[~kitteh.hoardere...]

Hi abbie,

Yes ours are crated all night. Generally we put them to bed between 9:30 and 10pm and they get out anywhere between 7:30am and 9am (depending on if it's weekends and how noisey they are. If they are making noise we let them out, because they probably need to wee.)

Generally, within 10minutes of them getting in the crate, we get stereo snoring (the crates are on the opposite sides of the room.) They know that the crate is bed and when they get in, it's bed time. Even if we are talking and the TV is on and the cats are running around, they still just curl up in their safe warm beds and sleep with all the commotion

Just make sure that your pup has nice soft warm blankets in the crate and he will LOVE it! I know it seems mean, but they really love their crates.

In the mornings I can't get mine out sometimes! They refuse to get out!

[Justaduck]

I have had my dog crate trained since he was a puppy (3yo) now and I love that he loves his crate. My DP thinks it is awful and mean to lock him up in a cage, but at night time if we leave the crate door open and he has the choice to sleep on the bed, floor or crate, he often ends up in his crate. I just wish there was more awareness in the community about them, as everyone thinks what I do with him is barbaric. When we have a bunch of friends over at night, I will put him in there 1) to keep him calm and 2) so he doesn't escape from the house/property when people come in and out and leave the doors open, but when they see him in there all the whinging from them starts.
Now that we are having a baby, I think DP is much happier knowing that we can always put Jackson in his crate if we need to with the bub around. Best thing my vet could've recommended to me

[joy07]

I have only just noticed the mention of crates for dogs. I have had dogs all my life but this seems quite new to me.

Why do you train your dogs to be kept in crates? What are the reasonings behind this and the benefits?

Our old dog is getting near the end (cry cry) and after a very short while we will be getting another dog from the pound or dog fostering places.

We won't be getting a puppy, but anything up to age 2, probably under a year old and a small dog. Not tiny, but small to medium so we can wash them in the laundry tub and easy to carry if we need to.

Our little kids are 5 and 6 and the 5 year old fell to her knees this morning and just kept hugging our old 17.5 dog and then opened the door and said "Mum, I don't want her to go, I don't want her to die".

So for my sake and hers as well, I don't want her to miss out on having a dog to look after. She loves them.

[~kitteh.hoardere...]

Why do you train your dogs to be kept in crates? What are the reasonings behind this and the benefits?

r
I started to crate train for a few reasons
1. toilet training... we weren't sure with Bandit how he'd go being in overnight, so being confined in the crate encourages them to hold it because they don't want to pee in the bed
2. restrict their movement in the night, but have them feel they are still with us (the crates are in our bedroom)
3. Give them a place of their own
4. Give the cats some space (Elly follows the cats around otherwise, so she would sleep at all if not in a crate.)

I continue to crate them because they love their crates, it's their safe place We have issues getting them out of their crates on weekends! When Elly is told no or gets in trouble for something, she gets in her crate (she is a real people pleasing dog.)

[joy07]

Thanks for that Taradiddle81. Think we will train our next dog for a crate too. We have put an application in on a rescue dog this evening and we have a cat and apparently this little dog isn't overly keen on them.