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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Crating a Dog

94 replies

Flyippity123 · 28/07/2023 21:32

Wanted to ask if you crate trained your dog or not? So my AIBU is...

Is it unreasonable to crate a dog!?

So much controversy around it and I'm really undecided on what to do, just like every area of his training

OP posts:
Serenity45 · 28/07/2023 22:26

Nix32 · 28/07/2023 21:47

We tried but our pup wasn't up for it. He has the run of the house when we're out and has never caused any problems. If I needed to contain him, I'd rather give him a room than a crate.

This was exactly my experience with our lab (who's now 2). We both wfh, so she's rarely alone anyway, but has the run of the house and no problems if we leave her for a couple of hours. She happily went in puppy carrier for car when she was little and was also fine in a cage at vets / in kennel on ferry recently (we were worried that not crating her would cause issues when she needed to be contained but thankfully not)

Groutyonehereagain · 28/07/2023 22:26

We’ve crate trained our puppy and our dog before her. Done properly they are excellent.

ThrappleApple · 28/07/2023 22:27

We got a crate with our first pup but she never took to it and we gave up trying pretty quickly. Neither of our labs seem to have got the memo that they should like enclosed 'dens'. They prefer raised vantage points, i.e. the sofa or an armchair!

pilates · 28/07/2023 22:27

Some take to it and some don’t.
Mine didn’t.

SpringHexagon · 28/07/2023 22:33

Had a crate with a blanket over it to make it enclosed apart from the door side, it's was my dogs safe place when she was younger but she wasn't really shut in it, was just like a little cosy room for her until she outgrew it (lab so she grew to love our king-size bed more lol).

RedHelenB · 28/07/2023 22:33

Flyippity123 · 28/07/2023 21:32

Wanted to ask if you crate trained your dog or not? So my AIBU is...

Is it unreasonable to crate a dog!?

So much controversy around it and I'm really undecided on what to do, just like every area of his training

Never crated mine but he's gone in them quite happily at the groomers etc
I've always thought of dogs and cats as animals that should nt be caged.

Tanfastic · 28/07/2023 22:34

I base this only on my personal experience but I think it entirely depends on the dog.

I used to have a very chilled dog, didn't chew, wasn't inquisitive or nosey, could leave him for hours and he was happy, pretty much from puppy. Never crated.

After he passed away we got another dog that had already been crated from birth so was used to one. He was also very chewy, very hyper and inquisitive and so for his own safety more than anything we continued to crate him at night.

He's now two and still sleeps in his crate at night but in the day sleeps wherever he wants and we only crate him if we are going out for longer than an hour. Any shorter than that we leave him out. We are experimenting more than anything else at this moment to see how he gets on when we aren't there (so far so good).

Maraudingmarauders · 28/07/2023 22:40

Crate training is a really useful skill, even if your dog doesn't use one regularly. There may be times when they need to be crated - stay at the vets, kennels, emergency transport etc which will be a lot less stressful if they have experience of a crate.
We crate trained our rescue as she was hugely destructive- too much space made her separation anxiety go through the roof. She hates to sleep anywhere else now. We are slowly trying to wean her out of her crate, by leaving the door open and giving her access to the rest of the room, but it's slow going. For a while she cried constantly until we locked the door at night. Now she doesn't cry but still gets a bit worked up before setting down - but will often get up and pace in the night. To her, safety is a locked crate
But we will persevere and help her grow in confidence

Lyra87 · 28/07/2023 22:41

We use a crate overnight. We use it because she's destructive overnight on her own if left downstairs. She won't stay on her own bed in our room, she'll jump on our bed and she's impossible to sleep with even in a king-size bed (she's jack Russell size but takes up half the bed). She has a routine (out for pee, I get her dentastix, when she's done she runs upstairs to her crate, she gets her stick then sleeps all night)
Crates can be good if they're used as a quiet,calm space that they enjoy. If it's used for punishment etc it has negative associations.

GeorgiaGirl52 · 28/07/2023 22:48

I used the crate when mine were puppies, until they understood and could use the doggie door into the back garden. Once that happened, they roam the house 24/7 and the doggie door is always open.

Now they are only crated if I have workmen in the house who are going in and out and might carelessly leave a door open. They run in when they hear the command "Crate up" which means cookie treats and a toy in the crate until workmen leave.

FYI mine are a Pomeranian and a Shih Tzu.

Whippetlovely · 28/07/2023 23:00

It all depends on your dog breed and temperament. My whippet hated the crate and cried all the time so we got rid of it. He’s well behaved and doesn’t destroy anything just likes to sleep on sofa if we go out. My niece uses the crate for her collie who is hyper and it’s his quiet spot. My dog is lazy and not hyper so doesn’t really need a quiet area to calm down or sleep because he spends most of his life asleep ! No right or wrong just depends on your dog.

DandelionLeaves · 28/07/2023 23:12

We haven't always used crates, but now find them very useful for times when the dogs need to be contained for their own safety or for our sanity.

We've trained our last three dogs with crates from when they were puppies, and they view the crates positively as adult dogs, as long as they aren't left in the crate for an excessive length of time. They go to their crates daily for mealtime and to sleep at night. They also go in when they're absolutely filthy and need to dry off a bit, when tradesmen will be in the house, etc. The offer of a treat is all it takes to get them in their crates.

TheCyclingGorilla · 28/07/2023 23:19

I had a dog growing up in the late 80s/early 90's and was unheard of. My husband had dogs throughout childhood and his dad carried on after my husband left home but never crated. I can understand the benefits, but I see them as prisons. If I were to get a new dog (impossible now) I don't think I'd do it.

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 28/07/2023 23:21

Mine are crate trained rather than regularly crated.
If anything ever goes wrong, ie overnight stays at the vet, your dog goes missing and is found by a dog warden or handed to the police… they will be in a crate. Not adding any stress to that situation would be invaluable.

DisquietintheRanks · 28/07/2023 23:26

Wondeyr · 28/07/2023 21:49

A crate should be a place of safety and comfort; trained correctly, it's a very positive part of a pup's world.

If it's such a great place for them you wouldn't have to shut them in it. Personally I always found a dog bed provided plenty of security and comfort plus the dog was free to move around.

smilingthroughgrittedteeth · 28/07/2023 23:33

We used a crate when our dog was a puppy, it was more to give him a safe place from the children so they were taught if he was in the crate he was to be left alone, it meant everyone was safe whilst i showered or cooked dinner. He loved his crate and would take himself off to sleep in it. He has always had another bed but favoured the crate.

He is 3 now and we got rid of the crate when he was 1, we pulled it out of the shed yesterday and he got so excited and spent the afternoon sleeping and playing in it 🤣

He still has a crate in the car.

smilingthroughgrittedteeth · 28/07/2023 23:35

Just to add it was only ever shut when i had to leave the room for a prolonged period otherwise the door was open and he went in and out as he pleased

Hellohah · 28/07/2023 23:40

Yes, my dog is crate trained.

He actually sleeps with me but has the odd night in his crate downstairs.

He had a tooth out this week at the vet due to an accident, so had to be put to sleep and spend the afternoon in a crate there. He was a model patient, the trauma of having an op was not added to by the trauma of being unused to an enclosed space to recover.

He's not arsed, he often just goes to his crate when we're watching something he doesn't like on TV 😂

shadowchancesassy · 28/07/2023 23:46

5 dogs here and all crate trained

ActDottie · 29/07/2023 00:06

As a puppy yes to stop them chewing stuff when alone, not anymore though

Amybelle88 · 29/07/2023 00:26

Used a crate since day one with my beagle - but we only put her in it when necessary.

She's quite needy and if we leave the living room and go upstairs or leave the house, she will cry until we come back down/get home. If she's crated, she's fine. She will only sleep in her crate overnight, too - she's quite restless anywhere else, it's a place of safety for her and she has often put herself in there for a nap 😂

If we are up and about then she's not in the crate - unless she decides she wants to get in 😂

Tinkerbyebye · 29/07/2023 00:57

Mine goes in a crate in the car. I also have a crate in my room and she goes in there when I go out. There are no issues, she knows she is to sleep so no barking and she feels safe. She often takes herself to bed there during the day

XelaM · 29/07/2023 00:59

No. I don't cage my dog. He's not a guinea pig. Dogs don't belong in cages.

minsmum · 29/07/2023 01:08

We have never used a crate until we got our latest rescue dog. We have had him just over a week, it's the crate that he came to us with. It's his safe space he goes there on his own when he is feeling unsure,, this is getting less and less. He sleeps there overnight. It's his choice

NoTouch · 29/07/2023 01:10

We used a crate until our lab was 18 months. It was for his own safety as he chewed inappropriate things like skirting boards overnight that could harm him.

As soon as he passed that phase and then stopped using the open crate himself we tossed it.

Ideally I wouldnt have used one as he liked to move about and pick different places to sleep throughout the night, but felt we had no other option.