01:07 AM
> *None of mine every liked the crate thing either, not even Maya who was from a pet store! Then I heard about another idea which is getting a play pen! They are cheaper than crates and I LOVE it! I keep Maya's food/water/toys and bed on one side and her pee pee pad on the other. This gives her plenty of room and since it is mesh she can see through it so it doesnt feel so much like  a jail. I know a lot dont mind the crate and their is absolutely nothing wrong with it, but I have found this to work really well with potty training and she doesnt seem to mind it at all. This has also worked for other small dogs that I have known. My dogs are both pad trained and outside trained (although my small yorkie isnt very good about letting us know to go outside
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LOL...  I have one of those too!! Kodie was in that when I took him to work with me  When he got older, he didnt like it too much anymore though -_-


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## babycoconut (Oct 27, 2004)

Coco seems to not mind her crate. We bring her to work with us every day and we have computers here, therefore wires everywhere and too many little places she could get stuck. We tried to let her run around in here, but the bitter apple didn't work very well, and she still wanted to eat the wires, so therefore she's in her crate with all of her toys and bones. She only cries when it's almost time for lunch. She just plays and sleeps all day. We do let her out at lunchtime and play with her and take her out and stuff.
Now when we have her at home in the kitchen to run around and play, she sometimes goes in her crate by herself and decides to play in there and we have to coax her out! That actually made me feel better knowing that she chose to go in there herself.
The way i see it, it keeps her safe at work, and she still gets to be with us all day.


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

If you have room at the office you could look into getting her an exercise pen. I have Lexi's crate in the pen with her. She is now freely going into it to lay down (never did that before). Yesterday after I picked her up from daycare she was so tired she went in and layed down in her crate. She was so tired. Very cute. I got my pen at PetSmart for $59.99. I love it.


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## charmypoo (Sep 11, 2004)

It's not so cruel. My Cookie loves her crate. I don't lock them inside but she uses it as her room. She knows how to open the door to her crate and she would go in and sleep and rest if she doesn't want to be bothered. They feel safe there and it's like a place for themselves.

I also put Sparkle and Nibbler in a crate during meal times. I want to monitor how much they eat and make sure they are getting enough food. I worry about the smaller ones.


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## beccypaul (Oct 23, 2004)

i too didn't like the idea of crates until my friends springer pup was trained this way and it really works.

my little dixie likes her crate and is now used to it. i feel happy that she is safe in there when were out and at night and she is nearly house trained after 4 weeks at home having never pooped in crate and only the occasional pee.

i personally think it is an excellent method but don't intend to use it forever and she is never left for longer than 3 1/2 hours at this age xxxx


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

The vet reason it one reason why every dog should be trained to accept a crate, whether you use it at home or not. A sick dog at the vet must be confined to a cage for their own safety and for medical treatment. You can make the process a whole lot less stressful if the dog is use to a crate. 

One of the biggest reasons dogs don't like crates is that they are put in while the owner dotes over them because they feel bad for leaving them and then left alone. Instead, the crate should be introduced as a positive things. You can feed meals in it, give treats and chews in it, teach the dog to go in and out on command, etc. For dogs with separation anxiety, becoming comfortable in a crate can give them the security they desire. 

Mikey insists on riding in the car in his small puppy crate. He really should have a taller one, but he would rather be in this one...goof! Before he got sick, he usually stayed in a bigger vari-kennel when in the house. Now I can't confined him away from his wee wee pads if he is left alone because of his medical problems (he can't hold his urine for very long).


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## beccypaul (Oct 23, 2004)

JMM, when is the best age to cease using the crate if at all?


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

Lexi is 11 months old and is still using her crate. It is her security blanket. I have it in her exercise pen. She will go into it when she wants to sleep.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I honestly think all dogs should have off and on crate refreshers to keep them on top of things and reinforce how good being in a crate is. Is the question more of when can I leave my dog home alone without confinement? That depends on the dog. If they are housebroken, tend not to chew, and there are not dangerous things they could get into accessible to them, try for a brief time (say 10 minutes while you run to the store). Slowly increase the time. If your dog is a chewer, tends to get into things, has house training difficulties, etc. then you and your pet will be happier if you continue to use confinement while you cannot supervise. 

I usually confine to the kitchen or a room or two at first when leaving them out of the crate just in case they do decide to make a mess. 

Honestly, I never let any of our border collies or the visiting Aussie crew loose in the house alone. There is too much trouble waiting for them.


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## babycoconut (Oct 27, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Lexi's Mom_@Dec 15 2004, 12:11 PM
> *If you have room at the office you could look into getting her an exercise pen.  I have Lexi's crate in the pen with her.  She is now freely going into it to lay down (never did that before).  Yesterday after I picked her up from daycare she was so tired she went in and layed down in her crate.  She was so tired. Very cute.  I got my pen at PetSmart for $59.99.  I love it.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=23462*


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I was actually just thinking about getting one for her for xmas. I think that would be great for her to be able to run around in here while we work! Are these something you can transport? I'd like one for home, also.
Last night i was sitting with Coco in my lap at home and she started yawning and crying to be in her crate. I let her in, and she went right to sleep. I'm so glad she's used to it and uses it as her little safe place.


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

> _Originally posted by babycoconut+Dec 16 2004, 04:40 PM-->
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I was actually just thinking about getting one for her for xmas. I think that would be great for her to be able to run around in here while we work! Are these something you can transport? I'd like one for home, also.
Last night i was sitting with Coco in my lap at home and she started yawning and crying to be in her crate. I let her in, and she went right to sleep. I'm so glad she's used to it and uses it as her little safe place.
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Yeah they fold up like the metal crates. There are 8 panels that all fold up. They look similar to the seabreeze pens:









The 24" one is around 20lbs.


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## babycoconut (Oct 27, 2004)

Ohhhh ok! i gotcha now!
I think i might as well get one and transport! Because once she gets a little older, i'd like to keep her at home to play, anyway. What's the use of spending an extra $50 to use for a couple of weeks...


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## Puddles Mom (Jun 20, 2004)

Puddles was crate trained. Thats what most of the books advised. Now its his one personal space. At night time, all I have to say is bed time baby boy and hes running to his crate sitting there waiting for treats. I to have tried teaching Puddles to sleep with us, but most of the time he would jump down and run to this own bed. 

I believe that a puppy should be accustom to the crate, due to the fact you never know when he will have to stay with others over night. My best friend knows that if any thing should happen (sickness, accident), she is to take Puddles home with her. Crate and all his stuff. He may be in a strange place and with out me, but he will have his space hes secure in. Thats what happen when my Father died. My friend came and got Puddles for 3 days. I didn't have to worry about having him at moms where lots of strangers were, or having to run back and forth home for potty breaks and lovin. Now when she comes over, hes sits with her the entire time. Must have been a spoiling 3 days.


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## Lilly521 (May 29, 2004)

Sunny loves his crate...like really he seems to be emotinally attached to it....its a wrie one and when we are going on a trip someplace i colapse to fit it in the trnck since i always over pack and there isnt room for it when its set up...well when he sees me collapsing his crate he runs over sit in front of me whinning and giving me the most pathetic look for taking away his house lol


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