Anonymous wrote:I think it's fine. We leave her in our laundry room with a baby gate, though, when we leave during the day. She's potty trained but will eat everything in the house if left to her own devises.

We tried leaving our puppy in the kitchen with the doorway gated off. She chewed up the baseboards. Then we crated her during the day.

Anonymous wrote:Why do people crate (lock in) their adult trained dogs at night? I can understand for a puppy not potty trained. Or do most people have the crate for adult dogs open at night and dog can go in/out on own?

We have two dogs and they've always slept together in a crate. At bedtime, we just tell them to go to bed and they go downstairs and get in their crate. They seem happy together. We keep the door closed at night because our 2 year old dog can't be trusted not to eat and chew things he shouldn't.

I think it's fine. We leave her in our laundry room with a baby gate, though, when we leave during the day. She's potty trained but will eat everything in the house if left to her own devises.

We have two too. Our trainer says anytime we are not in room with dog she should be in her crate. She’s a 16 wk old puppy so in a large play pen otherwise when not actually cuddling w/us or outside. He did say we should cover at night but haven’t as she sleeps 9:30-7:30/8:30 in my DD’s room.

Our last dog loved her crate. She slept in locked at night but would often wander in all during day.

Of course OP. We have two and it’s no issue.

Anonymous wrote:It is not vital to put a puppy in a crate, although it may be convenient for you. Even the limited area of a single, blocked off, puppyproof room will work if you are meeting your puppy's need to pee and poop frequently. And if you're not, you've essentially decided to make your dog uncomfortable for your own convenience.

+1 million.

We have always had two crates. One upstairs for sleeping, one downstairs for regular life.

They are the same size. The upstairs/sleeping one has a mat in it and a toy. The downstairs one has a mat, a chew toy or two, and some other toys.

Our current dog is pretty mellow and his upstairs crate has been replaced entirely by a dog bed (and a blanket, and a couple toys) because when it's bedtime he goes to his bed and doesn't (usually) get into things.

His downstairs crate still exists. The door is open all the time so he can hang out in it whenever he wants. When we straighten up, we put all his toys in his crate (which he then spends the next 30 minutes pulling out and rearranging around the room). When visitors come over, when we need him somewhere safe, he goes into his crate.

Our previous dog preferred to sleep in a crate so we kept both of his crates throughout his life.

Anonymous wrote:Why do people crate (lock in) their adult trained dogs at night? I can understand for a puppy not potty trained. Or do most people have the crate for adult dogs open at night and dog can go in/out on own?

Oh, the early wake up time makes sense. My dogs have always liked to sleep in.

We've had our shepherd for almost 9 years, since puppyhood--he still sleeps in a covered crate. Recently we've started leaving it unlocked, but nowadays he won't even come out until we go get him in the morning, around 7am (before, he'd come happily wake us up at like 5:30 if we left it unlocked).

Anonymous wrote:Why do people crate (lock in) their adult trained dogs at night? I can understand for a puppy not potty trained. Or do most people have the crate for adult dogs open at night and dog can go in/out on own?

For awhile, we kept our young adult dog in a closed crate in our bedroom at night because she would occasionally get up at 2am and bark. She's stopped doing that and now she sleeps on her bed. If she barks again, crate.

Why do people crate (lock in) their adult trained dogs at night? I can understand for a puppy not potty trained. Or do most people have the crate for adult dogs open at night and dog can go in/out on own?