how would you like to be put in a crate??? please educate me

[puppylover2007]

ok, so, i have read soo many posts and websites where they say that crating helps with the , so, from what i understand is they put their pups/dogs in these crates, where they CAN not move around, run play or do anything and this is suppose to be normal:yikes: , now, like i have stated before i have raised several dogs in my life, and NEVER had thought to put a pup in a crate!?! to me that is like putting a kid in a cubbard and telling them to stay there while the parents go to work, please, someone shed some light on this subject?!? i read elsewhere that people do this to the pup for several hours a day. so my question would be why not get a dog run? or better yet a fully furnished fenced yard?? how does crating do any good for the pup? or is it just a conveince to put a pup in a crate so the owners things do not get chewed up?!?

ok, i am done with my rant and will now get off my soap box, but, would still like to have some answers.

 

[~Wild Cat~]

My dogs view their crate as 'Their' safe place, where they can go if they are uncomfortable with something (Fireworks etc) or someone, it's their little retreat with their bedding and their toys that no-one else can enter, where they can feel safe and at ease.

So if ever we do need to crate them at home, which is rarely, it's ok, because they are comfortable with it.

We crate them sometimes at Shows too, which again is fine as it's their place, where they feel safe.

A crate isn't a punishment, it's there for their sake.

Edited to add : If we do have to crate them for a longer period while we're out, I'm happy in the knowledge that if a burglar broke in, my dogs wouldn't be let out of the house by accident and they can't get hurt by anything in the home while we're gone.

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

puppylover, I would not trust leaving my dogs in the yard. Someone could hurt them, or they could injure themselves.

My dogs can stand up and turn around, but that's it.

The crate is a useful housebreaking tool. It's really handy for travelling as well.

I don't know what I would do without it :yikes:

~Tucker

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

I find this funny coming from the person who plans on leaving her dog outside

~Tucker

 

[Paige]

I've never put my dog in a crate but they do go into their "rooms" when I am not home. Why? Bandit pees on anyone else's shoes because he doesn't take too well to the guys who come in and out of the house all the time for band practise. Spanky's room is full of his stuff and only his stuff. He still chews on things that aren't his if no one is watching him to say "Drop it".

I do not leave my dogs otu because I made the mistake of leaving Spanky and Bandit out when they were pups. They dug under the fence. That was one expensive bail to get them out of the pound. That and someone could of stole them. Im surprised they didn't. Both were very cute chubbsters.

 

[savethebulliedbreeds]

I crate my dogs when I am not home. I also have a large outdoor dog run for Magnus (he can jump our 6 foot fence with ease).

The only difference is my crates are not actually crates, well except for Maisey and Magnus's wire crates for bedtime. My pomeranians have ex-pens with lids (they are climbers). The ex-pens are 4' x 4'....so 16 sq. ft. Which is more than enough room to run around, play with the other that they are with, sleep etc.

 

[FoxyWench]

the crate acts like the dogs "room" rember dogs are den animals and fins safety in a small den like environment.

its also a great housebreaking tool as a dog will by nature not want to soil where it sleeps so by crate trainign you can rather esily housebreak.

its also safer in the event of an emergency (ie fire) to round up your pets if you know where they are (ie a crate) and not chasing a paniked animal around your home.

its MUCH safer than leaving your dog outside when your not there to supervise and keeps them from chewing holes in your home...

personally though the only dog i have that is crate trained is ruby the crested, she LOVES her crate and goes in there of her own free will, that being said shes only in her crate when its night time as he crate training is simply because shes been difficult to truly housetrain.

there is no harm in crate training unless its exessive, i do NOT agree with putting a dog in a crate for 8 hours a day whuile your at work, nor do i agree with many who "crate for convenience" ie, well i dont want to watch the dog so its gonna be in its crate now...

if properly utilized however the crate is a wonderfull safe tool that most dogs actually love...as i said, rubies crate is left open and she goes in there and naps or when she wants quiet time...and at night time when shes ready for bed she puts herself in her crate and goes to sleep, if im staying up late i simply leave it open till i go to bed then it gets closed...

ruby loves her crate so much and its helped emmensly with housebreaking that any dog in my future will be given their own room.

personally i would NEVER EVER leave any dog (espeially mine) alone outside even in a fenced yard or dog run, theres too many risks associated with leaving a dog outdoors unsupervised!

 

[houndlove]

Have a dog with serious separation anxiety and then get back to me about crating just being a "convenience". Conrad's crate literally saved his life. No one, not the saintliest saint, could have lived with that dog the way he was without his crate. I've had three dogs and he's the only one I've had to crate for more than a couple months for potty and alone time training, but don't pass judgment until you have to deal with this yourself.

I also live in a city. My dogs do not go in to my yard without supervision. I have a lock on my gate but my yard could still be entered by someone who really wanted to, with 8 hours alone and no one to play with them my dogs would probably find a way to get out and go exploring, and they are hounds and tend to bay when they don't have anything better to do and they see fuzzy animals (of which there are many outside) and I doubt my neighbors would appreciate that. I also live in a rather extreme climate. In the summer, temperatures over 95 are common. In the winter, below freezing is not uncommon. So no, my dogs will not be staying outside for hours when no one is home.

 

[Charliesmommy]

Well, I wouldn't like to be put in a crate, but I am not a dog. I like to sleep in a great big comfy bed, dogs typically like to sleep in a "den". Charlie sees his crate as his den, his safe place where he can go and not be bothered. It's dark and cozy and quiet.

I never crate him anymore, since he has become OK to leave alone in the house, but he still goes in there on his own. But when he was a pup, it was also for his safety. If I had to say, go to the bathroom or go outside to get the mail - he was crated. Had I not done so, he would have been chewing through an electrical cord or something.

 

[StillandSilent]

The difference as I see it, is that most dogs enjoy having a small space that is theirs. Given a choice, many dogs will choose a spot that is denlike to them, small and cozy. Most children would not choose such a thing.
My dogs love their crates and run into them when they see we are getting ready to go somewhere. The space is not too small for them, they have plenty or room to stretch out. Really, as older animals, they do not need the space to run and be wild all of the time, if not crated, they spend most of their time laying around anyway.
Most people do not crate puppies for hours a time. Most people reccomend getting an expen if they are going to be gone for a while and putting the crate inside it so the puppy can go in the crate when it wants to, but still has a little room.
I can not leave my dogs in a fenced yard or run because I do not trust my neighbors or their dogs. My dogs are safest in my house, where I know they will not be too hot/cold and they are not being teased or bothered.
Having a dog who will use the crate makes things easier when we travel. I don't have to worry so much about my dogs in a strangers home, because I know exactly where they are when I am not with them. At night, I know they are not in the trash or bothering my hosts.
A crate is a training tool, and like any training tool, it can be misused. No one on this board is suggesting that your dog be crated 20 hours a day, which would be cruel. However, leaving the dog in their crates for a little bit at a time will not hurt them and doesn't seem to stress or bother them at all.
Before Lilly, I was a little shocked by the idea and wondered about many of the same things you do. Once I tried it with her, it was a raging sucess and I will never have another dog without a crate.

 

[eddieq]

Xena sleeps at night in her crate and goes in it when nobody is home. As noted before, it's her safe place. She'll go in and lay down in it sometimes when she feels like it.

It's definitely not a punishment tool.

I can see this going the same direction as the "do you walk your dog on a leash" question. Just because something works for you doesn't mean it works for all dogs. Crate training is been wonderful for me and my dog. It may not be for someone else.

 

[puppylover2007]

puppylover, I would not trust leaving my dogs in the yard. Someone could hurt them, or they could injure themselves.

My dogs can stand up and turn around, but that's it.

The crate is a useful housebreaking tool. It's really handy for travelling as well.

I don't know what I would do without it :yikes:

~Tucker

so what is wrong with getting a covered dog run? my mom lives in the country and she has had her dogs in their dog run for 7 years. i guess it all comes down to where you live, how safe you feel and the environment that you allow your dogs to be in. So, just an insight question, how would you feel to be left in a crate and only allowed to use the restroom or play when it was convient for your owner? i am not being rude, just asking.

FYI i have raised several pups in my time and ALL of them have been outdoor pups, i guess it all depends on how much Time Effort and Money you invest in making the OUTSIDE of your home just as safe as your INSIDE!

 

[Paige]

Haha... well that thread wasn't meant to be an arguement Eddie I swear! I was just curious as to who leashed their dogs and who didn't and why.

But really crates work wonders for a lot of people when used properly.

 

[savethebulliedbreeds]

And see, most of us here don't believe in leaving dogs outside 24-7 so....

 

[eddieq]

Haha... well that thread wasn't meant to be an arguement Eddie I swear! I was just curious as to who leashed their dogs and who didn't and why.

But really crates work wonders for a lot of people when used properly.

I understand. I'm not condemming that thread or this one (I participated in both). The leash one degenerated quickly into an argument and I was predicting the same for this one

 

[Bahamutt99]

Putting a dog in a crate is like sending a kid to bed, or putting them down for a nap. Except that the dog does have the option to chew toys and whatnot in their crate.

so my question would be why not get a dog run? or better yet a fully furnished fenced yard??

Because some of us don't trust our neighbors. Or we have a breed/type that is highly desireable for theft, or a good target for poisoning. My dogs are crated in the house while I am away. If I left them loose in the yard, there is a high likelihood that I would come home to loose dogs, dead dogs, etc.

 

[Sadie'smama]

We don't use a crate for Sadie anymore. It was a big help to housebreak her though and she really did like her "den". She used to go get in it whenever she wanted to sleep. Now she piles up in the bed

 

[Paige]

so what is wrong with getting a covered dog run? my mom lives in the country and she has had her dogs in their dog run for 7 years. i guess it all comes down to where you live, how safe you feel and the environment that you allow your dogs to be in. So, just an insight question, how would you feel to be left in a crate and only allowed to use the restroom or play when it was convient for your owner? i am not being rude, just asking.

FYI i have raised several pups in my time and ALL of them have been outdoor pups, i guess it all depends on how much Time Effort and Money you invest in making the OUTSIDE of your home just as safe as your INSIDE!

Most people on Chaz do not have outside dogs. A lot don't agree with it. Personally, having kept my two current dogs as outside dogs and as inside dogs (when I lived with my mom she would not let them in the house) I can say they are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay happier as inside dogs. Even though when they lived "outside" they actually lived in a really freaking nice barn that was newer and nicer then the house I live in now.

Not bashing the way you do it. Just saying that most of us don't leave our dogs outside because they'd rather be in the house where their family lives. I've seen outside dogs live full and happy lives and have seen dogs that lvie inside treated like crap. So I'm not judging. Just stating my personal experiance.

 

[puppylover2007]

I've never put my dog in a crate but they do go into their "rooms" when I am not home. Why? Bandit pees on anyone else's shoes because he doesn't take too well to the guys who come in and out of the house all the time for band practise. Spanky's room is full of his stuff and only his stuff. He still chews on things that aren't his if no one is watching him to say "Drop it".

I do not leave my dogs otu because I made the mistake of leaving Spanky and Bandit out when they were pups. They dug under the fence. That was one expensive bail to get them out of the pound. That and someone could of stole them. Im surprised they didn't. Both were very cute chubbsters.

ok, i love the idea of having their own room in the house, that i have never thought of. so, is it like a bedroom? or in the basement? it sounds so relaxing betcha they have lots of room to MOVE AROUND and WALK.

as for the digging, we have come up with a plan for that, we are going to dig about 6-8 feet down and place wire fencing around the already wood fenced area, that way by the time the reach that far they should be plum worn out. but, i never thought of the bedroom for Thunder, as we do have an extra room that could be his. so, if you do not mind could you tell me more about it?

 

[SizzleDog]

I crate for my dogs' safety. They love their crates, and will go in them voluntarily to rest or to chew a bone.

1. Weather - I live in tornado country, I'd rather have my dogs safe in crates, in a well-enclosed room, then running amok if a tornado hit.

2. Each other - Incidents happen. If I am not at home, my dogsa re usually in their crates, in case one offended the other and a fight broke out. Now, with my dogs that is HIGHLY unlikely, as they love each other and are best friends. That doesn't mean one won't ever **** off the other though, and a scuffle is started... and when that happens, none of my dogs are the type to back down.

3. The safety of others - I rent, so my landlord and his maintenance crew sometimes stops by to do repairs. My dogs are territorial, they WILL corner any stranger if they enter my house.... and that's not what I want my landlord to experience, especially since he's nice enough to let me have the dogs in the first place.

4. Safety from their environment - I remember seeing my male's sister running through the house, with a 9" long, razor sharp kitchen knife she'd pilfered from the kitchen... she thought it was a game, but one wrong move and she could have lost a tongue... or her life. Dogs are inquisitive and curious, and a house cannot be 100% dog-proofed. I'd rather come home to safe dogs, than deaddogs who hours earlier thought it would be fun to chew on something deadly they found or "liberated: from a drawer or cabinet.

5. Safety from anxiety - yep, that's right... one of my dogs gets very anxious if he's left out of his crate, especially if he's alone. He'll whine and pace, bark and cry, and become desructive. He feels safer in his "den", but he doens't have the sense to stay in there when he's feeling antsy.

6. Safety in strange situations - I've seen what happens when a dog that have never been crated has been required to be put in a cage, either at the vet's office or the groomig parlor... it's not pretty. They scream, poop themsleves, bite at the bars and break their teeth... what a nightmare! My dogs travel, they go to shows, they go to the vet... they need crate manners.

I can't imagine not crate-training, but I won't say that people who choose not to use them are bad pet owners. We all have our different styles and opinions, which is fine... but please try to understand why many of us use crates.