Wow Carol, Buddy sure was a happy camper when growing up :eek: :p :D

I have 2 furbabies and they each have their own. The crate I have is the portable one that you carry around . . . and this is their sleeping quarters during the day when I am at work . . . I think each furbaby has to have their own space/sanctuary . . . . Annika loves to go into Tiger's often but during the day they are not physically together otherwise I will end up coming home to a messy laundry room . . .both are still in the same room, just one is on the counter :D

Everyone has to find a way that works best for their schedule and their furbabies. :) I most certainly believe in crating . . . . Now that my babies are older, they automatically just go in their crate (I take off the wire gate) and stay there when I am about to leave for work. It is so cute that Annika sometimes will stick her head out and give you that look like I wanna go out but I say "no Annika" and so she would go back in and peek through the holes instead . . . the pee pads won't even get soiled all day until I come home so that tells me they are NOT active when I am gone :p

I do have a funny story to share! So, I normally crated Chloe when we go out. However, the other night, my bf and I decided to go out and get some ice cream (very short trip). So I decided to let Chloe free roam around the house....but her silly mommy (me :p ) accidently turned on the home security with motion sensor on!!! So, when I got home, there was a cop at my house! So...appeartly Chloe set the security alarm off by just walking around the house! :eek:

oh that is sooo funny :D :D :D but am sure you got lectured by the cop or something :eek: :p :D

I think you need another crate just so you know they each have their own spaces... but when we leave the house we use a pen. I DO have two pens, so that Carson and Phoebe are not together, but they see eachother. I left them together once. Carson was about 13-14 weeks old. He wrestled with Phoebe, got a hunk of hair off her hip, and she has never gotten that hair back. She was very tender for weeks. So I worry about them accidentally injuring eachother if I leave them alone together for too long. He was just a tiny, but strong thing. and he doesn't have a mean bone in his body...just a rambunctious baby.

so if you don't want to crate while you are gone.. use pens... I bought mine through Petsmart... here's a link. Worth the money and peace of mind for me!

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...amily&keepsr=1

good luck on deciding!

deb

Yes, he wasn't too happy about it (he was cold and "mean" when he found out it was bcoz of Chloe!!!!!!!!!!!) But my Chloe was innocent! How can you be mad at such a cute face!!

Absolutely!!!
 

He LOVES his crate!!!! He sleeps in it at night, and during the day if I know I am going to be gone more than 4 hours, I put him in it. He has roamed the house for 5 hours a few times, and he did great, but I tend to feel better if I know he is safe in his home. He goes to his crate if he is feeling unconfortable or unsafe, and he automatically goes in there at night when he's ready for bed. I think it's important for them to know they have a safe place to go to even if it's only night time, it's a safe place and it's ALL THEIRS!!, PERIOD!!

I crate both of mine because they continue to potty in my home if we are not there! They will not do it any other time but if we are gone and they are home alone they will do it in the house even though they have access to the Doggie Door which they use all other times.

Also to answer your question. Pretty much from the first day we got Mia to join our home she and Murphy created a bond right away so we crate them together. I really think they like to be together since they are ALWAYS sleeping together or on top of each other.

I would say get seperate crates though for now since you are getting a pup and Mia and Murphy were both somewhat potty trained and 7 months and older when they joined each other. :)

A Funny but true and interesting story
 

Hi y'all;

I just have to tell this story, it's true so help me.
While traveling somewhere years ago for some odd reason I started listening to a talk show on the radio.
The guest was a pet psychologistand folks could call in with questions. The first question he answered pertaining to dogs was asked by a gentleman who related that they had a female poodle, (small one) and she was such a doll all the time that she was a dream come true.

He told the psychologist his problem with ms dream doggie...he asked, why every time we leave her and go, say to the grocery store, not a long trip for sure, does she drag anything loose she can find pile it in the den by the end
of the fireplace, gets into any trash container left out, scattering the contents around, chews up the newspaper, or anything else like that she can find ,if we are gone long enough?

It appears that the pile of stuff she drags to the den are personal items of ours that she can find, such as flip flops, my jogging shorts, my wife's gown, etc, and upon examination nothing is chewed or torn up, but looks as if she got in the middle of the pile she created and pawed in there like she was roughing up our things. She is such a wonderful girl and we provide everything for her comfort before we leave, so I do not understand, why does she do this?

I've remembered his answer all these years. I think its so cool. The expert explained that our doggies consider themselves part of the "pack", (which is our family), because thats their instincs, so whenever the doggie sees you go out to "hunt", he's left at the den by himself, he's upset with his pack leaders(us) because he isn't allowed to go with his pack, in the case where your girl roughs up the personal items, she's conveying her displeasure with you.

He told the gentleman to get a crate her size, for her and her comfys and train her to stay in the crate anytime they went away.

He said I know you think that would be punishment, but it is the reverse, they feel "safe" in their "mini den" while alone. Our doggies, especially the smaller ones, feel overwhelmed in such a big open space and they become scared, so they "do" things to keep busy when they hear noises, such as the phone ringing and ringing, a branch scraping against a window, the doorbell ringing, and so forth, these things scare them. They "act" out their feelings about the pack leaving to hunt, and then finish up trying to ignore those scary sounds!

Cool, huh? Makes a lot of sense, remember when you were a child and alone in the house even just for a short time? Those scraps, creaks, and various "house noises", weren't you very relieved when someone showed up?

Just a not more
 

Hey y'all
I'm sorry that was so long, but it made me "think" about how it must be for them and how they feel.
Also, he said, all our "big" dogs are not necessarily brave when alone either.
When our big dogs are out there barking and barking, especially at night, often times they may be just scared.
'Nuff said, bye.:)

I definitely crate when I am not home. I have an XL crate that the all share, with an XPEN attached to it, so if I am home, but they need to be crated.. they have full run of the XPEN and the crate. If I leave, I put them in the crate and shut the door, since they can jump over the XPEN.

It is not mean at all IMO to crate them. My dogs will go nuts being anxious in the house when we are gone... the crate is their safe spot when we are away or other people are in the house.

Crate
 

I allow my 6 Yorkies free run of the house when I go out.
I have one little 2 lb baby and I crate her for her own safety.

The only thing they occasionally do is find some paper to tear up.

How about closing the babies in one room, especially when you put up your Christmas tree ?

One of the problems with crating dogs when you go out IMO is that they never learn to behave in the house.

When I have a new puppy I puppy proof one room in my house and thats where they go. I gradually extend the amount of space they are left with, room by room.

In my experiences crated dogs over time become insecure with being left on open spaces, kind of like agoraphobia. Which explains why they run to it to sleep in, when you go out, when they get scared etc. People assume its because they like the crate, but perhaps its because they have been inadvertently taught that this is the only safe place.

I would rather teach my dogs that the entire house is their safe area and teach them to respect the whole house and how to behave in all areas of the house.

JMO.

Thanks Carol...I was beginning to feel dejected while reading and seeing so many people crating their babies. Each of mine has their own personal crate but I leave the doors open and they can come in and out as they please.

DITTO !!!!!! :thumbs up :thumbs up :thumbs up :thumbs up :thumbs up :angel: