Who crates? Who doesn't? And what are the alternatives? So we're preparing for Marnie's arrival next month! But the one sticking point I have is deciding whether to crate train her or not. I'd like her to eventually sleep in a dog bed in our room but a lot of people say this is a big no no! When we go out I was planning on putting her in a playpen in the living room rather than a crate so could I also use this in our room at night until she is housebroken then eventually remove the pen and leave the bed? Or is that silly? Help pls! I want to make the right decision x |
I started with kitchen set up with pen and inside a crate. As pippy gets older (he's 19 weeks) we took pen out and he has run of the kitchen. I will never get rid if his crate he sleeps in it with the door open. Its his cave his security. He finds his pee pad 100% of the time. Long term don't know yet. When he's ready we will take the next step. |
Crates are a good thing for dogs! They love having a "den" and having a pup who likes his crate will save you from a lot of problems down the road. My boys both LOVE their crates- my GSP, in fact, prefers to be in his crate rather than on any if his dog beds. My dogs can jump crazy high, so play yards and fences aren't helpful for us. |
Thank you both. I like the idea of having a play pen in the living room with crate inside it and moving the crate through to the bedroom at night. So would you put pee pad inside the crate? |
Max had an xpen in my bedroom and the living area for his first year. He slept in the xpen and insisted on having the gate shut. Teddy also started in the xpen. It is very possible to train them to accept sleeping in just their bed afterward. There are great advantages in having a dog accept both an xpen and a crate. Although we never really used our crates for more than very brief periods, the boys accept them. They are good for emergencies and for the dogs when they have to stay at the vet for any time. |
When I brought Leiloni home, my mom gave be a puppy play pen, in which I turned into a puppy apartment. She has her crate, food & water and puppy pads for her to do her doodoo. I kept it in the living room where she was kept most of the time. At night I had to fold it up and transfer it to my room where she would sleep in at night. It was a pain in the rear to be moving it every day so I went and purchased another pen on ebay so I can keep one in my room. Now the living room pen is pretty much used for her potty (she is strictly an indoors due to her size) I don't lock her in her crate but I do confine her to her pen at night. She took to it right from the beginning. Good luck to you and congratulations! |
I use a crate! Very happy with the decision. |
We used an xpen for honey and a baby gate once she became housebroken. She has free roam except the living room (carpeted) and bathroom |
I crate train and have crate trained since I was a 12 year old with an adopted from the local Humane Society Cocker Spaniel. Molly's first home started her in a pen. She learned to climb out so on my recommendation they got her a crate. She is crate trained and as long as I take her out on time, doesn't potty in it. Since she is comfortable in there, she'll always sleep there at bedtime and my bed partner will continue to only be my dachshund, Milo. |
Kaji started in an ex-pen, and now nothing. He sleeps in his own bed when he wants to or sleeps in mine. I prefer he sleeps with me. ;) The only time I use a crate is to transport a really sick foster baby from point A to point B. It really is all about personal preference. Do whatever you're most comfortable with, or whag you feel is giving you the results you desire. Although, I will say, isn't adding a pad to the crate counter intuitive? I though the pups were suppose to identify the crate as their sleepinf domian and not soil the inside? I may be wrong though as I didn't crate train myself. |
Yes I realise that now! Duh! So we're going to go with a playpen in the living room with a crate inside it which we will take through to our room at night. My question now is could we use a fabric playpen that we can take to parents houses etc or should it really be a metal ex pen? X |
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So I'd say go for the least chewable type - and try to get one with a lid/cover!!!! :eek: Also, just another thought - try and get a crate that is as light as possible....the one we had was actually very heavy to haul around....:) Good luck! |
All 3 of my dogs absolutely hated the crate, so I don't believe in forcing an animal into a small pen if it makes them crazy - that's not right in my opinion. Instead, we created a little "puppy area" using the Iris fence...we had a pee pad, bed, water, food, toys in there and it was perfect! Once potty trained, our dogs slept with us in our bed. Purchase the IRIS 4 Panel Pet Pen at Walmart.com. Save money. Live better. |
When we discovered we were going to be re-homing a Yorkie back in August, we hurriedly started doing puppy research since it had literally been decades since either of us had had a puppy. Crate training came up, I had mixed feelings but my husband was determined to try it. Best decision ever :) We were told you want the crate to be just big enough for the pup to be able to stand up, turn around and lay down comfortably. Too big and he'll potty in one end. The first night we walked him just before bed, then into the crate he went. The crate was beside the bed in the spare room (we had pre-determined pup wouldn't be allowed in our room because that was the elderly cats domain) and my hubby slept there the first few nights so Dex wouldn't be alone. He whimpered a couple of times, hubby tapped the top of the crate and said 'Go to sleep Dex.' And he did! Seriously, he whimpered TWICE, then slept til 6am. At 6 he set up a very urgent whimper so he went straight outside for a walk, did his thing and this has been the routine since :) As Dex has grown, he's now got a bigger crate that we keep in an Iris pet pen in the living room, with a pee pad, food,water and a few bedtime toys. After his last walk, he goes to bed in the crate, I close the door enough so it looks closed but he can push it open when he wakes up. He's quiet all night til between 6 and 7, then sets up his 'I've gotta gooooooo!' fuss til one of us takes him for his morning walk. He pees on the pee pad overnight, but waits til he's outside for his poops. We use the same arrangement when we're at work. Anyway, probably more than you were asking, but Dex loves the crate. Initially I had reservations because to be it seemed small and punitive, but once you see how a pup reacts to having his own wee den, you'll see it can be a good thing. Dex even has his bedtime toy...his fabric bat. He picks it up and trots into his crate and cuddles up. Dex is 21 weeks now and we've had him for 7 weeks. |
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