I don't know HOW some of you stand the strain!

xpens are great! I have a playpen that I use for certain foster dogs and my kittens (until they are trustworthy - or just climb out...)

Thankfully - with Casey I only had to crate for a short time. He now is free to roam - and I have no fears about him getting into anything. They only 'damage' he's done is shred a few cat toys...

I felt bad crating him at first - but they really are wonderful tools - and I couldn't imagine fostering dogs or pups without one!

Very glad Kee is OK - as for crates Bugsy was crated when we went out up until about 10 mos old. He has been 100% reliable and trouble free outside of his crate.

basically he isn't interested in trouble unless there is someone here to witness it LOL

Moonlight

I'd second the ex pen suggestion.  Chloe stays in one. She's not trustworthy yet, and she can climb.  Enough said, lol. 

I'm serious -- she'd have it completely knocked over in a heartbeat -- when that determined little 9 pound peke body decides it is MOVIN FORWARD .... trust me -- she can move mountains and an x-pen wouldn't stand a chance!!  She'd either move it and topple it over (literally O-VER) or she would get her head or a body part stuck in it and break something (bone wise). 

I've told the story of how the pug now thinks Kee is "grammy dog" because if the pug wants something on the OTHER side of a baby gate she goes and gets the PEKE ... and the little old lady peke will BULLDOZE thru **any** baby gate.  If you just smush yore flat liddle face in the corner and PUSH HARD ... it'll move. 

She's amazing -- she will flatten her back and BULLDOZE straight thru something.

And see the pug's got it all figgered -- if you go get the old lady peke -- Mom 'n Dad won't holler at her or scold her (how do you scold a 19 year old dog??  One who shows spunk and determination??  you don't -- you just kinda look at each other and make sure she's ok).  So if you're a pug wanting to get away with murder you go get the old lady to move the particular "Mountain" (chair or baby gate) FOR you ... so you can then follow her and snag whatever toy happened to be on the wrong side of said gate. 

I've seen Tink do this 3-4 times -- she'd spy a toy on the "wrong" side of the gate -- go get the old lady grammy dog who will just move forward and bash anything in her way -- and FOLLOW HER.  It is freaking hysterical. 

So what -- I'm gonna give the old lady peke a scolding 'YOu KNOW better than to let the pug talk you into mischief!!"

Prolly not.  LOL  The pek hasn't a clue she's being used (not that she'd care if she did) ... nope -- the peke just wants to move "forward" ... well -- until she decides to turn around and go the other way.

But it's pretty darned cute -- when the little old lady decides to moan or cry?  The pug ALWAYS goes to her rescue.  So I really can't complain.  And she'll go lie beside "grammy dog" if grammy dog is alone and lonely.

kpwlee

basically he isn't interested in trouble unless there is someone here to witness it LOL

You got it!  Mine are crate trained----neither of them use the crate anymore, but it is available to them----they are 100% reliable roaming free during the day (have been since an early age--my rescue has been reliable pretty much since we got her, surprisingly)-----believe it our not, they just sleep while we are not here and are not interested in play/chewing or getting into anything unless they have an audience----and even then, not so much, anymore. 

 I have never crated my dogs I've always thought oh thats so mean but I do know that some dogs need it, My dogs are great they don't eat things they aren't suppose to they don't get into anything and they have full access to the house except my room and the bathroom. Guess I'm lucky in that way never had an accident. 

So sorry to hear about kee  hopefully she's doing better and yourself as well :)

I never thought I would always have to crate my dog, until we got Ari.  I lived with my Mom's dog for 10 years (got her when she was 6 mos. old and I has in high school).  Nikki (mom's dog) is a shih tzu, and never had to be crated.  Sure she got into a little mischief when she was younger, but all in all, she was a good dog and just slept the day away till someone got home. 

Ari, bless her heart, has a bit too much devil in her.  She knows what she's not supposed to do, but if no one is looking she's known to cause trouble, for the sake of causing trouble (after all getting in trouble is FUN).  Ari, however, does love her crates and often goes in them on her own to chill out.  So, I don't feel guilty about it AND I have piece of mind that my little she-devil is not getting into anything dangerous.  

I'd love to gate her in a room, however she can easily jump 5+ feet over obstacles...that to her is LOTS OF FUN.  Besides, there is no room I could dog proof enough for her even if I were to say leave her in a bedroom and close the door.  I'm sure I would come back to an eaten mattress.

I CAN'T stand the strain, either!!! I didn't crate when I just had Tek, but after we adopted Rosie, it because clear that she had some.. er.. "marking" issues. That, and I'm not crazy about leaving ANY dogs together while unattended, but pit bulls in particular. I guess one just never knows. Indie was always crated in the apartment simply because she was a puppy, but now she enjoys her crate and will go in there on her own. We moved into the house and I got a little lazy about crating, thinking they had enough room.. that lasted about a week, when after I ran to the store and came back and someone... probably Indie... had attacked Rosie. She looked worse than she was, but she had considerable swelling to her muzzle and some bites on her neck that I had to clip and clean... I felt like a jack@ss because I KNOW BETTER... So now, they all just get shut in separate rooms when nobody is around. It seems to be working quite well...

Aww, I'm glad Kee is okay! How scary that must've been for both of you : (

Neither of my dogs are crated, ever. I don't worry about them getting into things while no one's home because they are very well-behaved and have never had an accident, aside from when they were young puppies. Neither of them chew things up (that they aren't supposed to) or make messes. I trust them completely when they're alone, otherwise they would not be left loose in the house. Also, they both get plenty of exercise and were taught house manners. I could never leave my adult dogs crated for hours while I'm at work. I'd feel very bad for them.

Oh my, poor Kee!! I'm very happy she is ok Callie... after this and the sad TV story I totally understand and support crating, my heart shivers with the idea.

I think I'm very lucky, Thor is completely reliable being alone and around the house the only door closed is the laundry room (were the heater and water tank are) because the cats would get in trouble and the room with the cat litter, because Thor would might want to go for a snack eww!

I think Thor thinks the cats are in charge when we are not here. The one and only time he destroyed something in the house was the day we took both cats to the vet and leave Thor all by himself: he destroyed the phone/address notebook ~lol~ I gues he wanted to call somebody!

I dont think i could ever stand leaving a dog crated all day. Bailey is my first dog that is really "mine" so i havent really dealt with the whole crating issue. If i had a puppy then of i would probably use a crate until they are potty trained and stop teething, but other than that i will probably always let them free roam while im gone. When i first got Bailey we got a crate for while we were gone. It was a big super strong one made for giant breeds and they said it was indestructable, they would give you your money back if your dog broke it. Which Bailey did. I didnt know much about dogs back then and we made the big mistake of putting him in it and leaving without ever getting him used to it (but we know he already had bad experiences with it before so he was already afraid of it) and he bent the bottom bars up and bit onto the rug and pulled himself out. Other than destroying a part of the carpet to escape, once he was out he didnt do a thing to the house. Thats how we learned that if we just left him in the house free roaming he was happier. I dont worry about him at all getting into anything while im gone. Hes really good, he might de stuff one of his toys, or eat the cat food if i forget to pick it up, but other than that he usually just sleeps.

Crating a dog with separation anxiety is often going to send them into complete panic mode.  For those dogs crates are not always an option.  But for most dogs crates are as important as a collar and leash, IMO.

It's not true that crating a dog is mean or cruel.  Properly introduced crates are wonderful.  Dogs like to get into protected places and they feel safe in their "den".  Even if you believe you will never need to crate your dog it's a good idea to get your dog a crate and properly introduce him to it and make it a positive place.  In an emergency it can be a lifesaver and trying to stuff a dog in a crate during a real emergency is not something you want to do.  We all think "that'll never happen to me" but why not be prepared and prepare your dog?   There are dozens of different scenarios that might require that your dog be crated for his safety and security.

A crate is a tool, just like a leash.  Whether you use it every day or only once in a blue moon, it's not bad thing if introduced and used properly. 

 

 

The only worry I have when leaving my dogs at home is how messed up my bed is gonna be, or how many of the sofa pillows are gonna be on the floor.

 The first dog we had couldn't be crated, because she had horrid separation anxiety, and it would make her even more nuts. She typically was fine, and would just scarf some dog treats if she found them. The second dog, the doberman, never had a crate either. She was perfectly fine, and never caused any trouble. After that, everyone has had a crate, but it has been convincing other people in the house to use them when they cannot watch the dog that has been difficult. I personally prefer to know that nothing is going to happen to my dog. Even if I think the dog is 100% reliable, I think I'd still leave him in the crate when I'm not around. First, they usually just sleep anyway, so it shouldn't matter if it's in the crate, second, if I am not around, I can't monitor the behavior, and I really have no guarantee that my dog isn't getting into some trouble.

As with everything in life, I treat all my guys one on one, depending on their own needs. For that reason, Zipper and Gaci are never crated while I'm not at home, and Shimmer is *always* crated when I'm not at home. Heck, she is crated sometimes even when I am at home but cannot watch her. Shimmer has shown, on several occasions, that she is a danger to herself when left to her own devices. After eating a lamp, lightbulb and all, and began vomiting pieces of lamp and broken glass, I elected to use a kennel for her for life. She has also eaten one of my metal earrings, and it was a dangly earring with several metal parts.

Do I blame her? No I do not. I blame myself for allowing it to happen. It is not a training issue....I can. and do, leave things lying arond the house - on tables, on my nightstand, wherever, and she has no interest in them when people are present (no matter what room). She gets stressy when left alone with freedom to make her own choices. She does not thrive that well on making her own choices. She is more content on having guidance into what she should do. She loves her kennel though, and is happy to stay in it. She sleeps in it at night on her own, with the door open. She'll sleep in it during the day, for her it's really a safe place!! But when it comes to, literally, life or death, I put all thoughts aside and do what will keep her alive at the end of the day.

I never crated my dogs and neither did DH.  Not until I started training with Benny did I ever crate a dog.  Buster probably could have used it, what with the garbage rummaging and gouging a hole through my bedroom door just so he could get in.  Max was crated briefly but we gave up when he kept busting out of the crate, it just seemed safer to leave him out.  Lady was crated earlier on when I first met DH, but has graduated since she doesn't do anything when we leave the house.  Finn won't ever be left out when we aren't home and neither will Benny.  I just don't trust either of them to stay out of trouble (Finn can't even stay out of trouble when we are home!)

The other thing I worry about is what if there is a fire.  The firefighters can clearly see how many dogs I have and where they are.  Or if someone breaks in, my dogs are safe, hopefully.  I know of someone (who comes to our kennel) who was recently robbed and they kicked her chihuahua.  Poor thing was already a nervous girl, now it's even worse.  She's such a cutie; I can't even imagine her trying to protect the house.  I know that all my future dogs will be crated just for their own safety.