Who crates their dogs overnight?

[RutlandH2O]

No, of course I'm not. The very best way to dull a puppies future ability to take in commands, is to bore it whilst it's still a baby-in-arms. My OH would object (correction, hit the roof!), but the best place for a puppy of that age, is on my bed, with me!

Surprised?

Alec.

Phew!!

 

[CAYLA]

Oh c'mon Cayla it is quite clear, you miss the obvious opportunity to browbeat the dog into staying on it's bed (physically and/or mentally) because it-is-a-dog-and-therefore-must-do-as-you-say if you don't use a crate

Instead of popping it into a crate, saying 'there you go, good night' and that is it

I used a crate to protect my ickle Flickle greyhound from nasty savage Amy when I got her Every other rescue has been crated for it's own protection but I figured Amy could hold her own

^^^^ And another good reason for crates, when you have a new arrival and other already established dogs it is of course common sense to crate the new member/small puppy for safety.....and NO you never needed to crate Amy, cos I had already crate trained her and outsourced it I am a good rescue like that u see

 

[Alec Swan]

I was just going to raise the point about an 8 week old pup, which is when I start crating. Yes you can place a pup in its bed and encourage it to stay there, but if it is night time that pup ain't going to stay till morning........

What I do, is this; I would take a recently acquired puppy, and provide it with a blanket. The blanket would then be rubbed (the right word?) all over the puppy's body, specifically around its peeing equipment. The puppy will then recognise its own scent, they do it from the age of 10 days to find their own bed, whilst with their siblings.

OK, so almost a crate, but they may also have an open cardboard box, for the first night, or two. The box will be removed before or after they wreck it!

If I go to bed at 23.00 hrs ish, then I leave either, and/or a wireless playing (radio 4 works well, boring but it's the human voice!), and one of those really irritating '60s alarm clocks with a really loud tick tock, there's something about the matching with a heart beat, I suspect. To be honest, I don't know, but it seems to help.

With a newly arrived puppy, and assuming that the OH's in residence, then I'm up at 05.30, and the puppy is out of the door, with out a word of greeting or welcome from me. A "Hello Darling girl", can have puppies peeing for the County!!

Phew!!

Not too sure how to take that, and whether you approve, or not!

Alec.

 

[CAYLA]

LOL indeed you are I completely agree, even Hoover was crated to protect him from the harem when I first got him even though he is twice their size

ETA...... got any nice whippets in?

Yes, a peach and white boy

 

[quirky]

I knew someone who put dogs in crates, to protect the dogs from her children. Stupid woman.

I put my Italian Greyhound in his crate when we have visiting children. He is young, playful and likes to join in. It only takes one of the children to slam the door on him and he has a serious injury. It is not worth the risk. Just because my children know how to treat/behave round animals, doesn't mean other children do. Does that make me stupid or a responsible owner ?

I leave the GSP's out as they have perfected the art of repelling unwanted children .

 

[MurphysMinder]

That is almost exactly what I used to do Alec, until I started using crates. I haven't used a clock or radio as there have always been other dogs with a new pup, sometimes their dam which again is a reason why I find a crate useful, it saves the pup mithering its poor mother all night.

 

[RutlandH2O]

What I do, is this; I would take a recently acquired puppy, and provide it with a blanket. The blanket would then be rubbed (the right word?) all over the puppy's body, specifically around its peeing equipment. The puppy will then recognise its own scent, they do it from the age of 10 days to find their own bed, whilst with their siblings.

OK, so almost a crate, but they may also have an open cardboard box, for the first night, or two. The box will be removed before or after they wreck it!

If I go to bed at 23.00 hrs ish, then I leave either, and/or a wireless playing (radio 4 works well, boring but it's the human voice!), and one of those really irritating '60s alarm clocks with a really loud tick tock, there's something about the matching with a heart beat, I suspect. To be honest, I don't know, but it seems to help.

With a newly arrived puppy, and assuming that the OH's in residence, then I'm up at 05.30, and the puppy is out of the door, with out a word of greeting or welcome from me. A "Hello Darling girl", can have puppies peeing for the County!!



Not too sure how to take that, and whether you approve, or not!

Alec.

Taking a baby pup to bed for a little while...of course I approve!!

 

[NeverSayNever]

.............. it all works very well with my system until you pop out for an hour and the 4 year old retired-due-to-injury-read-pampered-house-dog lets the 18 week old whirling red dirvish out from his cage for his own merriment and amusement This did result in fumigation of the entire house after the 4 year old (who should have known better) couldnt keep up with the whirling red dirvish and got his dyspraxic self entangled in the legs of a ladder back chair during the fun and merriment and expelled his anal glands

 

[dilbert]

My SBT boy (nearly 12mths old) is crated at night, if he needs the loo he cries and I let him out. His crate is nice and cosy (its the biggest size) and has a dog bed, 2 fleece dressing gowns, fleecy blanket and any other bits he takes a fancy too! My SBT girl who is a long time hater of crates sneaks in there as often as she can so it can't be a bad thing.

The girls sleep with me but the wee man is still a tad destructive (a lot later maturing than the girls.) On occassions he has slept with me but he wakes me up half way through the night to go downstairs to his crate. Wee wierdo.

 

[Alec Swan]

Taking a baby pup to bed for a little while...of course I approve!!

To use your word, Phew!!

Weaning must be a gradual process. What we permit from an 8 week old puppy, we don't permit from a 10 week old. What we permit from a 12 week old, we don't permit from one which is 20 weeks, and so on....... By the time a puppy is 8 months, and dependent on the breed or its planned for discipline, I would expect a reasonable level of compliance, but WITHOUT anything restrictive being done. From my limited experience, those puppies which are expected to hold, to a long down at 6-7-8 months, will throw the lot in the trainer's face, by the time that they are 2 years old. Others will have success with early discipline of their puppy, but that hasn't been my experience, ever.

Alec.

 

[Kaylum]

Alarm clock and hot water bottle we used, we didnt have heat pads. making the bed a nice place they want to go instead of a place they have to go. Plus the cat is usually in there as well. Anyway each to their own. As already said. Its funny how some people cant accept other ways of dog ownership and think theirs is always the best way! I dont have a problem with crates I just prefer to train my dogs to respect their home surroundings. The thinking to this crate training I guess is the same as the traditional method where they wont go to the toilet in their own beds.

 

[LadyRascasse]

Well my puppy spends all night in the kitchen with the door closed, by choice he spends most of that time in his crate (door open so he can come and go as he pleases) when he comes to work with me he is shut in his crate for 2 hours at a time. His crate is like his bedroom not something i lock him in unless i have to (i.e at work) he is only 11 weeks so we leave him a toilet area in the kitchen for him to use (puppy pad and newspaper) but generally he chooses to cross his legs from about 10pm to 7 am.

 

[Alec Swan]

Alarm clock and hot water bottle we used, we didnt have heat pads. making the bed a nice place they want to go instead of a place they have to go. Plus the cat is usually in there as well. .......

Back in the early '70s, there was a monster of a man, a 'keeper on a Northumberland grouse moor. All that his wife had ever wanted, was a Chihuahua puppy, so young Duncan, having tallied up his season't tips, went out and laid out a staggering £250 for a puppy.

The puppy duly arrived home, and for its first night, it had a bed made in front of the Rayburn, complete with a hot water bottle, and the cat for company.

Imagine their surprise, when they came down in the morning, early mind, and couldn't find the puppy anywhere. Eventually they found the back feet of the puppy, under the table. You've got it, the cat had eaten it!!

To his credit, Duncan reported the facts to us, with a degree of glee, and I understand, the cat survived the experience, but only because his wife was equally fond of the creature!!

Alec.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I think we dubbed it CrateGate last time, it got so heated

 

[Alec Swan]

I think we dubbed it CrateGate last time, it got so heated

Very good!

In my defence, I've not yet told others that they're wrong, only that I don't always agree, and that in itself, is what discussion's about. Yes? No?

Whilst, of course there are times when a house bound cage may be of use, the blanket use of them, in my view, is needless.

Would anyone prefer that I now Flounce Off? I will, if you wish.

Alec.

 

[Blanche]

Read this all last night on my phone but might have to go and find the Crategate thread cos I want to see who flounces!

 

[flashmans]

Haven't read all the posts, but agree with the majority. My border collie was crated overnight a couple of years ago, she would have been 2 or 3?, purely to stop her going to the toilet in the house overnight. The cage was left open during the day and she used that as her bed most of the time, so she was perfectly happy sleeping in it at night. She was let out for toilet last thing at night, about 11ish and then again first thing in the morning at about half 6/7ish. I think it worked really well as a toilet training method and haven't had any more accidents in the house! (touch wood!)

 

[CorvusCorax]

There was actually Crategate II where there is reference to Crategate and Cayla's Mam so this would be Crategate III

 

[Ranyhyn]

I crate trained my jrts from the time they came to me, it started off with a short time with a treat and built it up, they were never SHUT in there as punishment etc but the rest of the room was kept uncomfy and in there was their bed and chews and it was covered with a blanket - cave-a-licious!!! Eventually at the age of about a year they would actually take themselves off to bed at about 10pm and happilly stay there all night. Clean.
Sometimes I'd get up early and let them out - sometimes I'd have a lay in and let them out at 9am. Either way they were always happy and clean.
Now I don't use it any longer as I have a designated dog-room for them which they by and large keep clean. However, I drag the crate out now and again and get them used to it. You never know when circumstances can change.
Great piece of kit.

 

[Alec Swan]

Good old HHO - same old topics, just different people

Ahhhh for the good old days, I am trying to remember who used to post in here when I first joined, things have changed so much...

So the good old days were back when, 4 months ago? How strange, or is it?

Alec.

 

[quirky]

So the good old days were back when, 4 months ago? How strange, or is it?

Alec.

O has been on HHO since Noah launched his Ark, don't let the join date confuse you .

 

[quirky]

Try look at the user name Acolyte - that was my original one, I joined in 2005 as I recall - you newbies wont know that of course

Have you always been so obnoxious, or is this a new thing ?

 

[quirky]

Of course I have always been this obnoxious, that is just one of the many reasons I have had so many user names

... I quoted the wrong person .

I think I'll disappear before I get myself into (more) trouble

 

[TGM]

Its funny how some people cant accept other ways of dog ownership and think theirs is always the best way! I dont have a problem with crates I just prefer to train my dogs to respect their home surroundings.

I'm quite happy to accept that many owners don't want to crate their own pets and if it works for their circumstances and the animals and owners are safe and happy that is fine. But what worries me is that when some people are so anti-crate that they try and discourage other people from using them, by suggesting they are unkind or a 'lazy dog-owners' tool. Chewing and house soiling are probably one of the main problems that results in dogs being passed from home to home, so if intelligent use of a crate as part of the training process can prevent that, then I would hate people to be put off using them.

 

[CAYLA]

I'm quite happy to accept that many owners don't want to crate their own pets and if it works for their circumstances and the animals and owners are safe and happy that is fine. But what worries me is that when some people are so anti-crate that they try and discourage other people from using them, by suggesting they are unkind or a 'lazy dog-owners' tool. Chewing and house soiling are probably one of the main problems that results in dogs being passed from home to home, so if intelligent use of a crate as part of the training process can prevent that, then I would hate people to be put off using them.

This^^^^^ exactly.

 

[CAYLA]

Wasnt Crategate the thread where Cayla had to threaten us with her mum to make us behave?

Erm NO! it was more " I will only speak to your mammy"

 

[FrodoBeutlin]

Well I hope you leave the radio on and give him a stuffed Kong, you bad, bad mummy

Baldy blows kisses to Beezle, by the way x

Ooooh I had missed this! Yeah Frodo would actually LOVE a stuffed Kong I wonder if they come in horse sizes?

Beezle sends him this photo - just taken right now

 

[Lady La La]

I love my crate...
Before I took up the crate way of life, Tyson singled paw-edly destroyed one kitchen floor (cheap lino, which he ate) one washing machine, two kettles, one cheese grater, several knives forks and spoons, two sky remotes, one whole sofa (I have picture evidence of this) several dog beds, one living room wall, lots of wall paper, 3 pairs of my OH's spectacles (yes, I did just call them spectacles) and several pictures of my deceased horse.

Now, he's left alone in the house all morning, has his lunch time walk and is then crated for a few hours in the afternoon and in the last year, all the destruction list consists of is, one pair of anky bandages and one wedding photo.

Not too shabby

 

[SusieT]

It's a very clever piece of marketing that says the cage is a 'crate', or a 'safe place' or a 'den'. None of my dogs go looking for dark corners to hide in. My terriers are not wolves. Look at those beagles who were rescued, terrified to leave their cages because they knew of nothing else. I would argue that that is insitutionalisation-not something I wish to carry out routinely on my dogs.

 

[Ranyhyn]

None of my dogs go looking for dark corners to hide in. My terriers are not wolves.

It's a clear case of every dog is an individual. My two terriers bolt for any possible dark/ snuggly place! they love to be under a duvet or blanket and the only place to achieve that was in their crate!