dog crating - numpty queries

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rubysmum

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the worlds' worst bedlington has now got a crate - we choose a large one - plenty of room for him to stand up & turn around & have put in his favourite sheepskin & some cosy cushions that he always steals off the sofa when left alone & have given him some treats in it & put him in for a short time this evening - he seemed a little surprised but then settled - so numpty queries
how do you manage a bowl of water in it - so that he doesnt just knock it over?
shoud he be given treats in it?
it was meant to arrive in half term - so that plan was to gradually get him used to it - but as i am now back at work - would it be too much to put him in tomorow for my full working day?

any other hints & tips woud ld be fab - thank you:)
 
I wouldn't shut him in for a whole day if he isn't used to it yet.
You can get little bowls that hang on hooks for water but I only personally put a very small amount in.
You can give treats in there certainly.
 
We have a really heavy ceramic bowl in Nanooks crate- with just a little water in- enuogh so he doesnt dehydrate but not so much that he will drink himself silly and need a huge wee. I would build up the time- we took 2 weeks off work to do so and are only doing 3 days of work this week to ease him in- otherwise he will hate the crate rather than see it as a sanctuary-will someone be about to let him out for a piddle/leg stretch?
 
thank you
i will prob pop him in tomorrow am & then sneak out of work @ lunchtime to release him for the afternoon & see how he is - what do you think - that programme for rest of week & then full days next week
[ its very tricky for me to get any sort of lunch break so cant do it for very many days]
 
Honestly? That isn't ideal if tonight is his first experience of it and it will just reinforce 'this is the place I get shut away and left alone when everyone goes away' rather than 'this is my cool den where I go to rest'.
Is there anyone at all who could spend any time with him at all this week while he gets used to it?
Leave him with a nice big bone or a stuffed Kong to keep him busy.
 
is the general consensus that i would be better to leave it until the week end - when he can spend time in it when people are in the house?
 
The idea is that you get them used to it when everyone is there, like, the way I am sitting in this chair now chilling out in front of the telly, that's where he sits with the door open, if you see what I mean? Praise him for going in and lying down, give him his food in there, a bone, treats.
So he is more likely to see it as his den and be happier in there when other people are out.
 
I think that would be better (im no expert though!!) BUT if you have no other option, leave radio/TV on and give him a lot in the crate that will keep him busy untill lunchtime- a chew/kong/rolla ball(treats fall out when the ball is rolled around) etc etc.
 
Given the mad one has not been used to a crate, do it gradually and no more than 4 hours unless overnight, TBH. We have a screw on container (Pets at Home are amazing!) that fits the bowl in at whatever height so it can be adjusted.

Why are you employing a crate? I'll email you a crate training manual thing. :)
 
We just shut Chloe in hers the first night we got her home and left her to it. She is v happy in there although will always choose to be on the sofa instead of in crate if possible!!! Hahaha. Good luck xxx
 
cinammontoast said:
Given the mad one has not been used to a crate, do it gradually and no more than 4 hours unless overnight, TBH. We have a screw on container (Pets at Home are amazing!) that fits the bowl in at whatever height so it can be adjusted.

Why are you employing a crate? I'll email you a crate training manual thing. :)
Click to expand...

i'm employing a crate simply to contain his distruction - this way he cannot chew/break/generally destroy anything firmly not nailed down - yes i do know that he does this because he is left at home for 6 hrs a day - but until i win the lottery going to work is the only option:) -
 
For water we have a metal bowl which fixes to the side of the crate as our puppy would use anything holding water on the floor of the crate as a paddling pool.

His water bowl is a feeding bowl for parrots and the holder hooks on the side of the crate and the bowl balances in the holder. The hooks didn't seem really secure so we added a couple of cable ties to make sure it couldn't fall down.

I hope your puppy soon settles in his crate.
 
thank you all for taking the time to give responses - little update & perhaps i should have explained that the bedlam bedlington is no puppy - he is aprox 6 yrs old - old enough to know better:rolleyes:
he has been wandering in & out of the crate quite happily tonight & was left in it for aprox 30 mins while i nipped out to do teenage daughter duty - semed quite happy when i got home - so will continue with very short burst over the next few days & see how he goes:)
 
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