I have a question about crating
 

Ok, I have never crated any of my dogs and have never had any issues from not crating. I have a doggy door that allows my dogs to go outside in a well fenced/locked area when they need to go out to do their thing. (if anyone wanted to try to steal them, a person would need a very tall ladder to climb over some very tall and wide hedges to get over the fence and my neighbors would see as well).

Anyhoo, my 6 yr old Yorkie is having his second ACL surgery and I have to be a 100% more diligent on my part about keeping him calm and crated - for 6-8 weeks!!!! . He has never been crated. I worry about this for several reasons. Should I allow him to have access to any food and water while in the crate? I will have someone to come over while I am at work to let him out once or twice during the day to go potty. What about food or water while he is IN the crate?

Maybe you could get one of those hanging water bottles for the crate? I wouldn't leave your pup without water.

I have a hanging water bottle in her crate at all times. I just keep it filled. Its called Lixit, got it on Amazon, my little Emy loves it. It has a little roller ball that they learn to lick and get the water out. I even hear her at night licking the ball. So I would definitely get one of those for the crate.

Be careful with those hanging water bottles in crates. A friend of ours had something similar and their puppy poked his eye. It was a mess. I can't speak of this certain Lixit brand, and perhaps it was just because it was a 6 month old puppy, but it was enough to convince me not to have one.

I'd just get a crate large enough to have food/water at one end & potty pad if you are going to be away for a while. Start early desensitizing him to the crate so he won't freak out. Put it where you intend to keep it, door open & throw highly enticing treats & toys in there, making a game of his going in to get the reward and running out. Eventually, close & immediately open the door when he goes in. Repeat several times. Then close the door for about 30 seconds & treat him through the door, then open it, let him out. Keep working on how long he waits in the crate until you are up to 5 - 10 minutes, then treat through the door before you let him out. After a while, walk out your front door while he's in there and then right back in & go treat him through the cage door, release him. Work up longer staying outside and then treating him in the crate B4 letting out.

When you do let him out of the crate, keep that very low key. The reward & praising come with him staying in there & being good - that is what gets the treat. Coming out is a reward in itself but the key is to teach him being in the crate is the good thing that gets him treats/praise & a happy mom. In this case I wouldn't cover the crate or anything so he's got the idea he can still see & enjoy his surrounding as he recoops.

Slowly desensitizing to staying in the crate and then to staying in the crate while you are gone should help him learn to accept it as his den & stay quiet in it while he is recuperating.

Thank you all so much for your helpful tips and information. I think I am way more concerned about the crating than the surgery itself. Sam is a very, very active dog. Acutally, I think nature played a cruel trick on a Lab or some type of retreiving type dog and put him in a Yorkie body, lol. Sam would retreive something in or out of the water all day long if he was allowed. Retrieving is how he tore his ACL. Crating this highly energetic dog is not going to be easy, I need to find ways to occupy his mind while his body is on rest.

How about those toys that you hide treats in and they have to figure them out to get the treat? Puzzle toys?

Or maybe a small penned off area not just a small crate? You could ask the doctor?
Like a baby playpen with a top on it? Maybe at a consignment store?

Dogs are so highly adaptable that it may not be as difficult as you think. Try to adopt the attitude of a nurse when crating him and don't let him sense you feel sorry for him or or worried about him when you do. He'll come to accept it as the way things are - and he'll be a bit slowed by surgery & p/o meds so he'll likely accept it if you train him to do it. Still, with the lively dog once they start feeling better, keeping them quiet is way harder on us. Can you put a small TV right next to his cage on low volume. If he starts to get all excited, put a large shawl over the crate to remove some of the stimuli of the environment and sit quietly yourself so he accept it's time to quiet down. Remove the cloth after he's been quiet for 5 to 15 minutes. Some of the toys with the treats in them could keep him working to get the goodies out. Tibbe will work on a kong toy for 45 minutes or longer.

I just remember the last time I tried to block him off in the kitchen to limit his area. I placed food , water, a bunch of toys and a doggy bed with a soft blanket on it. When I got home, he was P!SSED! The blanket was ripped away from the bed and he peed on the blanket. To me, that was his way of saying he was mad. I may ask the vet if I can just leave him in a small guest room I have where he can at least look out the window that goes all the way from the floor to the ceiling with a TV turned on. He cant move around to much in this room since it is almost too small for the bed, dresser, armour and night stands.

THANK YOU for sharing your story. All of you know how I preach crate train your puppy. I honestly think every dog should be crate trained. Sometime in their life they will have to be crated, it is so much better if the crate is a safe den to them and not a a scary jail ! I hope all goes well with the surgery and recovery.

I've heard freezing peanut butter in a kong toy is good for dogs that can handle the peanut butter. Might mix it with some lightly soaked kibble & freeze(Yikes, doesn't that sound awful?????). Dogs with long tongues can empty a kong on almost no time!

I agree with you. Crate training was THE best advice I was given when I got Raley. He actually loves his crate and will just go in it on his own for quiet time!

OP: I will be praying that surgery goes well and recovery is easy!

Thank all of you for such kind words & great advice! I am going to start the slow & positive experience with a crate immediately.