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The doghouse

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Original poster

Not keen on crates, anyone else had puppy success without one?

55 replies

youaintseenbadboyz2 · 11/08/2021 09:42

Hi everyone
We are welcoming a golden retriever puppy to our home in October . Previously we had a lovely Rommie rescue who we sadly lost in May. He hated his crate and after two nights we couldn’t bear to see him so sad and he thrived in a pen. However full disclosure, he was 6 months so was clean at night.

Our lovely breeder also doesn’t use crates but is completely supportive if we want to but I’m just not sure, if we have a puppy play pen for night times and if we need to pop out briefly, why we need the crate? We also travel to Cornwall a few times a year but again, could we just take the play pen?

There also the fact that as our GR will grow to be a fairly big boy or girl, a crate in the car is not going to work anyway.

Would love your thoughts and experience on this

OP posts:

Floralnomad · 11/08/2021 09:56

We had a very large pen at first and then after a couple of weeks sectioned off part of a room that he couldn’t come to any harm in if we had to go out / overnight . Once he was house trained he was allowed wherever / whenever . He has always had a harness and seat belt in the car .

PlanetTeaTime · 11/08/2021 10:00

I know someone that got a cockerpoo and hasn't had a crate and she's fairly well behaved, as in she doesn't destroy stuff. But she is allowed on the sofa/bed etc so it depends what you're comfortable with.

I used a crate for my lab and it went really well, I love my dog enormously and would not have done it if I wasn't sure it was a positive thing. We have no phased out the crate just before she turned two, but the only reason was because our house is so little and we have just had a baby so we needed the room.

Loads of people told me she would destroy my house etc because she was a lab blah blah, she has NEVER destroyed ANYTHING. Never chewed anything she shouldn't.

Really recommend the book Happy Puppy by Pippa Mattinson it was extremely helpful.

Yesiknowitsacrossbreed · 11/08/2021 10:02

A crate and play pen aren't the same. Mainly because at some point your dog can escape the pen. Which you won't know until they do it.

They will also toilet in their pen, where crate training, tends to help with overnight training. The overnight toileting in the pen, could make toilet training harder.

Theres many benefits, outside restricting the dogs movement. Especially if you will be spaying/ neutering or sending them to the groomer.

On the other hand many people don't do it and are fine. Somethings may take a little longer. My middle one was a Foster. We fostered her and her sisters at 5 weeks after they were abandoned. We didn't do crate training for her until 10 weeks and she was pretty much potty trained then anyway.

I can't imagine pen lasting for more than a couple of months (at most) so wouldn't be relying on it for future holidays. Maybe if you have one soon after bringing puppy home.

But also, most importantly do you have photos!👀

Yesiknowitsacrossbreed · 11/08/2021 10:03

Really recommend the book Happy Puppy by Pippa Mattinson it was extremely helpful.

Her books are fab. Total recall is fantastic as well

Yesiknowitsacrossbreed · 11/08/2021 10:06

There also the fact that as our GR will grow to be a fairly big boy or girl, a crate in the car is not going to work anyway

We have never had a car that we could fit crates that would accommodate all. They have a harness and seat belt in the car.

percheron67 · 11/08/2021 10:08

Crates are completely unnecessary. Proper training from the start and the dog should settle easily. Horrid idea to put a dog in an metal cage.

Floralnomad · 11/08/2021 10:09

Our dog goes to groomers / vets and is perfectly happy in a cage despite not having one indoors and wasn’t that hard to toilet train .

Moltenpink · 11/08/2021 10:10

We are currently at 13 weeks with a golden lab, we haven’t used a crate so far. At night he sleeps in the hall with a stairgate up, he’s been fine. We used some anti chew spray on a few areas but he hasn’t really been interested in chewing the skirting boards etc yet. I’m sure that might change though! He also came fully toilet trained at 8 weeks, which was amazing.

MerryMarigold · 11/08/2021 10:13

We've never used crates. We had a playpen with wee mats but she quickly got used to waiting for morning if we put her out last thing at night. She decided she didn't want the pen at around a year old so we stopped. She sleeps wherever now as we are relaxed with it. In the car she sleeps in a dog bed with a seatbelt or looks out of the window. She loves a bit of breeze on her!

lancashirelady · 11/08/2021 10:15

I have never crated any of my dogs and never had one that destroyed the house. Have had dogs for 50 years and never had any problems toilet training. My dogs have full access to the house and are kept out of bedrooms by shutting the door. My goldie was claustrophobic so wouldn't have taken to a crate and I don't think a puppy pen would have lasted long at all. I have seen some pens that you link the panels together into any shape you want that might be a better option as they seem to be more robust. I envy you your goldie, they are beautiful dogs and I miss my beautiful boy every day.

Coronawireless · 11/08/2021 10:17

No crate here either though at 11 weeks retriever still not fully housetrained. We provide plenty of chew toys/raw hides for when we’re out do he doesn’t chew furniture.

Branster · 11/08/2021 10:18

Never used a crate or play pen with any of my puppies. And never would.
I understand why some dog owners prefer it but I personally don't agree with crates.
In the kitchen overnight with their own bed and safe cosy corner. Make sure absolutely everything is 100% safe.
Also make sure they go that bed when I go to bed so the house is quiet and go see them as soon as I'm up in the morning.
Cover the floor with millions of clean newspapers for the first few nights and remove as soon as you greet the puppy in the morning. Gradually reduce the area covered by the newspaper and you won't need to use for long as the puppy will stop doing his business overnight pretty quickly.
Once they are fully house trained for nighttime you leave the kitchen door open and the dog is free to decide where they want to spend the night which will probably be their own bed in the kitchen and a few favourite spots throughout the house.

0ntheg0again · 11/08/2021 12:11

We started with a crate and initally he was fine in it, but not long after it was quite obvious that he didn't like it, so we made him a nice corner where the crate had been and as soon as he winced we got him. Quite a few 4am on the sofa with a lovely pup on top of you not long after that he was in the bed of course.... he is now 4 and has his own bed in our bedroom and if he feels lonely he'll come up in the bed with us but mostly he sleeps in his bed as he thinks we move about too much

Lazypuppy · 11/08/2021 12:15

I've never used a crate, we put a stair gate up between kitchen and lounge and all his stuff is in the kitchen. When we then started leaving him, we just shut the gate and/or door, but he could roam around kitchen. As he got older and bigger, we then let him in the lounge as well when we were out so he could sleep on sofa and look out the window. We also had a golden retriever.

PlanetTeaTime · 11/08/2021 12:26

@Yesiknowitsacrossbreed

Really recommend the book Happy Puppy by Pippa Mattinson it was extremely helpful.

Her books are fab. Total recall is fantastic as well

I have that one as well :-)

HazyDaisy123456 · 11/08/2021 12:39

I thought crates looked cruel too but our GR nearly 10 now absolutely loves his crate. If he’s tired or doesn’t want to be bothered he goes and sleeps in it in the day time and has done since he was a pup. He still sleeps in other areas of the room too but likes his space. We have his towel hanging over the side and a spare piece of vet bed on the top of his crate so its cool and like a den.

PlanetTeaTime · 11/08/2021 13:15

@HazyDaisy123456

My dog used to love her crate, it was her space. We made it all cosy and even got a special cover for it. When she got to 8/9 months we just left the door open but hung towels over the front so she could peak out but had privacy. I felt bad getting rid of the crate she had, we did it really slowly so she's ok but yeah it was her space. If we ever got a bigger house I would consider getting her another one just so she has her own area again.

I used to think they were cruel but I ready happy puppy and then when I got her the crate I changed my mind set quickly. I could see her crate was her safe space

PlanetTeaTime · 11/08/2021 13:19

I do think that there are people that can abuse crates though, leaving dogs in them all day etc. Tbh though I don't agree with leaving dogs alone at home all day anyway but that's just my opinion.

The longest I've ever left my dog alone is three hours, if I have to be out for longer I organise for her to go to a dog daycare and which she loves

My mum thinks I'm soppy but I hate the thought of her feeling bored or abandoned

PollyRoulson · 11/08/2021 13:34

Of course you can bring up a well trained dog without using a crate.

I do use crates as I have working dogs and it is a clear indication to them to chill when they go into their crate. Default behaviour in a crate is to sleep. They have not had the door shut on the crate ever but have just been trained to be in their crate until asked to leave it. - same as bed training tbh.

The crate is a clear boundary for a dog and it is easy for them to see that it is their space (as can be a bed but if you have a chewer the bed will be an issue).

I never ever use pens as have seen way too many injuries from dogs jumping them or jumping up at them. The difference from a crate to a pen is that crate is to relax in and be still in but a pen still encourages movement and hence the accidents.

If you dont want to use a crate dont but you will need to puppy proof an area and make sure that your puppy will be safe and not harm themselves if left or if you are asleep and the puppy wakes up.

I personally feel it is a good life skill to teach a dog and use boundary training quite a lot in dog sports and in their working life.

PollyRoulson · 11/08/2021 13:35

A play pen will not work or a Goldie for long maybe a few weeks at the most.

GarnetsandRubies · 11/08/2021 13:38

I've never used a crate, it's entirely possible to manage without one!

SirenSays · 11/08/2021 13:50

I only ever use crates if the dogs are Foster or house sit and the owner insists, which is thankfully very rare. I think crates are big, bulky and quite ugly tbh so would rather not have them in my home. With very young pups I will puppy proof a room so they can't get themselves into any mischief in the night like chewing wires and things.

YanTanTethera123 · 11/08/2021 13:58

I have crate for my puppy but it’s unassembled now because she wasn’t interested in going in it, even with treats. I’m not too surprised because she’s from a kill shelter anti suspect hasn’t had many good experiences before I had her.
All our dogs have slept in their beds in the kitchen or utility room. No big deal, there’s a stair gate across the doorway to the living room so she has the kitchen to herself at night.
She was very quick to housetrain so no need for puppy pads after the first few weeks (not that she soiled many, generally she ripped them up!)

icedcoffees · 11/08/2021 15:32

I have a beagle and he's never been in a crate.

He sleeps on the sofa during the day and on our bed at night - we house trained him just fine. He whined at night if he needed to go, and during the day we just kept an eye on him and took him out when necessary. We got him at 12 weeks old and he had less than 10 accidents indoors - ever. He never had an accident at night.

He was also never destructive in the house but we left him with numerous tasty natural chews and puppy-proofed a LOT. Our house has never been so tidy and organised lol.

When we leave him alone he has run of the living room. He just curls up with one (or two!) of the cats on his blankets and sleeps.

XelaM · 11/08/2021 16:11

Never used a crate, but then ours sleeps in our bed

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