Crating? Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, I never created my dog, golden. And within few weeks he was fine, not chewing on anything or eating off tables or trash even when we were not home. He had other issues, so I am not pretending he is most perfect dog in the world. My DH (Western US) never crated his dogs, nor did anybody in Europe, where I am from. Is this East Coast thing? Why do you crate your dogs? What is the benefit? My dog found his place, on the floor by my bed and that is where he stays most of the day while I am at work. He goes back to that spot when I leave and he is there when I come back, without any indication of anything destroyed, moved. I mean he might get up, but it doesn't seem like he does. At night I will say, "night, night, and he goes straight there. Wouldn't crating be cruel? This way if he really has no go at night he will get up and put his head on my bed, by me, rarely happens, almost never but still he can do that. So, what is the benefit of crating? If there is a thread about this already, post me a link? Thanks.

I've never crated my dogs, but they never needed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a new one year old rescue and we have never had a dog before so we don't know what we're doing. When our dog is alone or at night she shreds all kinds of things, TP, boxes, containers, socks. I am not sure how to train her not to do this. We are trying to keep stuff out of reach. But yesterday I turned my back and she ate an entire plastic box of Whole Foods blueberry muffins.

We accused each other for days of eating a box of choc chip cookies...until we realized it was the dog.

I will never understand the appeal of getting a dog. Are you having fun yet? SMH.

[Anonymous]

Americans also de-claw their cats, which is something pretty much unheard of elsewhere and is considered to be an abusive practice.

If you get a pet, get a breed which is suited to your lifestyle and expectations, i.e. Don't get a high needs, high energy animal for an apartment or if you are working long hours. be honest with yourself and do the research before you get a pet.

I think many busy households should consider either a senior dog or a low needs cat breed instead.

[Anonymous]

Crating really highlights the reality that you are keeping a prisoner.

[Anonymous]

Reviving this thread--we have a 5-month old puppy who hates his crate despite intensive crate-training and following all the recommendations to end up with a crate-loving dog. We now keep him gated in two rooms which is working well. But everyone keeps telling me we are setting ourselves up for trouble, because puppies go through a more intense teething/destructive phase at 7-8 months. Was this your experience? I would really like to keep up the gating because it's been much less stressful for everyone, but I don't know if that is a mistake.

When we leave him gated he has his bed and tons of chew toys and other toys, as well as water. We are not leaving him for long stretches but at times may need to be gone 3 or so hours.

[Anonymous]

Thinking back, I think our puppy (who was the best behaved dog ever) did go through another chewing phase around that age. He chewed the molding on the window frame all up. He never chewed up any of "our" stuff (shoes, etc.) because he was smart enough to understand that it was ours stuff and not his. I think the windowsill just seemed like a stick or something to him.

The other real advantage to having the dog have some comfort level with the crate is that if he has to go to the vet overnight, or to the kennel while you travel, they will crate him overnight. If he doesn't feel comfortable in a crate, it will add to his stress level (which may already be high because you have left him). So it's a good idea to occasionally put him in the crate and give him a ton of delicious treats. Like when you have leftover salmon or scrambled eggs, maybe put them in the back of the crate for him. My dog ended up with cancer and had to spend a lot of overnights at the vet -- we were glad that he was not afraid of a crate.

[Anonymous]

We did it with our dog when she was a puppy so she would chew on the baseboards and furniture when we weren't home (even after she was well-exercised). After she was past her chewy phase we rarely used it. She still does go in there sometimes to nap or if the kids are getting too loud. For her, it's a safe spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reviving this thread--we have a 5-month old puppy who hates his crate despite intensive crate-training and following all the recommendations to end up with a crate-loving dog. We now keep him gated in two rooms which is working well. But everyone keeps telling me we are setting ourselves up for trouble, because puppies go through a more intense teething/destructive phase at 7-8 months. Was this your experience? I would really like to keep up the gating because it's been much less stressful for everyone, but I don't know if that is a mistake.

When we leave him gated he has his bed and tons of chew toys and other toys, as well as water. We are not leaving him for long stretches but at times may need to be gone 3 or so hours.

Try to get him exhausted before you leave him.

[Anonymous]

We just got a puppy (I've never had a dog) and we are going to training classes - the trainer had a crate and a pen around the crate. Besides the crate inside the pen was a pee pad and the bowl for food/water and toys.
So we bought these items. The puppy goes into his crate at bedtime...however we do not close the crate door EVER. We will NEVER close the crate door, I just can't imagine doing that to a dog. So at night the puppy can leave crate and use pee pad if he wants. We use the pen if he needs to be left home alone or when we are eating dinner and he needs to be confined for example. We probably could have put dog bed in the pen and not bought a crate, although the puppy went straight into the crate to sleep, probably what he is used to from the breeder. Like I said we will never close the crate door. I worry about people doing this and the forgetting their dog is in there! I don't think this practice should be encouraged, not everyone is responsible!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just got a puppy (I've never had a dog) and we are going to training classes - the trainer had a crate and a pen around the crate. Besides the crate inside the pen was a pee pad and the bowl for food/water and toys.
So we bought these items. The puppy goes into his crate at bedtime...however we do not close the crate door EVER. We will NEVER close the crate door, I just can't imagine doing that to a dog. So at night the puppy can leave crate and use pee pad if he wants. We use the pen if he needs to be left home alone or when we are eating dinner and he needs to be confined for example. We probably could have put dog bed in the pen and not bought a crate, although the puppy went straight into the crate to sleep, probably what he is used to from the breeder. Like I said we will never close the crate door. I worry about people doing this and the forgetting their dog is in there! I don't think this practice should be encouraged, not everyone is responsible!

LOL, you try forgetting a barking/whining/frustrated dog. You cannot.

[Anonymous]

What? I thought everyone appreciated the benefits of creating. Our dog prefers it - no doubt in my mind at all. She has never been left in a crate for too long, maybe 4 hours at most. Before I leave the house, I say"crate" and she rushes in. It's her calm place.

[Anonymous]

I volunteer for a rescue. I was shocked to learn that the majority of applicants/potential adopters fully intend to crate all day while they are at work. So I've come to assume that this must be the norm. I don't understand why dog owners can't just use an x-pen/play yard or baby gates to gate off a room like the kitchen. Why a crate? So cruel and unnecessary. Better yet, dont get a dog until you have time for one and are around during the day. They are social beings and need interaction. I, too, have lived in other countries and crating is very uncommon. So that tells me that the practice is not widespread but something that we have normalized in this country and have come to accept as necessary or normal.

[Anonymous]

We have a crate for our Maltese, BUT, we've used it maybe a dozen times in all the years we've had her. If someone like a delivery person is coming in for a few moments, rather than have her running around, we'll stick her in the crate for a few seconds, but other than that, it's her house - we're just living in it. She sleeps in our bed for a little bit every night, before jumping down and going into her own bed. And she's not the type to chew on anything or destroy anything, so we have no problem with her going room to room during the day, laying down wherever the sunlight hits her just right.

[Anonymous]

My dog -- a yorkie mix -- just did not like or take to the crate. He was also smarter than me because the first day I set up the gate to keep him confined to a room I looked up as I was finishing to see him standing next to me sniffing curiously at the gate and me. He was INSIDE the gate when I started setting it up. I never did figure out how he got out of the gate! LOL