Where are your dogs?

[duckie215]

I crate when we're gone. So does my hubby. We will be flying Walker back and forth to the US whenever we go home to visit, so he has to feel 100% safe and at home in his crate to keep him calm on the flight. He his in puppy heaven in there. He's got toys and a nice pillow to sleep on. He has full run of the apartment when we're home with close supervision since he is still not a potty pro. He doesn't mess in his crate.

[Mom to Hot Rod]

Well, we have the opposite discussion at our house. Hubby thinks we should put them in the expen when we are out. They have free run of the kitchen, hallway, family room and sunroom (if it is nice weather). Hot Rod was in the expen when he was a puppy whenever we went out. He has since been potty trained and had free run of almost the entire first level of house before Maggie came. I think that it is not right to pen him back up since he is 1) older, 2) trained and 3) had free run at one point. Maggie is very good with pottying on pad so it is not really an issue of that but he just thinks for discipline, they should be put in the expen. I will put Maggie in pen is for some reason Hot Rod and I leave (ie, vet visit). So I have the same dilemma here, just opposite of yours.

[HallTx1203]

Mine are crated....They are only home alone maybe 4-5 hours at the most during the day...Barney does fine loose in the house....Belle is still a little young....That is one reason for crating....The second is that between hubby and me- We have 6 kids...And we never know when someone is coming over...So if we are not here, I prefer them crated so there are no accidental escapes....

[loveyorks]

Thanks everyone - I won't feel so bad now when I go to work knowing that I'm not the only one that crates their dogs when not at home. I know that most of the day they sleep anyway. When we are home during the day and weekends they have about a 10 minute burst of energy about 3 to 4 times during the day then they flop back down for another 2 to 3 hours of sleep.

[xxmxaxrxyxx]

mine get crated...hehe...for their safety and my concern...hehe

[yorkiecrazy]

Ours were crated till they were 100% housebroken. Now they are never crated. The poodle we have is 8 mos old and stopped being crated at 6 mos of age. I only like to crate them when being housebroken. That's just me!

[Breezeaway]

Originally Posted by joesmom

I dont believe in crating.
My babies have free roam of the house.

I'm with you, I have never crated mine. IF I am going to be gone very long , I put the pee pads down. I have to say all of mine are very good about going outside to wee. Mine would think they are dying if I put them in a crate. LOL

[MissSophie]

We crated Sophie for her first six years, but now we leave her in the bedroom. She loves sleeping on top of the pillows. Since we have a cat too, I put a baby gate across the bedroom door, and that way she isn't completely shut in, but she also doesn't have run of the house or access to the litter box.

[krisknr]

I haven't read all the replies so I am probably repeating but this annoys me.
DOGS ARE NOT PEOPLE!!!!! They are fur babies, but unlike people babies they feel safe and secure in there kennels. If you make it comfy they will sleep a good part of the day. Even if you were home they sleep a good part of the day. It is not cruel and is what is best for there safety. When I tell mine to get in the kennel they go right in. I have never had to use treats or train them to at all, they like to go snuggle up!!

[yesenia83]

Mine are gated in the kitchen. we've given up on having a dinning table so the kitchen is their domain. We occasionally let them also have run of the living room but the boys decide that they dislike wee wee pads and that my desk looks thirsty.. I had considered leaving them in crates but the boys cant stand being separated and Snuggles thinks boys suck!!! I always worried what if there is an emergency when we leave and we cant get home for hours or even over night( i always think something tragic might happen). So gating off works for us.

[Lindsay1973]

Jessie,Happy and Bubbles go in the garden when I am out,I leave the garage door open a bit and they go in there ,there is a couch in there.Gypsey used to be left in the house as she was being attacked by the other three.Jamie goes everywhere with me but when I do leave him at home,he stays in the house with Gypsey.i haven't decided what to do with the new puppies yet.

[RONLYNN]

I can't imagine crating Teddi. I tried one time when I first got her and she cried horribly and that was that. For her first year she stayed in the kitchen but then I noticed that she stopped using the pee pads so I figure she could hold it and now she has the run of the livingroom, dining room and kitchen. I put a pad out in the corner of the dining room and maybe 3 times a week there will be one pee or a poop on the pad. She pretty much tries to hold it but that's also why I take her for a walk in the morning and get about 5 pees and 1 poop out of her so she is set for the day!

[chachi]

Mine have free run of the house. They were kept in an xpen when they were pups

[Maxi]

Originally Posted by chachi

Mine have free run of the house. They were kept in an xpen when they were pups

Yeah my Maxi has a free run of the house too. I only put a gate by the stairs as I don't want him to go near it. When he was little I used to keep him in an xpen until he was able to go outside.

[dinolover]

I just leave Dino free in my bedroom with a pee pee pad, lots of toys, and his beds.