[Karen_theArtist]

Starting thread for your help and advice for others on this as its been popular thread in the past.

We crate trained Corbie from day 2 and it proved a huge success. He took to it like a duck to water We covered half the crate (a 30" one) in newspaper and the other half in his blankets. By 10 weeks old he was dry all night and prior to this he would never poop in his crate.

He now has a 48" one which will give him plenty of room when he's fully grown and he is extremely good in it. We don't have a room where we can shut him and no he will not get up to mishief so the crate has been ideal. Maybe when he is older then we can gradually get him out of the crate but for now, he's happy in there so we're happy :wink:

Ebay is also a great place for purchasing crates. The 48" one I got was just under £50 including the delivery charge and arrived within 48 hours. It's very good quality, not flimsy in any way and has a metal tray and a front and side door.

 

[Hersheys]

I have never used a crate with hershey he has always been good about being left he never destroyed much just things I should have put away I was one of the lucky ones

 

[my4labs]

Hello Karen


I used a crate for 2 of my dogs when we first brouught them home, much of the time, it was just some where for them to go and call it their retreat or domain and people had better leave them alone when they were in there.....one at a time may I just add :?

I did use it for training purposes aswell :roll:


When we are going to a dog show, or to the vet Ellie and only her is put in the crate, as I dont quite trust her yet to be left alone in the car without it

Security at a dog show is a must especially on the warmer days ,as you are able to leave the tailgate on your car open and not worry half as much especially if you have a lock on the crate aswell 8)


Bye for nowl lol
Colette (Brighteye)

 

[colette]

Hi guys

we crate trained Milo and we still use it to this day. He seems to like it in there and now we leave the door open so he can go in and out whenever he wants. He even sleeps in there all night now with the door open - he'd rather sleep in there than in his bed!

I agree with Karen to get one from ebay - I paid £100 from the pet store for mine (being an inexperienced first time lab owner) and I have seen them for much cheaper on ebay.

Personally, the crate was a godsend and I highly recommend them.

Colette

 

[mommy]

Hiya,

Up to 3 yrs ago I had a real issue with crates, felt they were cruel, then my daughter was picked out by a beautiful G/S pup and her breeder recommeded a crate................

I became her grandma along with Baileybear and while her parents went on holiday she looked after me for a fortnight, crate included....

Well I was converted, without a shadow ( he's OK Paul ? ) of a doubt.

When Tilly chose me I bought a crate straight away and was best thing I ever did...........

I used it from the day I collected her from breeder, and she was clean by 11 weeks...........say the very rare accident........

Tilly sees it as her home / den because I always allowed it to be hers, never encroached on that bit of space.

I have filled in survey saying 'used when pup but not now ' as nearest option, but the truth is, it is still up with door always open, as she goes there for her quiet moments, it is home.
In the very rare event I need it, and I mean maybe once in 3 months, she happily goes in, lies down and is snoring before I have shut the door ! !
When I can find my pliers I shall remove door but not the crate, thats her sanctury.

Next to Tilly, best purchase ever made, would do again and highly reccommend them

Rhoni & Tilly

 

[NicolaL]

Hi there

We have never used a crate for Smudge but this is mainly because we have a kitchen where we have been able to leave him, with a childgate on the door and there is not much for him to destroy in there (save the now disposed of carpet tiles!).

We were very lucky with his toilet training as we were able to have the first full 2 weeks with him and Chris had managed to train him in the first week - made my week off with him heaven!

I would definitely consider a crate though in the future for any new 'additions' as I can see the benefit of them. It also sounds like they like their little 'dens' too!

All the best,
Nic
X

 

[clairiscrazy]

hi karen

we only crate rosze our 9mth old choccy lab as she destroyed our house when we left her for just over a hour..lol..

so we bought a 48" crate like you from ebay for £48-49 brand new deleivered after 2 days and she goes in it when we leave the house


i was very against crates my personal opinion just didnt like them but now i take that back they are great..lol.. my home stays chew free while we are out and i can feel safe in the knowledge rosze is fine in her crate with water and toys and bones..lol..

hopefully after a year we can put the crate away and not use it again hers hoping anyway..lol. as its huge..LOL..

 

[RosieJayne]

We had Molly in her own 'area' of the dining room for a couple of weeks, but we always found that she'd toilet somewhere in there at night or if left for an hour or so.

We ordered our crate off e-bay, and now leave her in there at night or when we're out and there's no little 'pressies' left at all. It has helped with her toilet training in that respect, but she still does go elsewhere in the house sometimes :roll:

We got one of those treatballs too, so as soon as I start to put the treats in there she knows that its time to go to her bed. She goes in there happily and tires herself out getting the treats out for half an hour or so.

She also goes in there of her own accord whenever she wants to. She definitely knows that its her little home and she gets very nosey and protective if you get in there and try and straighten her blankets out...she has to be in there at the same time!!

Crates definitely get the thumbs up from us!

 

[BaileyBear]

Bailey has had a crate from the day i brought him home - the best decision i made i think.

He was house trained very quickly which i'm sure the crate helped with and his crate was his home - he'd take his toys and socks :? in there and if he wanted some me time he would retire in there too.

The crate stayed up although he didn't really use it from 6 months and i packed it away about 5 months ago because i needed the space.!!

I also bought a 'holiday home' for him too which he still uses for convenience if required. It's a lightweight portable crate - it's the one place i can put him when i'm away from home where i know he will settle and sleep

 

[stevtel]

Hi

Jester has a crate in the living room, under the stairs. The breeder recommended them and we bought it from [email protected] for £88.00!! will buy the next one from ebay.

One of the reasons we bought it was to give the dog some space away from my kids if he wants to go to sleep we put him in there if we didnt the girls constantly think that he wants to play. Also at night he goes in there to sleep and if we are out he's in it.
He has half of it covered with his blanket and the other half has a puppy pad down and he is coming on really well with his house training he very rarely goes in the crate apart from a couple of occasions but he went on the pad.

I would recommend them now myself.
Lyndsay xxx

 

[Maddie]

I'd recommend the use of a crate for toilet training, without hesitation.

 

[denmarkhse]

we got a crate after reading the various tips on this site and also after speaking with our breeder. Although we have only had Lucca for 2 1/2 days we have found it really good - we too cover it in blankets at night to make it cosy and during the day just let him wander in and out of it as and when he wants to - our main reason when making the decision was to give him a little place of his own, away from the children who we thought may not leave him alone :roll: but we are finding that in reality he sleeps wherever - usually on my feet, on my lap or on this doggy cushion by the radiator. Sometimes though he sleeps in what looks like the most uncomfortable spot like now on a cold stone floor with his head at an angle on my smelly shoe )phoawrr .....

Not sure how the crate is going to help with toilet training, as I know most of you have said that a dog does not like to dirty his bed - ours just doesn't seem to care and the more spread round the better

 

[shelley]

I think the crate was our best purchase. Holly loves it and at times i find myself trying to persuade to comer for a cuddle when instead shes comfy in her bed. 8O We too bought it mainly as a refuge from children for her and it has been a godsend for this - though at times i have thought that really my daughter should be in the crate instead!!!!

We too found that Holly had a few accidents for the first few days . im afraid we werent as strict as some and relented with a small paper area for toileting at night. But she is 13 weeks now and has been clean for a while, so we're going to remove the paper i think 8O 8O

Some people have looked at the crate in horror when they have come round until they see her snuggle up in there with the door wide open and very cosy - i think its great. My only concern is the onwe we have is not big enough for full sized lab (it was a second hand buy) and when i want a bigger one - where to put it????

 

[denmarkhse]

I know what you mean there Shelley, I was quite surprised at how big it is and we too will probably need to get the next size up when Lucca gets bigger. Still it definately was our best purchase (after the puppy of course ) Lucca is really content in there at night and sleeps right through now (only had 2 nights of broken sleep, which I think is pretty good going and far better than I was expecting!) what I found helped was on the 3rd night he picked up one of my t'shirts and carried it into his crate, I left it with him and from that moment on we have had no problems - it even seems to help when we leave him on his own - no cries or whines just settles down nicely.

People do tend to think it cruel though, I have had some very funny looks and even a few comments when I told them what we were getting -

Sarah