thornliegirl Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 This might sound a little bizarre but here's what happened today... My pup arrives in around a month, and he's coming from Victoria partially crate trained. Well, as crate trained as he can be at 12 weeks (to help him cope with the flight over and OH has decided he's not sleeping in our room with us ). So today, I went to buy him a crate for when he arrives to continue his training (and could even use it for travel if needed). I went to 'x' shop and asked to see what they had, to which he assistant enquired what it's use would be and I explained crate training. She then went on a rant for about half an hour, saying how cruel it was (she wouldn't even let me speak to explain myself), that it's not fair to lock the dog up for 8 hours (which is SO not the case...) that she shouldn't even sell me one out of principle and all this and asking what was wrong with putting a bed for him in our laundry somewhere (?!). The thing that got me was, I was telling her that I had spoken to a couple of breeders (that I know as friends) and that they all recommend crate training and that there is extensive documentation on the Internet about its benefits for the CKCS breed. To this she said 'well, I think those breeders are full of crap and you shouldn't listen to them!'. So anyway, I know that crate training is the right thing to be doing for my pup however, she's left me a little skeptical and disgruntled. Thoughts? Kate (p.s. pics of my little boy up soon) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serket Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 (edited) Ignore her, when I looked in my local pet supply store at crates the two sales people there didn't even know what they were for ETA: Some people do crate their dogs for extended periods, mainly in America it seems, so I can see where she's coming from if that's the only use she's heard of - somewhere to lock your dog for 8 hours a day every day of the week. Edited December 23, 2009 by Serket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HugUrPup Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 (edited) Kate, the person is uninformed. Both my dogs are crate trained. I leave the crate open during the day and Miley (My CKCS) happily wonders in and out of it. It's where she can stash her own stuff and where she can feel secure if we have visitors or rowdy kids or if Ollie is annoying her. They are only locked in at night when I can't supervise them. It keeps them safe from choking on stuff and it keeps them from tearing my house apart and peeing everywhere. When they want out for a pee they bark till I come down and let them out.. which is the same time every morning (6:45am). I let them outside and go back to bed and they play in the fresh air till I get up for the day. It's not cruel at all. If there is extreme weather and I have to go somewhere and can't take them with me, I put them in the crate so they are protected from the weather and from getting up to mischief. I am never gone for more than 2 hours and they happily sleep during that time. 8 hours in a crate is fine at night when everyone is in bed.. they usually sleep for that long anyway. It's like having a baby in a crib. I swear by them seriously.. I'm NOT a breeder, but I recommend them very highly. You can buy them off ebay and not have to explain yourself or put up with one minded uninformed twats Edited December 23, 2009 by puggerup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pie Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Thornlie girl - my crates are from Dealsdirect.com.au and they are good As for the shop assistant, if she won't sell you a crate, perhaps she should find a new job I'm sure her manager would like to know what she said to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caesars mum Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 my 3 dogs are all crate trained and they love there crate and will often go in there when they want to get away from things and just chill, my only regret is that I didn't have them years ago for my previous dogs. to crates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thornliegirl Posted December 23, 2009 Author Share Posted December 23, 2009 See now why can't I carry you guys around in my pocket and let you loose... lol I just checked dealsdirect.com, they're cheaper too I think it's just really important for him to have somewhere to feel safe (and because the OH will get rather annoyed if he chews any of HIS stuff) and since he's got a crate in Vic, i will hopefully make his transition a lot easier You guys are champs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Ignore her My beagle LOVES her crate, she is lost without it, I didn't even need to train her to like it - as soon as I set it up she went inside and sat in it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serket Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 I should have said too that we have a crate for Gypsy - we keep it next to the bed, and she sleeps in it at night (door closed) and often goes in there for a nap during the day. Every morning she 'grumbles' to wake me up and I take her out, and then leave her out while I go back to sleep sometimes. I don't crate her when OH & I are at work - but I do close the bedroom/office doors and used to block the lounge room off as well when she was younger, so there isn't anything she can damage, or hurt herself on while we're out. We've got a dog door, and have never come home to an accident of any kind (touch wood...). I think a crate is much nicer than being locked in a cold laundry or bathroom, which is the alternative if you don't want to wake up to a house full of 'accidents' when they're little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedazzledx2 Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Perhaps you should suggest she Google Susan Garrett's Crate Games Great training DVD and well worth having. ;) This might sound a little bizarre but here's what happened today...My pup arrives in around a month, and he's coming from Victoria partially crate trained. Well, as crate trained as he can be at 12 weeks (to help him cope with the flight over and OH has decided he's not sleeping in our room with us ). So today, I went to buy him a crate for when he arrives to continue his training (and could even use it for travel if needed). I went to 'x' shop and asked to see what they had, to which he assistant enquired what it's use would be and I explained crate training. She then went on a rant for about half an hour, saying how cruel it was (she wouldn't even let me speak to explain myself), that it's not fair to lock the dog up for 8 hours (which is SO not the case...) that she shouldn't even sell me one out of principle and all this and asking what was wrong with putting a bed for him in our laundry somewhere (?!). The thing that got me was, I was telling her that I had spoken to a couple of breeders (that I know as friends) and that they all recommend crate training and that there is extensive documentation on the Internet about its benefits for the CKCS breed. To this she said 'well, I think those breeders are full of crap and you shouldn't listen to them!'. So anyway, I know that crate training is the right thing to be doing for my pup however, she's left me a little skeptical and disgruntled. Thoughts? Kate (p.s. pics of my little boy up soon) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyG Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 I agree crates are fantastic - I didn't use one with my older dog but my now 15 wk old has been in one at night since 8 wks. We had no night time crying as she was next to us and she has slept through the night since she was about 11 wks. I don't use it during the day although she sometimes goes in for a nap. At bedtime, I just have to say 'bedtime' and she goes straight in and lies down. I also use it for car travel. Presumably the pet shop person thought you intended to use it during the day - I did try to use it a bit for day time toilet training but must admit that didn't work for me - puppy was too lively to want to be continually put in the crate so I used a pen when I couldn't supervise her. Got both crate and pen very cheaply on the internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoemonster Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 We have alot of new people at flyball say that they dont want to crate their dogs, and cant they put them on lead. Once they get to see a comp and see the excitement they realise the only time a flyball dog has a chance to relax is in their crate, and that the dogs will come back to the marquee after a run, jump in the pool then want to go back to their crate for a lie down! I also crate at night, the dogs have their own bedroom, and if we stay up too late they put themselves to bed ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkySoaringMagpie Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 (edited) Crates provoke strong reactions in some people but like any tool they can be used productively or misused. A well used crate is a nice little den for the dog, and sounds like a good solution to your situation providing you train the puppy to see the crate as a good place. I dunno, pet shops who lecture get on my nerves. I went to a pet shop once to buy food for my puppy that the breeder had recommended. As I have a large breed sighthound the breeder had said NOT to buy puppy formula but to buy adult formula food because there was less risk to my puppy's bone development that way. Well. Did I get an earful about what a terrible breeder she was and how she should be reported and about how all puppies should be fed puppy formula. Complete idiot, didn't stop to ask what she thought Salukis have been raised on in the desert for the last 3,000 years. I just left. EFS Edited December 24, 2009 by SkySoaringMagpie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agility Dogs Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Yep, another crate advocate here. I agree TOTALLY with Shoemonster. I can still remember not wanting to crate my dogs, but an even stronger memory was watching my already crate trained girl start to REALLY understand what her crate was about. It was at her first flyball nationals. She was only 16 months old and still really hyper all the time. It was very hot and she was running just about every race over 14 inch hurdles. She quickly worked out that the crate was a safe place away from the world. Now if we have people with kids over we just put up the crates and both dogs will seek refuge from the little terrors when they have had enough. We've also been able to stay places who don't accept dogs because they are crate trained. Many, many good uses for them - no down side, except for people who don't really understand what they are all about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I agree that Crate Games would be an excellent dvd to get yourself for Christmas...or New Years. :D Just order one over the net...much easier...people in the Cav thread can tell you which size you need. Ebay or dealsdirect are both good. Internet ordering is much preferable over listening to people who have zip idea of what they're talking about. If you're going to be doing dog sports they are a must have item. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zug Zug Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 My two use a crate - sleep in there together every night and love it. I have it under my desk right now while I'm writing this. The door is open - one dog is happily in there sleeping while the other one is at my feet, also sleeping. I wouldn't be without it - they love it (seem to view it as their personal sanctuary) and it does give me somewhere safe and quiet to put them if little kids come over, or if we are having a party etc and there are lots of people coming and going. I don't leave them in there during the day while we're at work. I do think that would be cruel - so like anything it's all in how you use the tool, not the tool itself that creates the problem. Sounds like you need a better pet shop too. You should not have been spoken to like that, and it was actually very bad advice. If she has the job in a pet shop of selling these things, she should know more about how they are used so she can advise customers appropriately. That's what she is paid to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvsdogs Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 I would be reporting her to the owner/manager of the shop. How many other poor ppl does she do this to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjosa Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 To crates, my dogs use them as sanctuaries. If your baby boy is flying from Victoria to WA, is the breeder just hiring the crate that he is travelling in? I have two puppies flying to Victoria next Monday and both the new owners have paid for the freight + the cost of the crate. They are French Bulldog babies and the freight and the two crates, I have been quoted, will cost $160 each. They are flying Virgin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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