Crate Acceptance

[Andisa]

Crate training a dog makes life easier, they are safe and have their own space. Great when traveling, injured or recovering from surgery. Once crate trained you can pack the crate away if you like but knowing they are happy in them when necessary is peace of mind.

I would have thought all vets would appreciate dogs who are crate trained and would encourage it. Would make life much easier when dogs are settled and clean in their crates. Nothing worse than an upset dog who is stressed being locked up and messing in the crate when crate training can prevent that.

The vets have all said how much they enjoy having my dogs - they are happy, quiet and clean :D .

My dogs love their crates, happy to use them when they don't have to. I keep one set up inside for Hamish to sleep in at night time and they all sleep in there if given the chance.

However there was a time when I thought they were cruel - then I learnt all about them .

Crate training has a lot of benefits and once people can see how happy the dogs are they usually agree.

Edited November 15, 2011 by Andisa

[whiskedaway]

However there was a time when I thought they were cruel - then I learnt all about them

My OH hated the thought - he said there was no way we were getting one. Then I got one anyway, and he was amazed at how quickly Akira settled. Now Halo sleeps in a crate every night, she goes straight to it and loves it, and OH brings the soft crate anywhere we go with the dogs. He's sold on how great they are.

[Jasslyn]

I don't think I ever encountered any resistance from friends/family about the crates. Most people that know me think I spoil my dogs and any dog is lucky to live with me so I think that helps with their acceptance of the crates - they know I wouldn't deliberately hurt my dogs.

I felt guilty when I first started using a crate for Flynn but he likes it. He gets very agitated by particular noises in the neighbourhood and when he gets worked up I tell him to go to his crate for a time out. He settles down instantly and comes out so much more relaxed. Same goes for during thunderstorms - the only thing that calms him is being in his crate. As a single person "raising" my dogs alone, I found the crates to be perfect when the boys were puppies to ensure their safety while I slept at night. Jasper, although almost 3 years old, still gets locked in the crate at night as he still has moments when he forgets that chewing is not okay and I feel safer knowing he can't crawl under the bed while I'm sleeping and eat any electrical cords.

The soft crates are nicer than the wire ones, in that they just look like a little den. But the wire crate is better for a teething pup and can be cleaned up easier.

[Brennan's Mum]

My Mum is/ was against it. She is still against it when it comes to her own dog, but she's fine with it for my dog now.

I think the best thing is to show a happy dog in their crate. At the moment my own dog who was crated for a while whilst I was out, is lying in her crate on her bedding, with the door open. You think she'd want to spend her time out of the crate, but nope- she's curled up in her 'den'.

[Souff]

I am furiously reading up on the pro's of crate training your dog and am leaning more and more towards it however how do you handle the reaction from uninformed friends or family who come and see the crate as a way of locking up the animal?

This was my initial thought when I read up on it and even looking at pictures it gives me a real uneasiness. I can definitely see the benefits and think I'll go down this path but can just imagine the reactions I am likely to have to deal with when people visit. How do you deal with it?

Well if your visitors are that interested you could perhaps tell them:

- the pup has a developed a habit of piddling on visitors shoes;

- has been running far too much today and now needs to rest;

- has to have his bone in there otherwise they will have to vacate the sofa so he can bury it in the cushions;

- is likely to vomit somewhere and you would rather it happen in the crate as it is easier to clean up;

- has developed phobias and is undergoing psychotherapy and needs to be kept calm.

;)

Souff

Edited November 15, 2011 by Souff

[ktig]

I am furiously reading up on the pro's of crate training your dog and am leaning more and more towards it however how do you handle the reaction from uninformed friends or family who come and see the crate as a way of locking up the animal?

This was my initial thought when I read up on it and even looking at pictures it gives me a real uneasiness. I can definitely see the benefits and think I'll go down this path but can just imagine the reactions I am likely to have to deal with when people visit. How do you deal with it?

Well if your visitors are that interested you could perhaps tell them:

- the pup has a developed a habit of piddling on visitors shoes;

- has been running far too much today and now needs to rest;

- has to have his bone in there otherwise they will have to vacate the sofa so he can bury it in the cushions;

- is likely to vomit somewhere and you would rather it happen in the crate as it is easier to clean up;

- has developed phobias and is undergoing psychotherapy and needs to be kept calm.

;)

Souff

[Shelby]

Three of mine sleep in their crates at night and are crated at certain times during the day ie when the lawns need to mowed or visitors who are not doggy minded. All I have to say is "bed time" and it is a race to get into bed. Of course, the treat that they get might help a bit :D I also use their crates for a "time out" if they are being naughty. They just all lay down and have a snooze.

Much easier when you have a puppy around too. You can place them in their crate for a short time whilst you do things around the house without puppy getting into mischief and maybe hurting themselves.

[Poo-Fong]

My dogs LOVE their crates. It is their den, their bed, their sanctuary and it means I can always provide my dogs with a means to feeling secure & happy, whether we are at home or not :D

In regards to making them look a little more attractive, if you are somewhat handy you could make up a table top for it and use it as a piece of occasional furniture My lovely hubby made the top in the pics below to go over our two original crates, haven't got around to making something for the other two yet but anyone who comes here kinda knows already that this is a dog house

Ignore the knockers - your dog will thank you for it

[Trisven13]

My dogs LOVE their crates. It is their den, their bed, their sanctuary and it means I can always provide my dogs with a means to feeling secure & happy, whether we are at home or not :D

In regards to making them look a little more attractive, if you are somewhat handy you could make up a table top for it and use it as a piece of occasional furniture My lovely hubby made the top in the pics below to go over our two original crates, haven't got around to making something for the other two yet but anyone who comes here kinda knows already that this is a dog house

Ignore the knockers - your dog will thank you for it

That is actually our plan - to turn a crate into a coffee table or two. For us the crates are essential when the kids come home from school so that they don't accidentally let the dogs outside and because Marie eats the cat crunchies

[julesluvscavs]

Our Cavs were brought up with crates, being ex show dogs.

They love theirs ! We rarely shut them up in it, and then only very short periods.

In fact if I leave the door shut on it, they get really upset and try to break into it

Even our cats use it sometimes if the cavs aren't using it, and I have a pic of both the cavs and one of the cats in it altogether lol

They sleep on our bed at nights, but during the day they sleep on and off in it. Its in the loungeroom, so if we are watching tv they go in there.

I tried to pack it up once because it was a bit unsightly and they were not impressed!

I have since had a cover made for it by CockerLover, and it makes it looks a bit more attractive. They also have a nice soft bed in it, and a frame on the inside of my husband and I

As for other people what they think, I can't say many people have questioned us about it, and if they have I just say that they were brought up using one, and tell them the advantages it. In fact some people have wanted to get one for theirs after !

Not long after we got Joey, he hurt his leg and had to be rested quietly for a couple weeks, and because he was used to being in a crate, it was really easy to keep him still so his leg could heal. I wish I had them in the past with some of my other dogs!

Also we don't have a window ledge under our loungeroom window, so the crate top makes an ideal resting place for the cats so they can look outside.

Here's one of Joey, Renae and one of our cats (was taken with my mob phone, so not best quality)

Edited November 16, 2011 by Jules♥Cavs

[julesluvscavs]

I refer to it as their house ;)

[OSoSwift]

I saw a photo on anothur forum of a crate that was built in and looked great. Basically they had a bay window and had a window seat built in with two crates underneath and a thick cushion on top for the dogs to sit on and look out the window

[julesluvscavs]

Heres another idea

http://pinterest.com/pin/70439181641332117/

[Guest]

Gosh it never even occurred to me that people would be judgmental about crates.. but great to hear peoples experiences.

Slightly off topic but..

I have a pup arriving early next year and will definitely be crate training (for the first time). I've started to think it would be benifical for my 4 y/o GSP to be trained too. Is it too late? or is it a case of an old dog can learn new tricks

Also would it be a problem if I only bought one and expected them to share (at different times) one crate? Or do they get quite territorial?

(I realize it would vary dog to dog but my GSP is as calm, friendly and seemingly willing to share as they come and I obviously hope to train my pup to be the same)

[Rebanne]

Gosh it never even occurred to me that people would be judgmental about crates.. but great to hear peoples experiences.

Slightly off topic but..

I have a pup arriving early next year and will definitely be crate training (for the first time). I've started to think it would be benifical for my 4 y/o GSP to be trained too. Is it too late? or is it a case of an old dog can learn new tricks

Also would it be a problem if I only bought one and expected them to share (at different times) one crate? Or do they get quite territorial?

(I realize it would vary dog to dog but my GSP is as calm, friendly and seemingly willing to share as they come and I obviously hope to train my pup to be the same)

It's never too late to learn and all my dogs like to sleep in the crate, but seperately. It's not big enough for 2 greyhounds at a time

[Esky the husky]

Poo-fong how did you make your crate table?

[Poo-Fong]

I provided copious amounts of coffee while Mr Poo-Fong made it

Seriously, he made up a frame of four pieces of pine to fit around the outside to hold the two crates together, mitred the corners and fixed them together. Then he used a router (I think?) to cut a notch along the top edge just wide & deep enough to flush mount timber planks into it for the top. Glued & nailed it all together and hey presto! Originally we stained the pine but as our decor in the house changed I rubbed it back and painted with white semi-gloss.

It was quite cheap to make & fairly easy if you are moderately handy or know someone with a little know-how (Mr PF is by no means a carpenter but is just generally fairly handy to have around :D)

Edited November 16, 2011 by Poo-Fong

[TheCheekyMonster]

Who cares what anyone else thinks, they are not the one dealing with a pup at 3am in the morning, nor are they the ones trying to toilet train a pup.

Id just be inclined to tell them to educate themselves, or maybe even give them some reading material (sory if that comes across as rude)... why do you need to justify your newly found knowledge on the wonderful world of crate training just because other people dont know what it entails or how beneficial it is, I think if you read about crate training in detail and you attempted to put it into practice your views would be very much changed, my OH hated the Idea untill we got peaceful sleeps and no pee on the floor

Edited November 16, 2011 by GussysMum

[Ons]

I used to think crates were cruel too

that's until I started fostering and all foster dogs slept in crates at night, gave my own dogs a bit of respite and the foster dogs loved the sanctuary and safe feeling of the crate

Now three out of five of my dogs are very used to crates whilst the goldens have been in them and been fine

when Flash had to be confined for a week due to an injury because he was crate trained he was fine about staying in the crate and wasn't stressed at all, obviously that assisted in his recovery

Latte is the only one who sleeps in the crate regularly at night, at bedtime all the others get a treat except for her, she runs full bore into her crate, gets several treats, eats them and then settles straight down to sleep without a murmur. Otherwise she would be running around ripping up the furniture, chasing cats and stirring up the others, much safer for her to be in the crate and she can have a good recharge of her batteries.

Last night when I went out I wanted to leave Onslow in the house because of the storms but won't leave him unsupervised with Mocha, Mocha went in a crate with his dinner and stayed there until I got home. I can also give Mocha chicken wings in his crate and it doesn't matter how long he takes to eat them because he can eat them without the others hovering around him trying to take them off him

When I go away at Christmas with Mocha I'll take a crate for him to sleep in at night, he sleeps in one at my friend's without any problems.

I am a huge fan of crates now

[Jordan Windebank]

Thank you do much everyone for the quality responses. My mind is made up, now just to get my OH on board and educated.