Opinion on getting rid of crates

 I crate my dogs, including a 6 year old and an 8 year old, when I am gone, for their safety. If there were an emergency, they are all together, and all safely contained. Nobody will have to search for them, in the event of a house fire. If I'm late, or in an accident, anyone can walk into the house safely, and find all of my dogs. Also, you never know when they're going to decide to find something to do, and eat the sheetrock off of the wall

We always crate ours -- I had a friend who lost two dogs at once because they were playing and got fouled in tv wires and pulled a TV set off onto themselves.  It was tragic.  You don't crate for the 999 days that they're perfect.  The reason we crate is to avoid that ONE time of mischief that may result in tragedy or sickness.

 With a crate if you come home and somebuddy has been sick you KNOW it.  You don't have to guess *who* had diarreha.  If someone is drinking water like a sieve you KNOW who -- it's no guess. 

 The older they get the more comfortable they are in being in their crates for snoozes -- and since they DO go there occasionally on their own?  no way would *I* get rid of them.

I personally like to have a crate or 2 out at a time. Either they go in their on their own or I crate the dogs while I work on training another.

My trainer likes to tell the story of her dogs when she hears someone doesn't want to crate their dogs. 

She has 5 dogs (3 border collies and 2 aussies).  She was with them at home one day and one of her border collies started to have a seizure (he's only about 5 and has never had a seizure before and hasn't had one since).  Well, one of her aussies put it upon himself that something was wrong with his brother so he was going to kill him.  My trainer was able to pull him off, however she broke her finger and the seizure dog was a mess.  He wasn't himself and he tried to escape.  It took him HOURS to relax and come to his senses.

So, if this had happened when she wasn't home (and they weren't crated), she would have come home to a dead or severely wounded dog and wonder why the other had attacked.  She probably would have put him down not realizing what had happened.

This is definitely an extreme, however, I will now always crate my dogs.  Right now my 2 oldest are not crated because they were never trained, however my 2 youngest will always be crated when we aren't home.

 Apparently I'm in the minority, but once my dogs are well behaved out of their crates they get limited run of the house.  Yes, bad things could happen but I just don't feel right crating for up to 10 hours a day for no reason other than because something *might* happen.  I don't care how nice the crate is appointed, nor how much you think the dog sleeps during the day, a barren cube prevents many normal dog behaviors (one of the important aspects of animal wellbeing according to my coursework on the subject).

I puppy proof the house extensively (double check doors, no toys out, no food out, no hanging curtain pulls, bathrooms and bedrooms blocked off, nothing on the counter w/in dog reach, etc.) to minimize risks.

Maggie has always had free run because she cannot be crated without massive anxiety.  The worst that's happened was eating part of a bag of dog food and the occasional half a loaf of bread.

Ziva has had free run since 14 months old.  We worked up gradually to the whole work day by about 18mo.  She is my most relaxed dog inside when I'm gone - I'm pretty sure she's on the couch most of the day.  She and Maggie did get into a tiff over a bone a while back so I make sure no toys are left out when I leave - no issues since.

Kes is still crated at night and during the work day because he's a terror.  When he does earn loose in the house priviledges I will probably restrict him to another room as he tends to harass the girls.  We'll see how he matures, but I doubt he'll get full house priviledges before 2 yo.

Willow is never crated. 

But, I think since your dogs seem to like them maybe leave just one?  So, whoever feels like it can go in. 

Lori

 I've also seen Emma hop off of something lower than my sofa (she has furniture privileges) and severely injure herself. One wrong slip, and she'd be laying there, for hours, until I got home. That's the thing that scares me the MOST about leaving them. If something happened, I wouldn't know til I got home.

willowchow

Willow is never crated. 

But, I think since your dogs seem to like them maybe leave just one?  So, whoever feels like it can go in. 

Lori

 

Just what I was thinking, Lori.  Another suggestion- before packing away one or both of the crates, take the mats out and leave them for your dogs.  Caleb isn't crated, either, but, he had to earn that privaledge.  Same with Mick when he was alive.