Crates

[whatisthisinhere]

My old dog has never been crate trained. I'm getting a new puppy in a cou0,e of months and hear a lot about crate training. It seems I can't read anything about training puppies that doesn't mention crates. Not even as an option but as a must do.
Is it absolutely necessary?I've always just kept puppies near me at night, or slept near them so I can wake if they need to toilet during the night, or are just missing their litter mates. I then train them gradually to be left in the house until they are confident when left. I've never had much destruction, and never had anything harmful happen, and I've owned four dogs as an adult that I have been responsible for.
I really don't want to do it, but am I missing a trick?

My dog likes his crate. Sleeps in it, takes himself off into it for a nap. He’s been trained to go in when we’re cooking too to avoid accidents. We need we shut the door though.

Never shut the door I mean. Crate also has a cover. I think dog feels safe in there.

We got a crate because the rescue said we should and it seemed to be the done thing but I must admit I am not sure it's essential

Ddog likes his crate well enough and will go there to nap and for the first bit of the night but he doesn't like it more than various other places that he likes to sleep mostly doormats and the floor by our bed. He likes to get up and move to somewhere else after he's been in one place for a while and he likes to stretch out to sleep so I feel mean to lock him in.

We don't lock him in the crate because he gets upset whines and barks so that does kind of make it not much more useful than any old bed. Although he is usually a demon for stealing stuff and chewing it up at night he does sleep and he hasn't got himself into any bother being free range. We haven't left him on his own so far and I don't think we will lock him in his crate when we do. I think he'll be less upset if he can move around so I think we'll puppy proof the kitchen and let him stay in there.

We have a one year old boxer and he loves his crate at night time once he goes out for his last pee he heads straight to it and sleeps through till the morning

He doesn’t use it during the day prefers the couch in the living room and that’s where we leave him during the day if we go out

This routine works for us

We have a 6 month old puppy, when we just got her, everyone said we should crate train her - she didn't like it, I didn't like it. She's fine when we go out, doesn't destroy anything, and takes herself off for a nap with noisy children around, so I don't really see the need. She integrated smoothly into our life, so I think do what works for you and your family OP.

I think that crates are misused and dogs really benefit from being near their humans. I hear lots of ‘safe space’, ‘he/she loves it’ but I am not convinced.

@Shmithecat2

They're for the clueless and the lazy. Not necessary at all.

I completely agree.

@Shmithecat2

What a ridiculous comment to make 🤔

@llm24

We have a one year old boxer and he loves his crate at night time once he goes out for his last pee he heads straight to it and sleeps through till the morning

He doesn’t use it during the day prefers the couch in the living room and that’s where we leave him during the day if we go out

This routine works for us

We do this too.

I recently got a crate for my 3 year old dog, mainly for use in the car, but I can see how it would have been useful to have trained her with one from puppyhood. Even if you don't close the door often or for long, it's a clear "dog den" area that belongs to them and where they can be left alone. I can also think of occasions when it would have been useful to keep her out of the way/stop her attempting a runner/keep her contained and calm/etc for short periods. My next dog I would crate train from the beginning, just so it was there, even if not used much.

Never crate trained - if you don’t like the clearing up after accidents or things getting chewed probably best not get a dog !

@SoSickOfItNow

It’s so unnecessary.

themuttyprofessor.co.uk/2017/07/20/crate-debate-crate-not-crate/

“ how absurd is it that it’s considered normal to confine an animal to such a small cage for prolonged periods of time, with this space often being just a little larger than their body size?”

“ Dogs are polyphasic sleepers. This means they sleep in short periods, like to get up and move around as well as changing positions.
Changing surfaces that they sleep on also helps them regulate their temperature.
Therefor, crating dogs goes against their natural way of sleeping and removes all option of them fulfilling this instinctive behaviour.”

www.peta.org/about-peta/why-peta/crating-dogs/
“ a dog crate is just a box with holes in it, and putting dogs in crates is just a way to ignore and warehouse them until you get around to taking care of them properly.”

Nonsense. Our dog takes himself to his crate at night and stays there until we get up. The door remains open, but he stays there all night (despite having other beds / sofa etc to choose from outside of his crate.).

Like anything, a too-small crate used excessively is cruel. However create training on the whole is no negative. My dog now clearly views his crate as his own space, providing comfort and safety.

Not necessary no, but some people might find them useful in certain circumstances for puppies. Crating an adult dog no though, You see people who use them instead of training, awful.

Our puppy slept in hers at night, v happily, big crate. She let us know if she needed out for a wee at night. Till about 4 months. Then she just slept in bed, but she likes to move round a lot so she’s happier out a crate.

In retrospect I wish we’d put her in the kitchen with pads at night. And slept with her the first few nights.

My puppy hated it. It doesn’t work for all.

I think making a dog comfortable in a crate is a great life skill for all dogs.

There will be occasions when they need to be crated vets, groomers etc and it is better that they are happy with the situation. In my opinion all dogs should be crated in a vehicle for their own safety.

I have working dogs who are crated in the van and when the other dogs are working. We are often in areas of high distraction and the dogs are happy to know that if they are in their crates they sleep and relax. They are then ready to work when they get out of the crates.

At home they also sleep on the sofas and where they like but they tend to choose their open crates.

No way is it cruel if they are used correctly

We do the same as @gab254 who is getting a hard time here!
5 month old puppy loves her crate, runs off there with new chews and treasures, it is her space. Door always open during the day and she might sleep there or elsewhere. Door closed overnight or when we're out which has been only for short periods very occasionally. It is a very large crate with two types of bedding and she does vary which part she sleeps on.

@alsopeggy

We do the same as *@gab254* who is getting a hard time here! 5 month old puppy loves her crate, runs off there with new chews and treasures, it is her space. Door always open during the day and she might sleep there or elsewhere. Door closed overnight or when we're out which has been only for short periods very occasionally. It is a very large crate with two types of bedding and she does vary which part she sleeps on.

Thank you. Sounds very similar to how we do it, and it definitely works well for us and you by the sounds of it!

I don't get the whole vet or groomer argument personally.

Mine was never crate trained and had free rein (in a safe space) as a puppy and has always been fine to be crated at the vets or in cars where necessary 🤷🏻‍♀️

FWIW I used a crate at night - it was a very large crate for his size and was placed beside my bed so I could hear if he woke up.

I used it simply to stop him chewing anything dangerous while I was asleep so could not watch him. If he woke, I woke and took him outside for a wee. As many times as he needed. The crate was not there to try and put him off toiletting.

When morning came, we got up and he was supervised through the day so didn't go in the create again until bed time.

At about 6 months old he was more trustworthy re chewing so I started to leave the crate door open and over time he migrated himself out of the crate (and onto the bed ).

I don't think crates should attract polarised views "you must use them" or "they are only for the lazy". They are optional and, like so many things, there are good ways of using them and bad ways.

HalfWomenHalfMincePie - I really agree with your last paragraph, you've worded it excellently.

@Annotherchange

I think that crates are misused and dogs really benefit from being near their humans. I hear lots of ‘safe space’, ‘he/she loves it’ but I am not convinced.

Being in a crate does not mean they are not near humans.... Puppies in our house have the crates next to our bed so we can touch them

@icedcoffees

I don't get the whole vet or groomer argument personally.

Mine was never crate trained and had free rein (in a safe space) as a puppy and has always been fine to be crated at the vets or in cars where necessary 🤷🏻‍♀️

If your dog is ok then that is fine for all dogs then .

As an ex vet nurse that is not what I see. On a daily baisis seeing the very stressed state many dogs get into when they are already feeling poorly and have to be crated to wait for treatment is distressing for everyone involved. Crate savvy dogs find it calming to be in the crates in a stressful enviroment and makes the situation much easier for many of them.

Crates aren’t absolutely essential, but they are fairly useful for lots of things.

They’re handy for making sure a puppy/teenage dog has somewhere safe to be while not being supervised, you can of course dog proof to a certain extent, but I’ve had dogs who went through phases of chewing furniture and walls while young... I’m not sure how you’re supposed to remove those while you nip to the shop.

They’re really useful if you have other pets, it’s much better if you don’t have to leave them alone with cats or to harass older dogs.

They give you a very clearly defined dog only space if you have children, which means the dog can choose to go there if they want to be left alone.

They can be absolutely invaluable for anxious or rescue dogs, some dogs do need that safe space.

And it definitely does make a difference for vets stays or things like crate rest after injuries or illnesses if they’re already crate trained.

But people can and do cope fine without ever using them.

I do find it bizarre though that people who’ve never used one and don’t seem to know what crate training is always fill up threads asking about crates criticising them because they’ve met someone who misused one, I’ve met people who lock dogs in bathrooms for 10 hours while they go to work and people who keep their dogs in gardens even in -10 and snow... I don’t think it’s the bathroom or the garden that’s the issue...

I don't crate but understand why people do. I personally think that if we choose to spend our lives with animals then we should give them the most freedom possible. We oppose battery hens and want our eggs to be free range, then put our best friend in a cage. Once you call in a cage you think differently. Why do we use a different word for the cage of a dog rather than a chicken or a mouse, or a tiger?

However, those saying you crate but don't shut the door - then it isn't a crate it is a den.

I certainly wouldn't crate just so they don't get stressed at the vets. Our old dog spent a total of 8 hours at the vets in 14 years, hardly worth special training.

Well, no I didn't say that @lingus.

I said that I'm not convinced that it's as necessary as the crate enthusiasts claim it to be.

Crates may be useful for some dogs in some circumstances but they're hardly a necessity. Millions of people own and raise dogs quite successfully without ever going near a crate.