Crate Question

[Henrietta]

Hi,

I have two crates for my girl. One is a wire crate which is honestly a touch too big for her. I use this as her bed (if she isn't in mine already) and make it nice and cosy for her. The other one is a smaller soft crate, lovely and cosy, I know she prefers that one...

But I only use it for short car trips and at training in winter because, although I can fit a water bowl in there, if it spills (and it does) it makes the whole crate wet. When we go to training in the cooler months it isn't too bad, I just have water available outside and make sure she has many opportunities to drink. But I will not have her in her crate overnight without water.

But, in the warmer months I have to switch to my larger wire crate so I can fit a water bowl in and leave enough space so that if it spills, it's away from her 'nest'. All the time I have used it I have never had a spill that would make her uncomfortable.

It would probably be easier to just keep using it as a bed, but my room is tiny, so it makes a difference space wise.

I guess I could just ditch the bedtime crate and let her have my bed all the time.

Any ideas for a water bottle for dogs that hangs or is relatively small and spill free so that I could fit this in her small crate?

Thank you!

[Mystiqview]

I have seen those bottles you see in rabbit, rat and guinea pig enclosed ued in dog crates.

I use a non spill water dish in my crate/car when travelling. The bowl has a lip around the top to stop it spilling over the side. Turn it upside down and yes it will spill out, but not like a normal bottle

[nikivds]

some people use the no tip bowls because they are pretty hard to tip over

no spill bowls

For a car trip I was advised by my vet to freeze a water bottle and the dogs can lick the condensation while it melts which should be more than enough for a car trip

[nikivds]

otherwise there are these

dog water bottle

[Starkehre]

My soft crates have a facility for the type of drink bottles that Mystiqview is referring to, and I sell the bottles as an optional accessory.

However, in my personal opinion, I do not like to supply water to dogs for over night crating. If the weather and house is particularly warm and I feel they are going to NEED water during the night, then I will take them out for a drink and an empty during the night.

I would prefer my dogs to be a tad thirsty during the night that NEED to go to the toilet and either eliminate in their crate or hold on until they are in pain. It is also not good for them physucally or emotionally.

My dogs sleep in my bedroom also if they are crated, so I will hear if they are really needy of a drink.

Once again IMO water in crates is for competing

Edited September 11, 2010 by dyzney

[kamuzz]

Interesting point dyzney.

My dogs have water at night and if they need to go out, they will wake me up. They aren't shut into their crates. We use the aviary feeders attached to the outside of the crates as water dishes.

Before I starting giving them water at night, Coda would wake me up because he wanted to go out for a drink. Most nights now he leaves me in peace.

We go to bed around 10pm and get at 6am so I guess I'm asking them to "hold on" for 8 hours. Hummmmm.

[Henrietta]

Thank you everyone. I just realised that I don't shut my girl in her crate at night either, she sleeps in there but is free to get water from the water bowl in my room. I am confusing myself because the other night I stayed over at my grandma's and I did have to shut her in and sometimes when she stays with my parents. Our last pee stop is pretty late (11pm) and I let them out at 5am for another and then I'm either up for the day or we go back to bed if I'm not needed anywhere else.

Can I use the excuse that moving rooms has confuddled my brain??

I do, however, need to look into this for our training and when we go visiting.

I will look for a no-spill bowl, it will be handy for my bigger crate and a water bottle contraption will be good for the smaller crate. Dyzney, the iceblock is a great idea too.

[Mystiqview]

I don't have water in my crates over night either. They have free access to water before I go to bed (generally between 9-10pm) and I am up during the week at 5:30 am. If it is exceptionally hot, then I will leave them in the runs outside.

Mine sleep in the bedroom with us and there is a door to a balcony they have free access to. Especially in summer.

Even as puppies, I have kept pretty much the same routine. The only difference is they are crated somewhere. If hot, they are crated downstairs in sun room where it is quite cool in summer. I am a light sleeper so tend to hear when they need to go outside etc.

[Isabel964]

I no longer crate my dogs, use it for puppy training really in the first year. But I would not put water in the crate when traveling - I would provide water in breaks to stretch legs in parks, toilet breaks etc.