Do you crate train your dog?

I crate trained Harley. It began as a way to house train her, but it turned into her little space. When she gets stressed or tired she just walks in the crate and takes some "personal time." It did worry me when I first started putting her in the crate because I thought that she was in there too long. Mostly being because I have never crated  a dog before.  But I have made sure to make sure she is out and about most of the day!

Before we had a dog, I would've said I thought crate training was "mean," but then I became more educated when researching everything before we got Tonka, and we started him with a crate at 8 weeks.  He treated it as his quiet space, too.  He went in there if we had a lot of company and he wanted some den time.  i will always regret we never gave him freedom in the house while we were at work; he never would've wrecked anything in the house, but we felt he was safer in it because he tended to jump up on windowsills when delivery people came to the door or kids went by on bikes.  We feared he'd go thru the window (he weighed about 130 pounds).

Ruby must have been crated in her prior homes because she took to it from the first day we adopted her.  However, a few months ago, she started breaking out of it so she could relax on the couch all day, so now we leave her out.  We need to buy a different type that she can't open so we can still use one when needed.  I like having crates as an option when workers are in the house, for example, or new guests that have tiny or dog-fearful children come over.

I would always use a crate in some fahion and try to encourage people to use them if they are having some issues that crates might help.  It was great for housebreaking training, and it also worked well when we wanted some time outs between playing sessions, or when we wanted the dogs to be where they could see us, yet not interfere with something, like when we painted our living room or we're preparing a large holiday meal, etc.

I agree with what everyone has said above -- but I'm going to add one more thing.

Even if you ultimately want your dog loose in the house at least   do SOME crate-training.  Why?   Because there will likely come the day when your dog needs to be kenneled or crated.

I live in Florida, land of Hurricanes -- the fact that my dogs are "fine" in crates means I can take them **anywhere**.  I can go to a shelter and have them crated and not noisy.  I can take them into a motel room without worry that they will trash the place..  Or we can run to family/friends in an emergency and MY dogs aren't stressed.

Most dogs have at least one (many have more) experience where they have to stay at a vet either for a procedure or surgery.  And guess what -- they have to be crated!!  My dogs can go into a situation and have to be crated and it doesn't       make them uncomfortable.  Because they know how to be crated and it doesn't bother them.

Crating is just common sense.  It gives you more options -- it gives **them** peace when they have to be in an alien situation.

Callie makes some excellent points on why there is never a reason not to get your dog comfortable with being in a crate.  You never know when it will be necessary to crate your dog.  

My 10 month old boxer started out being put in a crate when we were not home until she was house trained. Once she was, she was fine being out of it when we weren't home. Last month, she started going after one our other dogs when they would be fed. I now lead her to her crate whenever the other dog eats to avoid issues. She is absolutely fine, going in it and never fights it which I am grateful for. The last few day, she actually is going there on her own when she knows I am going to feed the other. Crates can wonderful! We did have a dog once that had terrible separation and the crate didn't help because the person we got her from would use it as punishment. Whenever she had an accident, the woman would crate her, as well as at night and when she went to work. She was a hot mess as well!

doh, the log in didn't stick. I didn't reboot or restart my browser so that is odd.

Anyway, yes, all my dogs are crate trained. They ride in crates in the car too so they aren't jumping around, among other things.

I crate trained all of my dogs. Mostly while they were being house trained, and to keep my furniture from being chew toys while I was at work. My oldest dog, started using it as her personal space when the other dogs got to rowdy. She developed food aggression, so I started feeding her in the kennel. No more food aggression.