Crate Training

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nuttynugget

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Hi all,

I would love some opinions and experiences on crate training (in particular the cons involved)!!

I am getting a puppy very soon and decided I would give crate training a go as it is supposed to make house training easier and we live in a fairly open plan house. The puppy would be left in the crate for a couple of hours max. at a time whilst I am at work (not all day!!!). I have also purchased a book on crate training to make sure that I am doing it right and have help from a friend if needed.

Now a family member has asked me if I am going ahead with the "torture chamber" training and that the cons out way the pros... I want to do right by our new little family member so would love to know what you all think?
 
Best thing I did with my two jacks. Oh how they moaned at the start but soon enough they actually started taking themselves off to bed when they wanted peace or a sleep. I hung a blanket over the top so it was like a nice cave :)
Did wonders for toilet training and meant i could take them anywhere and they'd be welcome as night guests as they could just kip in their crate :D brill!
 
BoolavogueDC thanks for your experience, this is exactly why I want to crate train!!!

I just can't think of any cons unless you use the crate as a punishment or lock the pup up all day..
 
best thing we did with our lab puppy.

its his space and he does take him self there when he wants a nap and stuff. he isnt created at night any more but during the day when we have work. but on the odd occasion we have needed to crate at night he is fine.

I also think it helps should the animal need to stay as a vets for example as they are created while there
 
PM Cayla and ask for a copy of her crate training and puppy guide (donations to adopt a dog always welcome;)). I gave one of these out with each of Evie's puppies when they went to their new homes and everyone has commented on how useful they found it. One of the new owners is ex inspector of a police dog section, he made a point of saying how good the guide is.:)
 
I was anti crate until my daughter and her bf bought a puppy and also purchased a crate. The crate was used to bring her home and was used as her bed, she was house trained in such a short space of time it was unbelievable. At night they took her in the crate and put beside their bed so if she needed to go out for a wee they could take her straight out. She never had an accident at night and it wasnt long before she was sleeping through the night.
She is now a year old and still sleeps in her crate, if her and my other 2 dogs are given a bone or treat she will take herself off to her crate.

If you pm Cayla Im sure she will let you have a crate guide, it is full of tips and we found it invaluable when we got our pup.
 
I did try it with my lab pup. We only crated at night and for practice in day. He was happy enough in it and was toilet trained in couple of weeks. But after about a month he just took himself off one night to bed by radiator and that's his zone ever since. We still have crate up in case need it but he was much happier out of it and didn't destroy things! So they are good but not every dog loves them no matter how they are introduced or used
 
One of my sisters has a DanexRR pup and he often takes himself off into his crate to sleep,or if given a treat(or if he's stolen a shoe or something,he takes his stolen booty into it,until it's retrieved!) They leave it with door open during day,he sleeps in it at night or if they go out. He is completely housetrained,clever little boy:)
 
The torture chamber comment is clearly from ignorance;) crates are a fab training aid and one which you can indeed phase out in time, it helps to avoid seperation issues, toilet training, keeping the puppy safe from harm from otherwise left in an unsupervised large space.
As suggested they are fab for getting them acustomed to being left at the vets or when needed strict rest without the stress that would otherwise cme with never being used to one, it gets them prepared for calmer car journeys.
I think the kind of people funnily enough then same people that label them hideous/torture chambers are the self and same people who hand the dog into rescue or discard when the pup is chewing the house or piddling longer than they wanted.
It's certainly a harder way to train as it takes time and patience, it creates structure imo. I crate have crate trained hundreds of dogs already wrecked by lazy training (or lack of it) if I did not the dogs would find it very difficult to settle into new homes. They crates can then be phased out in their new home or even with me if I feel they are ready and sometimes don't even need them when they go.

It's far easier to try and train a pup to a crate than not at all then have problems down the line and try and crate train them when older, more stressful for both you and the dog.
 
MurphysMinder said:
PM Cayla and ask for a copy of her crate training and puppy guide (donations to adopt a dog always welcome;)). I gave one of these out with each of Evie's puppies when they went to their new homes and everyone has commented on how useful they found it. One of the new owners is ex inspector of a police dog section, he made a point of saying how good the guide is.:)
Click to expand...

Lol, people like my long winded guide:eek::D:p
 
Cayla sounds like a need a copy of your guide :p

Thank you all for your advise, I just needed a bit of back up that its not a bad idea!!.. I really do want to give crate training a go and hopefully it'll work for us :)
 
Crate training is a great idea, your puppy will be much happier and more settled and you will have fewer problems, e.g. fewer toilet training accidents, less chewing of random objects, etc. People who think it's torture misunderstand it's use and how it will be viewed by the dog.
 
best thing we did for eithin - our springer pup who is now 8 and a bit months - as previous posters have said - she settled very quickly into her routine, the crate means we can take her everywhere as she has her own bedroom and it helps her settle in new places, the humans in the house get told off if they stay up later than her bedtime and she very quickly learnt to put herself to bed when she has had enough of us (usually about 10.15 at night or so) - we also placed a rug over the crate so she wouldn't feel that she was in an open space but trapped - house training within 4 days, i couldn't recommend highly enough :D
 
I crate trained my jr puppy he's 11 month old now. He goes in it now when I'm at work but now he's currently under my duvet in bed!!! So the night time thing has gone out the window!!
I'm so glad I did it, he slept straight through the night with it and ment he was safe when I wasn't around! Which as he was a very chewy puppy very handy!!! On one occasion he escaped (or I didn't do the door up properly) he ate a nice big hole in my sofa do I'm very glad he could go in it. I also have a crate in the boot of my car where both mine travel so there safe and can't chew up my car!!! Again did happen once!!!
I would recommend crate training to anybody they don't torture them at all, mine regularly go to sleep when the doors open and when the pup has recently been very ill
 
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