Crate or not to crate....that is the question.

[mzza111]

I was a very naive first time dog owner. I adopted Gypsy (she's 4) earlier this year and the thought of locking her up during the day while I was at work never occured to me. I did put up baby gates on two of the bedrooms because I was never going to allow her in there unsupervised but other than that she has the run of the house while I'm gone.

Luckily, she's not chewed anything she isn't supposed too and never had a potty accident in the house. From what I can tell she sleeps in her bed or on the floor next to my bed while I'm gone. I do come home for lunch every day to check on her so she's not alone for 8+ hours every day.

There are nights that Gypsy is restless and when she gets up and walks on the hardwood floor wakes me up but I usually go back to sleep pretty easily. If catch her before she actually gets up and I rub her head and tell her it's night night time and to go back to sleep, she usually does.

I know it can be a controversial topic but honestly, I'm against crating...for me & my dog. I know people say it's their safe place but I just couldn't do it. I equate it to me being locked in the bathroom all day and that would drive me batty. If it works for others, that's great, I just personally couldn't do it.

Ami

 

[anatess]

All my dogs get a crate the minute they come to my house. The crate is their space. Like their own bedroom. It's their safe zone. They run there when they get scared or spooked or want to be left alone. They associate their crate as their safe haven.

When the dog first come to my house, the doors are locked when I can't supervise them. This helps in house breaking. Also, this helps in keeping them out of trouble.

After a while, the doors just stay open. They go there when they need to and they sleep there at night. It's their own space.

When we take them with us to vacation, the crates go with us. They associate the crate with safety so they don't freak out in the new environment.

So yeah. Crates are required for each dog in my house.

 

[gobronco]

Until he was past the 2-year gnawing stage -- and I worked outside the home at the time -- Dudley was crated. He was crated at night too, but he's never given me a problem since he was about 2, so he has the "run" of the house. A term I use loosely, because honestly, when I'm not here, I think he pretty much hangs out on the couch, the chair or his crate -- which we leave open. At night, he usually sleeps on the couch, chair, ottoman or crate -- again, with door open. Sometimes, he'll get up and switch locations, but that's about it. He appears to really sleep at night. I'd love it if he would sleep upstairs with me, but a bunch of hangers fell off the closet door handle once and he won't venture into my room without a great deal of coaxing...and heaven forbid he see a hanger!

LMAO Rudy used to go behind the couch and end table when he was a puppy. We tried to stop him but it didn't seem to work. One day we heard him Screaming like someone was killing him. He had got tangled in the phone line and the phone fell on him and made him run outta there for his life screaming. He has not gone behind the couch since then.

 

[JennyeStear]

Jagger has been crated since day one but sleeps in bed with me at night. If we leave the house for any reason he gets crated. He is a bit a a trouble maker and likes to chew stuff. Ellie is a lot different - she does not get crated at night. She won't sleep in the bed but she isn't a bad chewer. I leave a few toys out for her and she does fine at night. When we leave the house she also gets crated. I'm afraid since it's not bed time she may get bored and get into trouble.

 

[JennyeStear]

Until he was past the 2-year gnawing stage -- and I worked outside the home at the time -- Dudley was crated. He was crated at night too, but he's never given me a problem since he was about 2, so he has the "run" of the house. A term I use loosely, because honestly, when I'm not here, I think he pretty much hangs out on the couch, the chair or his crate -- which we leave open. At night, he usually sleeps on the couch, chair, ottoman or crate -- again, with door open. Sometimes, he'll get up and switch locations, but that's about it. He appears to really sleep at night. I'd love it if he would sleep upstairs with me, but a bunch of hangers fell off the closet door handle once and he won't venture into my room without a great deal of coaxing...and heaven forbid he see a hanger!

This is what my babies think of hangers

 

[Jennifer Clark]

Sheldon was crate trained but as he got older and realized the less he chewed the more he was out so he doesn't chew on anything now he isn't suppose to chew on so now he has free run of the house both night and day, but at night he prefers our bedroom its the coolest room in the house so he prefers to be in there at night.

 

[Jennifer Clark]

Dually is crate trained although he never goes in there anymore. I really only used the crate when I first got him at 9 months of age. Wasnt sure how he would do with the 2 boxers so I figured better safe than sorry. However, he never slept in the crate he always sleeps in bed with us. Sometimes he will jump off the bed and lay in his crate but he always comes back to the bed, paws on the side and whines until I pick him back up (not an easy task to lift a 55lb dog at 2am when your sound a sleep).

We use a step stool for Sheldon for when he wants on the bed. Its a rubber made one that we got at Walmart.

 

[Katielyn]

I never crated Chesty, but I did and still do block him off with a baby gate so he has the hall way and my room to be in while i'm at work all other doors a closed, as for bed time he has his own bed and blanket in my room. But he does tend to sleep with me but in the middle of the night he will sometimes go sleep in his bed. but most of the time he is in bed with me...What can i say i'm a sucker for his cute face

 

[My Otis]

That is what I am doing when I get Elmo next week, he will be 11 weeks old, I am going to train him to sleep in his crate at night, and leave the door open to it during the day, I feel that this is good for them and really safe, if we were not home I would crate him. We are retired and home almost all the time.