Crate Transition

[mrs tornsocks]

Firstly, a big thanks to everyone with their really helpful advice on a range of issues. What a great place DOL is !

I have yet another question, some opinion would be great.

Archie our lab is growing so quickly it's scarey. We crate trained him in an airline style crate which belonged to my brother/SIL; they lent it to us. Obviously this is not the ideal size for a lab but he loves it, sleeps in it, for both naps and overnight. It's been great for us.

I'm just wondering - we are going to need to transition him to the next stage. He is VERRRRRY close to going through the night without toileting and he currently sleeps in the crate in the laundry and seems to be very happy.

Should we just get him a new crate that will hold him as a full grown dog ?

Or just have him on a tramp-style bed in the laundry so he's a bit more free, given he should hopefully soon be able to hang on through the night.

When we leave him alone in laundry during the day, he still hangs on, so I'm sure we could keep getting up to him if we need to.

Just thinking about the longer term advantages of a crate, or otherwise.

We plan to harness him in the car when he's bigger, and we also have a great kennel outside that a friend gave to us coz their dog never used it. Archie has already had a few inquisitive visits inside the kennel, but it's a little bit cold right now to have him outside.

thanks all...

[Erny]

My boy went up from a small size crate and then to the next size and then, when he outgrew that one he went to sleeping on his cushion bed beside my bed (ie not in a crate) but what I did was used the outgrown crate to block him in (my room set up allowed this). He was a bit 'lost' to begin with, without the feeling of a crate over the top of him, but as he wasn't able to walk around he soon settled to it. Being blocked in also prevented the wanders and toileting to which I would have otherwise been oblivious through the night.

It might all go fine for you, but if it were me I'd try for the next size crate up - only to ensure that the toilet training, which I think you said is going quite well, doesn't take a backward slide, or at the very least, make it so he doesn't have the run of the whole laundry but just sufficient space for his bed.

[pipsqueak]

My situation might be a bit different to yours, but I'll add it anyway for a different perspective.

I adopted two shelter dogs (not at the same time) as adults. I have crate trained both of them (both large breed crosses) as adults. They continue to sleep in their crates overnight, as I don't trust them not to soil the house overnight. If I crate them, I can sleep - if I don't, I will stay awake and worry. They are both clean in the house during the day when we're home, but I just don't want to risk giving them an opportunity to make a mistake at night.

[Kempe]

I used to wonder about this too whether to stop using a crate once they were toilet trained but my BC loves her crate and she is now 6 months.

When you tell her "crate" she runs in and wont lie down till you close the door then immediately flops and is so relaxed, which also answered the next question I had whether to lock the door or not as she got older, so she told me...crate/lock the door/goodnight

[mrs tornsocks]

I used to wonder about this too whether to stop using a crate once they were toilet trained but my BC loves her crate and she is now 6 months.

When you tell her "crate" she runs in and wont lie down till you close the door then immediately flops and is so relaxed, which also answered the next question I had whether to lock the door or not as she got older, so she told me...crate/lock the door/goodnight

That's too cute ! I think we'll 'upgrade'. Even if he doesn't sleep in it all the time, once he's ready to go out into the big wide world, we'll take him on some little weekend trips away and the crate will be very useful for that.

thanks everyone !

[Red Fox]

I think its always a good idea to have a crate, even if your dog isn't using it all the time.

We upgraded Kei's crate a few months ago but kept the small one in the kitchen/family area, he loves it and still manages to cram himself in there for a nap The new larger one is in our bedroom, he sleeps in it most nights (when he's not in the bed lol) but I no longer worry about closing the door. However, if I have to leave him alone during the day I can put him in his large crate and shut the door and he just falls asleep It's also very handy when I need him out of the way for whatever reason.

[huski]

Daisy's doesn't sleep in her crate over night (she usually sleeps on one of our beds!) but she goes in it all the time and it's really useful to have a crate trained dog. She loves having her own place to go when she wants her own space or to escape, she eats her dinner in her crate and spends a lot of time in there of her own choosing.

In fact she got a new crate tonight, as her old crate was too big and I wanted to give it to Micha. I was wondering how she would 'transition' to the new crate but she was scratching at the door trying to get in as I was setting it up! She went in it instantly and is in it right now

As you can see, she loves the new crate and has only had it for about an hour She'd be lost without it.

[Sarah L]

My dog also loves her crate, Fyx was crate trained from six weeks old and although she sleeps on my bed now, she travels in her crate in the car. It has been very useful for when I take her to knew place's like agility trials or friends houses when she needs a rest from the many zoomies that happen there. I only made one transition from the puppy crate to the one I have now.

I use a veri crate which is air line approved just in case I ever need to travel with her. The one I use now she has been using since she was 5 months old. She is now nearly a year old. I got one that would fit her as an adult back then because I did not want to change crates on her very often. It was the best thing I ever did. I can put her crate anywhere anytime and she loves it, it will also last her her life time now.

[mrs tornsocks]

Daisy's doesn't sleep in her crate over night (she usually sleeps on one of our beds!) but she goes in it all the time and it's really useful to have a crate trained dog. She loves having her own place to go when she wants her own space or to escape, she eats her dinner in her crate and spends a lot of time in there of her own choosing.

In fact she got a new crate tonight, as her old crate was too big and I wanted to give it to Micha. I was wondering how she would 'transition' to the new crate but she was scratching at the door trying to get in as I was setting it up! She went in it instantly and is in it right now

As you can see, she loves the new crate and has only had it for about an hour She'd be lost without it.

OMG, that is soooo cute, her little paw hanging out the door.

I think the crate upgrade (plus maybe a tramp bed) is definitely the go.

thanks.

[huski]

Thanks I think she's pretty cute too

Do you mean a trampoline bed? We have one of those too for outside and the dogs love it

[dogdogdog]

I crated Charley (girl) when she was a tiny baby and had her next to my bed at night. When she was older and house trained she came up on the bed with me.

The two of them wake me up scratching at the door almost every night. Part of I think is habit and the other part of course that the girl is busting. Typical female.

[mrs tornsocks]

I crated Charley (girl) when she was a tiny baby and had her next to my bed at night. When she was older and house trained she came up on the bed with me.

The two of them wake me up scratching at the door almost every night. Part of I think is habit and the other part of course that the girl is busting. Typical female.

Between my 6 ft OH and an (eventually) full grown lab, we'll need a king bed if he's to sleep on the bed !