Where does your dog sleep?

[kissmelittleass]

Getting a rescue dog this week our first time to have a dog and wondering where you all let your dogs sleep? And if you enclose the dog in a playpen?
I only know one dog owner and she uses a type of playpen with the dogs bed in the middle and shuts the dog in at night time, the dog sleeps in a spare room downstairs .
Do any of you use playpens at night to stop the dogs wondering about?

@RickOShay

But please don’t presume to tell me what I’m doing. It’s patronising and unnecessary.

Just explaining that although you see a crate as a cage, the dog sees it as their bed.

Your welcome.

@GingerAndTheBiscuits snap. My girl sticks her nose out of the bottom of the duvet on occasions too. Made herself right at home.

*you're

Just explaining that although you see a crate as a cage, the dog sees it as their bed.

Sadly for an awful lot of dogs this simply isn't the case and you're incredibly naive if you think it is. A quick trawl of the threads on here will throw up lots of examples of people who think it's okay to cage a dog overnight. And then again through the day while they're at work. So please don't perpetuate the myth that everyone uses them as intended and that all dogs love them. We took on an unwanted 12 week old lab who apparently cried non stop when in his cage. We didn't use a cage. He was fine. It simply wasn't necessary.

They're such an instrument of torture when used incorrectly by thoughtless owners. The more they're normalised the more some people think dogs are things that can be locked away when they're an inconvenience.

Dog cages are a fairy recent invention. People have had dogs as pets for centuries without having to lock them up. They're a modern convenience for lazy pet owners.

In the kitchen in his bed although has been known to take advantage of a not fully closed lounge door and sleep on the sofa a few times

How do you know @Lightswitchesoffatnight?
I think it’s cruel and unnecessary. You don’t.
I’d say you felt defensive. Maybe ask yourself why that is.
Dogs don’t need crating. It’s a fad.

Crate under the stairs. It's where he takes himself off to every night or if he's looking space.

@RickOShay

How do you know *@Lightswitchesoffatnight*? I think it’s cruel and unnecessary. You don’t. I’d say you felt defensive. Maybe ask yourself why that is. Dogs don’t need crating. It’s a fad.

I’ve witnessed many happy dogs snuggled down in their bed/cage, voluntarily and happily. If a dog wasn’t happy with their bed/cage, they wouldn’t go in there voluntarily.

Once a dog is safe from harm and trustworthy, they no longer need to be confined and can have a basket. Using a cage is just for puppies, to help with housetraining and to keep them and your house safe.

There’s absolutely nothing cruel about it. Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it.

Well don’t knock your dog not sleeping in a crate of you haven’t tried it
And it’s you’re welcome btw

There’s a lot of information available about using crates, from highly respected organisations.

PDSA:

Dog crates can be a great way to give your pet a safe space and keep them secure in the house at night and even transport them.

You want your dog to learn to see their crate as their own personal den – they’ll sleep in there and it’ll be the place they go to feel safe or when they need to rest. Dogs should see the crate as a positive place that belongs to them – a crate should never be used as punishment.

You can crate train both adult dogs and puppies in the same way, though puppies might get the hang of things a bit faster.

Our dog is a rescue of sorts as he came from a place that didn’t want him as a pet. He originally came from kennels and is happiest locked in a crate at night with his teddies. We have tried to leave the door open on crate but he gets very distressed until he’s locked in. Barks at 10pm for us to put him to bed and sleeps until 7/8am. it will depend on the dog

@RickOShay

Well don’t knock your dog not sleeping in a crate of you haven’t tried it And it’s you’re welcome btw

I have tried it. I’ve had dogs all my life and using a crate is brilliant. A puppy is housetrained much more quickly, as dogs don’t generally soil their beds. If you have more than one dog, a crate is wonderful for giving the older a dog a break from the puppy. A crate is also great for confining a puppy, at night and when you’re out, so they don’t chew anything.

I used a safety gate to keep her in the kitchen and utility until she was about 6 months
Then after that she has always had the choice of hallway. Lounge or kitchen diner. She normally sleeps in the middle of the largest living room sofa

One sleeps in a cage and the other sleeps on a bed in the landing then comes in my bed for cuddles.

Puppies always start off in a cage or playpen in the bedroom so I can hear them.

Basically they're the same as babies, a small bundle of life that doesn't speak the same language as you yet.

A crate is also great for confining a puppy, at night and when you’re out, so they don’t chew anything.

Yep - a cage will do that.

@Medievalist

A crate is also great for confining a puppy, at night and when you’re out, so they don’t chew anything.

Yep - a cage will do that.

Yes it stops a puppy from ingesting stuff that could kill it.

Battersea

Crate training your dog can help foster a sense of security and give them a safe space that is their own. Building this association can mean that the presence of the crate can help them stay calm in new or stressful environments. Sometimes just giving your dog the option to go somewhere that they feel safe and comfortable can help them to relax.

BENEFITS OF CRATE TRAINING

Gives your dog a place to go when tired, nervous or stressed.
Can help with toilet training – dogs naturally tend to avoid making a mess where they sleep.
Helps to settle dogs into new environments.
A safe place for your puppy/dog to go when not supervised.
If the crate is suitable for travel this can make travelling with your dog much easier.

One in my bed, one on the sofa and four in their own beds in the utility room.

Yes it stops a puppy from ingesting stuff that could kill it.

However did people manage without them then until the last few years when they became a thing? However did I look after my dogs without caging them?

@Medievalist

Yes it stops a puppy from ingesting stuff that could kill it.

However did people manage without them then until the last few years when they became a thing? However did I look after my dogs without caging them?

We all managed prior to using crate training but that doesn’t make crate training bad. It’s just different to what we used to do. Having used both methods, I’m now convinced that crate training, when done responsible, is brilliant.

Both labs sleep on my eldest's bed, then when I go to bed they come to me.

I’m now convinced that crate training, when done responsible, is brilliant.

And there you have it. What percentage of people who use cages do you think actually do use them responsibly? The fact that it's seen as okay to put your dog in a cage makes people think that it's okay to shut your dog away when it's an inconvenience. You absolutely must be aware of how much they are misused and the sheer misery and suffering they cause, by people who leave their dogs in cages overnight and through the day, and in cages that are often too small for them.

And they make people lazy owners - why bother with training if you can stick a dog in a cage if it's misbehaving?

Cages are misused and enable thoughtless owners to abuse their dogs. For that reason I wish they didn't exist. If they didn't it might make people who work all day and who are worried about their furniture think twice about getting a dog.

Our dog used to sleep downstairs, meant to be in her crate but slept anywhere according to d kids when they'd come down in the night. She now sleeps in our room after our cat started to have sight issues and we needed to keep him in at night. I think our dog will now sleep in our room until she goes.

On the sofa in our front room, which we shut off from the rest of the house at night. He has always been in that room - tried to crate train him and he hated it, but will happily stay in his room from 10 to 8

I'm with @Medievalist. I've raised several beautifully behaved dogs from puppies without ever using a crate.

As for where my two sleep - anywhere they like.