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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Has anyone not used a crate?

68 replies

SocialistSally · 04/10/2023 20:52

Our puppy is coming home in a few weeks. When I grew up with dogs, crates weren’t a thing. I wondering from a space point of view as well as other considerations of it’s ok not to bother with a crate? Or is that a crazy idea?

OP posts:
Fleabane · 04/10/2023 23:46

My dog had a crate as a puppy but the door was never shut. It was just his safe space he slept in and could go to if he wanted to be left alone. It's packed away now but if I get it out, he's straight in there for a nap.

It's useful and kinder for your dog if they view a crate - sorry, cage Hmm - as a safe comforting space as they will be inevitably shut in one at some point. Most dogs will be neutered and/or have other vet treatment.

margotrose · 05/10/2023 07:13

We never crated our beagle. He was very easy to house-train and probably had less than ten accidents overall. He never had one overnight.

CatherinedeBourgh · 05/10/2023 07:15

Never crated our dogs.

Last one was house trained in less than a month.

daffodilandtulip · 05/10/2023 07:57

I didn't use it for toilet training as I didn't understand that! We did have one for leaving her at home in the early days, school runs etc, as I'm mostly home. Used it for about six months until I knew she wouldn't eat everything or destroy the house.

Butterkist8 · 05/10/2023 08:48

Our dog's safe space is his bed.
We bought a crate because everyone said it was important in their training, safe space etc...

It lasted barely a week. He was anxious in it and quickly refused to go in it.

Janiie · 05/10/2023 08:50

Whether it is a crate, a utility room or a small room with a baby gate puppies need containing when tiny for their own safety.

Once they are trained and know not to go climbing stairs overnight or chewing the TV wires great, you get rid of the crate.

I think people who don't use them either have them in their bedrooms, and many don't want dogs in bed with them, or have a utility room to keep them safe and comfy.

There is not a cat in hell's chance I'd pop to bed and leave an 8week old or even a 4month old puppy to their own devices downstairs, uncontained and unsupervised.

margotrose · 05/10/2023 08:57

While it's true that most people contain their puppies, there's a big difference between locking them in a crate and giving them free roam of a safe space.

Floramac · 05/10/2023 08:58

We have not used crates. With this Gsd pup, we bought a pen, which are great. Always have our dog in our bedroom so penned off an area at the one side until she adjusted. Now 8 months and she sleeps at the end of the bed ( on her bed on the floor).

MzHz · 05/10/2023 09:01

We were told our breed didn’t like to be crated, so we didn’t. He was puppy trained within a few weeks and is perfectly safe and secure

he has places to sleep, he had multiple beds, but he’s furry, he prefers the stone floors. Even when he was little and he had access to our bedroom he would take himself out the door to the stone floor just outside our room. That’s where he sleeps now.

Nannyfannybanny · 05/10/2023 09:06

Taught the puppy "manners" from day one, don't expect a puppy to do anything an adult dog wouldn't do
It's "bad manners" to be unhouse trained and teething then🤭We have a 12 week old puppy,fed in her crate, because we have another dog, she goes in there automatically. At night we have a small crate by the bed, she lets me know when she needs to go outside.. we go shopping, she is crated with toys for her own safety, she chews wires. Our last dog but one,thundered into a big metal floor lamp luckily we were in the room at the time.it would have crashed down, probably badly injured or killed him, smashed the glass shade and bulb. He also chewed wires.

Discwriter · 05/10/2023 09:13

We have a springer poodle mix and before getting her - as our first dog - I read that a crate is an absolute must. Went and bought one. Our dog never liked it, used to cry for ages when I tried to train her to use it. Putting her on our bed at night solved that problem very quickly and she slept through from young. She is anyway allowed on the sofas and beds, so no real point in using a crate for us. Also had no issues house training her, she got that very quickly.

Quisquam · 05/10/2023 09:18

When I was a child, we got a lab/collie cross puppy. Nobody had ever heard of crates, that I knew. We probably left her in the kitchen at night, but she was an extremely easy dog to train. We never had any problems with her, except excessive greed! Ditto her daughter a 3/4 labrador, although she was nowhere near as bright as her mother! My parents started taking in rescue dogs, and usually had 4 at a time. Some had been abandoned and clearly abused. Some had been kept in a cage most of their time anyway and that was precisely why my mother offered to have them. One was an ex racing greyhound. They were very affectionate and never caused any problems.

Original poster
SocialistSally · 05/10/2023 10:42

I have a utility room that would be safe to leave dog in, when needed. I’m thinking maybe a pen or gate on that door that could be moved.

I mean I could get a crate in my room, just, but I would be able to get out of bed very easily, and I would guarantee constantly stub my toe on it.

I have room next to my side of the bed for a small crate or a normal size dog bed. The wall and my bed and bedside table would make it have 3 walls anyway. It’s the having to move it every time I want into my bedside table.

Downstairs it could go in living room but would be basically in the middle of the room. There is one place downstairs I could put it, but there isn’t anywhere nearby I could sleep for first few weeks, unless I sleep on a hard wooden floor!

I know not to leave a puppy with full access to the house, it would sleep next to me (or in bed with me!) and go in utility room when older (with bed etc obviously).

OP posts:
piscofrisco · 05/10/2023 10:44

Used crate with first dog, not with the second that we got a year later. But she largely just slept where the first did and copied him pretty much so it wasn't necessary.

JessicaFletcherMSW · 05/10/2023 11:26

I don’t think you need to get a crate for the sake of it, if you have a way of giving your dog a safe den space where they can go free of disturbance whenever they want. It is useful for them to be comfortable with being in a crate in case of any visits to the vets that requires them to stay in as they will be put in a crate/kennel then. We use a crate in the car rather than seatbelts. We have used a dog guard in the past but it is nice to be able to open the boot and know the dog can’t dash out.

rougechaotic · 05/10/2023 12:00

I think it’s really important to crate train when a puppy as you never know what’s going to happen! We don’t use a crate now (it’s folded up in garage) but we did crate train - and I was so relieved we had when pup needed a leg operation! She needed to be confined to a crate / pen both at the vet and in her 6-week recovery time so she didn’t injure the leg. She was perfectly happy in there with a chew. I know someone who didn’t crate train and was in a similar situation and she said it was a complete nightmare for 6 weeks… it’s better if your pup is as relaxed as possible in a crate as going to the vet is already quite stressful!

Janiie · 05/10/2023 12:46

'I mean I could get a crate in my room, just, but I would be able to get out of bed very easily, and I would guarantee constantly stub my toe on it.'

Doesn't that defeat the whole object of a crate though. Crates are to keep them safe and contained while out of sight in other areas in the home. If it's going to sleep in your room just use a dog bed.

Original poster
SocialistSally · 05/10/2023 14:43

Maybe I did crate training wrong last time, but generally my previous dog wasn’t keen on her crate.

Im thinking a play pen. But like I said I have a utility room, but would be when older. Hmm.

I am reading and considering all views. I’m feeling weirdly indecisive

OP posts:
margotrose · 05/10/2023 14:50

Be careful with a pen - they can quickly figure out how to escape!

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 05/10/2023 15:57

It's useful and kinder for your dog if they view a crate - sorry, cage Hmm - as a safe comforting space as they will be inevitably shut in one at some point.

How is it not a cage? What's your definition of a cage?

Janiie · 05/10/2023 16:04

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 05/10/2023 15:57

It's useful and kinder for your dog if they view a crate - sorry, cage Hmm - as a safe comforting space as they will be inevitably shut in one at some point.

How is it not a cage? What's your definition of a cage?

I don't think it matters what you call them, cage, crate, pen, den. It is how they are used that is the point.

So to keep a young dog safe overnight if not sleeping in bed with you, fine. If leaving a dog in it all day without walks not so fine.

SirenSays · 05/10/2023 16:07

I only ever use them for fosters or pet sits where the owners absolutely insist. I've never found them useful or necessary and i don't use them for any of my own dogs.

Nw22 · 05/10/2023 16:14

I have had 4 dogs and neve used a crate. There is no need.

Floralnomad · 05/10/2023 16:15

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 05/10/2023 15:57

It's useful and kinder for your dog if they view a crate - sorry, cage Hmm - as a safe comforting space as they will be inevitably shut in one at some point.

How is it not a cage? What's your definition of a cage?

My dog has spent time in a cage at the vets , he’s quite settled and happy to do so because he’s a well adjusted dog , I still have never found the need to shut him in anything other than a room at home .

SkiingIsHeaven · 05/10/2023 16:21

3 dogs. No crates.