Why Crate?
Thanks !! |
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| Just from my own dealings I have done both.
I like the crate because the pup stays safe when alone! Your home is safe from chewing, My dogs ask to go "nite nite' its their home and cozy. A good why to keep your pup from jumping on visitors. It also is a good "time out " for me !!!!!! |
| I am pretty sure our house would be destroyed if we did not crate train. And it helps with potty training.
We leave the radio on and a kong with peanut butter or an everlasting treat in the crate with Bert. I don't think he minds and he is safe. |
| I think it give a puppy security. When my puppy came to me a 8 weeks old, she was already crate trained by our breeder.....
"Heart" always loved her crate. She quickly realized that it was her space ---so when she was tired she would head for the crate...As soon as she saw me grab my purse, she would head for her crate. If something scared her..etc... I loved it because....I knew she would be safe. If I happened to 'forget' to put something away, I didn't have to worry that she would get to it. It gave the other 2 dogs a break from the rambunctious puppy antics. And since puppies sleep alot, it forced her not to get overtired and overtire stimulated. It help with housebreaking ALOT~~~~, since she would not go in her crate. In addition, when I took her anywhere, I would take her portable crate, pop it open and she would have her home right there!!!  We are getting into rally and when we went to Nationals, I don't know what I would have done if she had not been crate trained..it gave me a break!!!  (Also the motel we stayed at required crating when we left the room..again..what would have happened if she wasn't used to a crate????)
There are many things that puppy can get into. Things that are harmful. I find that crating protects the puppy also. Heart is now 19 months and we do not crate her anymore but I do take it out and make sure she still is comfortable in it. There are times when I think I should begin to crate again..... 
However, I think it is a personal choice...If you really don't mind coming home to a mess (at times)..crating is a up to the individual IMO.... Congratulations on your new puppy....keep us posted..and try to post some pics!!!!!!!  |
| We didn't crate our first and he was fine.
Our second and third we crated for the first year or so and they were fine. When we stopped insisting on crating they never looked back. Hudson is currently crated. He eats walls. Enough said. I hope that, down the road, Hudson can be given a choice, but I know it will be a LOOOOOOONG wait. He is now, however, sleeping "free" at night in the bedroom without incident so there may be hope. We would have lost Hudson to his own stupidity long ago. As it is, we've had half a dozen emergency vet visits/stay up all night with sick tummy dog incidents. I never was a huge fan of the idea of crating, but it's been great in practice. With our little Hudson we've absolutely no choice. |
| Obe loved his and used it until we got back to Co. Have not set it up again. After a while the door stayed open an he had free roam but I would come home and he would be in his crate, his safe spot.
Made potty training easy, at least for him. I had no problems training Obe and very few accidents. I would recommend it for safety also, but it's your choice and house. |
| Prior to our OES pup, we had two litter-mate English Springer Spaniels. I crated them initially for potty training (worked wonderfully) and to keep them safe while I was at work. When I was home they had free range of the house and that was fine, too.
Then, one day when they were about 8 months old I decided not to crate them and left them on a sun porch while I went to work. I came home at noon only to find the sofa on the porch had been torn apart down to the wood frame. The remains of cushions and pillows littered the entire area. I could tell from their expressions that they'd had a ball! 
So, with Duchess Winnie, we decided early to crate. It's a good thing! Housebreaking her has been relatively easy and now that she's teething I can't imagine what she'd do if we left her unattended. I can relate to those who've had OES pups eat walls. Winnie would rather eat a wall, woodwork, door frame, or cabinet than take a nap. 
Because she is so high energy and doesn't yet recognize when she needs to sleep, crating her for a morning nap and an afternoon nap, as well as at night ensures she's getting the rest she needs. |
| I've crated my last five dogs. Bored dogs can be so destructive.
Congrats on the new pup...remember we need pictures to get our puppy fix! |
| We only crated when we were not home....again for protection.
Otherwise our dogs had free roam in doors. Along with that came setting the alarm every 2-3 hours to take them outside the 1st few weeks or so. I also found it helpful that you only take them out to potty until they have mastered the feat. That way the puppy only associates outside with potty.....not play. Take them out until they have done their deed, then pick them up with lots of praise & hugs and go right back inside. It's no fun sitting on the patio at 3am in 10 degree weather watching the puppy have a ball |
| I hate to think what Jenny would get into without the crate. She goes in at night and when we go out. We have the peace of mind that she is safe and not getting into something that could harm her. |
| We crate Rufus for the same reasons- mainly safety. They will eat anything and destroy everything, especially when left alone. I left my boy for 20 minutes when he was about 9 months as I thought he was well behaved...he ate the floor
He's 18 months now and has just been allowed free roam of the bedroom at night, he is only ever crated when we leave the house. I couldn't live without the crate! He used to have one for the car too, but now he's bigger he travels with a seatbelt harness instead. |
| I only crate in the beginning and SLOWLY phase the crate out unless they show signs they really miss it. It's just as you said most of the damage occurs when their pups and going through that "oh it's moved 1/8th of a cm chew it!" phase.
But the crate also gives them security, both my OES dogs loved their crates. Freddie used his until he was 5. We didn't crate him after 3 but he'd always go into the crate and sleep. When their were thunderstorms if it wasn't a bad one he'd be in there (if it was a bad one he went to the smallest space in the storage area in the basement of our house). Roxy is crated but she has a whole room to herself. She's has the coat, laundry and ground floor washroom to herself. We put a baby gate up. But you know i've left her lose for a couple hours while out and she goes right back to that room and sleep- or right to the middle of the king bed lol! But she wouldn't hurt anything it's just that she wants to be crated she feels safe in there.  |
| Chauncey was only crated when home alone. We crated him for about the 1st 10 mos or so, then gradually trusted him for short periods.
Although we put his crate away 2 years ago he will sometimes lay on the floor where it use to be. |
| I'm in Australia and it wasnt really done here that I know of other than show dogs and such,they were more a travelling crate,until recently.(I may be wrong,just my experience).
Years ago when we got our last OES puppy I was going crazy,if I wasnt watching her,she was chewy bad things and getting caught under furniture and if we went out without her briefly,lets just say the floors needed washing.I joined this forum and was told about crating and decided to try it.It was sanity saving.The pup loved it so much she used her crate all her life.I locked it at first but as she matured,she would go in and out herself.When small kids came she would disappear upstairs,straight into the sanctuary of her crate.We had a small shihtzu cross at the time and out in the yard was an old cockys cage,and she would go sit inside it,so I brought it in to be "her crate".They loved their crates. We now have a 15 month old labradoodle who came with a crate,she still goes into it whenever she wants a break and to sleep at night and when small kids visit,and I put her in if shes been swimming and rolling in sand and I have to prepare her bath,so she doesnt do the harry and we are soon collecting our new OES pup and Santa brought her a crate. I had a lot of friends visit over Christmas and they saw the crates,at first they were a little negative but once they saw Summer wanted to escape into her crate and it wasnt a "cage" or jail,they started saying what a good idea. One friend has a neighbour breeding spaniels and she includes a crate in her pups price when they are sold,thats how much she loves crating. I would say,try it,see if you like it.I love knowing my pup is safe,and my large dogs are not lying on the top step waiting to trip me up at night.I would never have another dog without its own crate. |
| Yes I think you're right lynZoes. Crating wasnt done in Aus till prettily recently unless it was for transport.
I used to wonder why do it too. But reading this forum made me realise that if its snowing outside and minus 20 something degress you cant just put your dog in the backyard with a kennel till you get home. So I guess from a practical perspective it wasnt as necessary here, from a safety, sanity perspective it is a great idea though. |
| We watched a great puppy training video that included TIPS ON HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY KENNEL TRAIN. It talked about making it a fun place with toys and treats, etc. But the best thing we learned is that while they're getting used to it, you NEVER let them out when they're crying or making a fuss. Wait at least 20 seconds after their last whimper, whine, or cry before you open the door. And that's when they're out of your sight. You can't come around the corner, baby talk them for 30 seconds then let them out because they've been quiet. They have to be quiet on their own for 20 seconds. It's a good way to teach them to calm themselves down, and that you're not abandoning them each time you're out of eye sight. For us, because we live in a town house, the 20 second rule meant that we had to do the majority of her kennel training during the day, so as to not get evicted from disturbing the neighbors with her cries.
The video also said that if they're just not calming down, cover the crate completely with a large blanket. If that doesn't work, then throw an empty pop can with pennies in it at the floor near the crate (not hitting the crate) so that they learn that they're safe inside of it. I don't know about this one. We did try it, and Sunny sure did quiet down, but I don't know if it's because she knew she was safe- I suspect it scared her half witless and she stopped crying out of confusion. We only did it a few times, and yes, she's pretty quiet it her crate now, but she doesn't love it like everyone else says their pups do. So I wouldn't necessarily do the pop can thing. I agree that crating is sooooo good for potty training, and for keeping them (and your house) safe while you're not there. The success rate with crating and potty training (from what I know of my friends and family) is very very high. So it's definitely worth it for that aspect. The only dogs I know that still have "accidents", weren't consistently(or at all) crate trained. For us, Sunny was basically housebroken at 4 months, she had one accident (our fault), and then was officially housebroken at 5 months. I agree with kayc1218 about the napping thing. Sunny wouldn't "self-nap" after about 4 months. She'd get super hyper, and wild and all it was is that she needed a nap. We'd put her in her crate, she's whine for 2 minutes, then she'd collapse for as long as she'd need to. We'd let her out when she woke up, but stayed quiet, or we'd secretly open the door while she was still asleep. She naps on her own now, so we pretty much only put her in the crate when we're leaving or for bed. Good luck with whatever you choose to do, puppyhood is so much fun, but demands a lot of patience and tons of love. Good thing OES's are so easy to love hey?! |
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