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Views/experience of dog cages/crates?
Hi,
I will be getting a puppy soon and the breeder has recommended that I buy a cage/crate.
I just don't know if I agree with this..?
She says to use it for them during the day, for them to sleep in at night and for them to have their own space..
What are your views/experiences of these cages..?
Thanks
I will be getting a puppy soon and the breeder has recommended that I buy a cage/crate.
I just don't know if I agree with this..?
She says to use it for them during the day, for them to sleep in at night and for them to have their own space..
What are your views/experiences of these cages..?
Thanks
Answers
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We had a crate for our Doberman as he was an absolute terror when left alone! We decided the crate was the best option after he jumped up and switched the gas on the hob on and it was on all day while we were working!
I cant see why you would have a problem with them? It is good for a dog to have its own space, somewhere no one will interfere with them when they want to escape things for a while!
I cant see why you would have a problem with them? It is good for a dog to have its own space, somewhere no one will interfere with them when they want to escape things for a while!
Hi parkers, yay a puppy! What are you getting, do you know yet?
I really wasn't keen on the idea of a crate-I just felt Jack, my Collie, needed space-I am claustrophobic so the thought of being in a cage scares the hell out of me! But I am not my dog, so that's just me pushing my fears out.
I understand your concerns, but dogs DO like their own space, and a little den to cosy up in. As long as your pup is well exercised, and the crate has water and toys and maybe food or a treat, a couple of hours in there should be OK.
I considered it when I moved because Jack is so destructive and it's an expensive habit to tolerate! But he's settled better now.
I have friends who use crates and they have no problems, nor do their dogs :)
You just have to make sure they view the crate as a pleasurable experience. Leave the door open and their food and water in there when you are in, so they enjoy going in and out, don't make it a punishment, or frighten them into it.
The vet or a good website can tell you heaps more than I could! *lol*
Good luxk. Lisa x
I really wasn't keen on the idea of a crate-I just felt Jack, my Collie, needed space-I am claustrophobic so the thought of being in a cage scares the hell out of me! But I am not my dog, so that's just me pushing my fears out.
I understand your concerns, but dogs DO like their own space, and a little den to cosy up in. As long as your pup is well exercised, and the crate has water and toys and maybe food or a treat, a couple of hours in there should be OK.
I considered it when I moved because Jack is so destructive and it's an expensive habit to tolerate! But he's settled better now.
I have friends who use crates and they have no problems, nor do their dogs :)
You just have to make sure they view the crate as a pleasurable experience. Leave the door open and their food and water in there when you are in, so they enjoy going in and out, don't make it a punishment, or frighten them into it.
The vet or a good website can tell you heaps more than I could! *lol*
Good luxk. Lisa x
If the breeder has recommended it, why would you disagree? They know their dogs and how they have been brought up.
Trouble is, people get the idea that a cage is like a prison cell, when in fact it is a dog bed with a lid on!
They are the dogs own personal bedroom and gives it somewhere to go to when it needs to get away from other animals, children, or just for a nap. It is somewhere safe to leave them when you go out for short periods, it is ideal for travelling as they will not get thrown about in a car, and also ideal if you have to stay somewhere overnight, in a hotel or at friends.
Look back on this site at how many people ask how to stop their dogs chewing their possessions or wrecking the house when left alone! Most of us who have some experience with dogs would recommend a cage without hesitation, in fact when my puppies go I lend the owners a cage if they have not already bought one.
Trouble is, people get the idea that a cage is like a prison cell, when in fact it is a dog bed with a lid on!
They are the dogs own personal bedroom and gives it somewhere to go to when it needs to get away from other animals, children, or just for a nap. It is somewhere safe to leave them when you go out for short periods, it is ideal for travelling as they will not get thrown about in a car, and also ideal if you have to stay somewhere overnight, in a hotel or at friends.
Look back on this site at how many people ask how to stop their dogs chewing their possessions or wrecking the house when left alone! Most of us who have some experience with dogs would recommend a cage without hesitation, in fact when my puppies go I lend the owners a cage if they have not already bought one.
My doggie loves his cage, he has a folded up single duvet in it and if I leave the door open when we are at home he is more than happy to put himself to bed and when we go to bed we say "night night" to him and he goes in there by himself and waits for his biccies. He also uses it as a get away when I am hoovering! My little terror is also a bit destructive, but I am not sure whether putting him in the cage helps him with this or whether we should persevere and train him not to destroy, but I guess that is another question!
we have used a crate for our setters since he was 9 weeks old, he's now 14 months and that is his place, the children are not alowed to go near him if he is there and he goes in there to sleep during the day and in the evenings. At bedtime, he puts himself to bed and has always seemed happy in there.
when we go on holiday we take him in a car crate and hotel/cottage owners are much happier when you can tell them that he is crate trained.
and he has never destroyed anything in the house.
when we go on holiday we take him in a car crate and hotel/cottage owners are much happier when you can tell them that he is crate trained.
and he has never destroyed anything in the house.
We have always used cages...in cars and the house.They have a multitude of uses.........your puppy WILL feel safe in it,if your puppy is sick you will thankgod you have one,they enjoy being in them as long as you dont use it for punishing,its his/her place to be on his/her own for peace and quiet,,,,,,need i go on.There are more plus's to haveing one than not haveing one,as long as you get one that is large enough for the puppy to move round and lay down completely in.Go ahead get one,you wont regret it Regards.
Hi - I have a Great Dane and bought her when she was 10 weeks old. She has been very destructive when younger as she suffered from separation anxiety - she is fine now though - without the use of a cage. Not complaining about this as I do not agree with the use of cages. My view is that they are for people who think more of their house than their pets! I do agree that a dog needs a place to go to feel safe - ie, bed in corner - but why have a lid on? so he cannot move freely where he wants to. A dog will still feel secure if they have a bed/area to call their own - and when they are in there leave them alone. I know of people who have used these cages on recommendation and their dogs can't/won't stay out of the cage without feeling lost /anxious - so consider this carefully - are you going to use the cage for the rest of his/her life? I would recommend that if you have a kitchen/corridor which is pup-safe then put them in there and leave the cages to the hamsters and gerbils!!
oooohhhhhhhh......... foxyfugel..........be prepared for a few replies! Cages are a very safe/secure/ thing to use be it for an adult OR a pup.................they are not for people who are just house proud.In the last 28 yrs we have had dogs and NEVER once have i used a cage to get them out the way so my house stays clean.Thats not to say my house is dirty because it isnt..........and also all our dogs have beds in the dinning room/living room and utility aswell as the cage.
Letting a pup loose in a big house when it is used to being with its siblings is far worse than keeping it safe in a cage when its on its own or feeling vulnerable.
Letting a pup loose in a big house when it is used to being with its siblings is far worse than keeping it safe in a cage when its on its own or feeling vulnerable.
I also have to say........foxyflugel......if the people who you know have used the cage and the dog is nervous/lost etc...........then they have maybe ..........unfortunatly done that themselves.............unless you make the cage a happy place for the pup to be in .then things can go wrong..........however that is not the pups fault!!!!!!!!
foxyflugel-My boy is the best thing that ever happened to me! But if it had become the case where he was destroying everything in his sight-which he had been doing-again, then a cage would be a very valid option: sadly "my" house isn't mine, it's rented, and if I had to pay to replace whatever he destroyed, I couldn't afford to pay for Jack's ongoing fleaing, worming, and the insurance i pay to protect him in case of accident.
I hope you see my point of view-I am far more dog-proud than houseproud, but we can't all afford to repair endlessly and give our pets a free run.
Lisa :)
I hope you see my point of view-I am far more dog-proud than houseproud, but we can't all afford to repair endlessly and give our pets a free run.
Lisa :)
Just a point, most people's kitchens are NOT puppy or for that matter dog safe.
Puppies and dogs open cupboards that contain things like bottles of bleach, washing powder, disinfectant etc. They get into the vegetable basket and eat raw potatoes and onions etc. They open fridge/freezer doors and consume the contents (including frozen meat!).
They chew the knobs off cookers and can switch gas cookers on and blow up the house!
Puppies chew electrical wires and can start fires. Virtually no room is safe.
I used to put my adult GSD in my kitchen, I have a tiny hall by my back door (which was half glass). One day she managed to get behind the door in the tiny hallway and shut it. When my partner got home and opened the door the heat nearly knocked him over, the walls were running with moisture and how she survived I do not know. I would never have dreamed in a million years she would manage to close that door on herself!!!
My neighbour had cats and a dog, one day she came home to find one of her cats under her TV. Somehow it had fallen onto the cat and it was so badly injured that it had to be put to sleep. I dread to think how long it had been laying injured and in terrible pain.
The point is that cages are TOTALLY safe for your dog to be left in for a FEW hours (and I mean a FEW, not 7, 8 or 9).
The other point is that if ever your dog has to spend time at the vets he/she will be in a cage, if they are used to being in a cage they will be more relaxed and able to recover better.
Puppies and dogs open cupboards that contain things like bottles of bleach, washing powder, disinfectant etc. They get into the vegetable basket and eat raw potatoes and onions etc. They open fridge/freezer doors and consume the contents (including frozen meat!).
They chew the knobs off cookers and can switch gas cookers on and blow up the house!
Puppies chew electrical wires and can start fires. Virtually no room is safe.
I used to put my adult GSD in my kitchen, I have a tiny hall by my back door (which was half glass). One day she managed to get behind the door in the tiny hallway and shut it. When my partner got home and opened the door the heat nearly knocked him over, the walls were running with moisture and how she survived I do not know. I would never have dreamed in a million years she would manage to close that door on herself!!!
My neighbour had cats and a dog, one day she came home to find one of her cats under her TV. Somehow it had fallen onto the cat and it was so badly injured that it had to be put to sleep. I dread to think how long it had been laying injured and in terrible pain.
The point is that cages are TOTALLY safe for your dog to be left in for a FEW hours (and I mean a FEW, not 7, 8 or 9).
The other point is that if ever your dog has to spend time at the vets he/she will be in a cage, if they are used to being in a cage they will be more relaxed and able to recover better.
my house is certainly not particulary spotless and you could write your name in some of the dust, lol, but although my setter is currently lying in his basket in the living room, he also has the option of going in his cage which is not shut during the day, when we are in. this is where he sleeps at night and i believe that he is happy there - I would also add that his crate is supersize as for a great dane and he has lots of space.
oh dear.......well, I didnt use a crate for my rough collie when she was a puppy, but boy do I wish I had, as she has eaten her way through around 20 duvets and covers, and that is not when she is left, but when we are asleep! My house is my dogs house, but I cant afford to keep replacing duvets, beds, cushions every week when my dog chooses to eat them, and I cant move everything, all the while, everytime I leave them. Lots of people use crates, my son does, quite successfully........they dont necessarily think more of their homes because of it. However, having said that all dogs are different, my other rough collie, is a different kettle of fish, and hasnt destroyed anything valuable, only shoe laces, so we just move the shoes! A few hours in a cage isnt going to hurt anyone, lets face it, dogs in pounds and kennels are confined 23 hours a day.
Think of it as a cave, not a cage. Cover with a blanket to make it a safe place and put something very comfy inside to lay on.
My old dog used to roam the house looking for us when we were out, opened every door. Our current dog sleeps in her crate each night and is also shut in it when we go out - she just goes to sleep and obviously suffers no stress at our absence. How I wish I had known about crates in the past!
Every time I hear of someone dreading coming home to see what their dog has chewed this time, I wish they had a crate too, then they would greet their dog with a smile and an inviation to a walk, not a scowl.
Get a crate!
My old dog used to roam the house looking for us when we were out, opened every door. Our current dog sleeps in her crate each night and is also shut in it when we go out - she just goes to sleep and obviously suffers no stress at our absence. How I wish I had known about crates in the past!
Every time I hear of someone dreading coming home to see what their dog has chewed this time, I wish they had a crate too, then they would greet their dog with a smile and an inviation to a walk, not a scowl.
Get a crate!
Ooohhh what a can of worms i've opened here!!
At the end of the day it is personal opinion and choice. Incidentally, we are not millionaires that can afford to easily replace everything that my Dane chewed and we do regularly flea, worm and insure our 2 dogs and 4 cats, but I get where you are coming from. I just don't agree with cages. The majority of kitchens are safe depending on the size of the pup - just get magnets etc for cupboards if the pup is really small and double check everything in there for 'reachability'. Also, the poor little loves in the pound have no choice but to be in a crate!!
I was not saying that people who have crates don't love their dogs as I am sure they do - and if it is a safety issue then I'm all for it - but the majority of pups can be placed in a safe space where they do not need to be in a cage - and still feel safe in their bed.
I was not saying that people who want to keep their house clean lock their dogs in a crate for the sake of it but people do lock them in crates if they chew things in the house - which is not nice.
Also the people who I know who have used them went 'by the book' and their pups still didn;t like being out of the cage.
But it is a personal choice - if you have the facilities then don't use one - or if you don't have an area where you can put your pup without the slightest possibilty of it being able to get to and chew electrical wires - then use one - a caged pup is better than an electrocuted one!!
At the end of the day it is personal opinion and choice. Incidentally, we are not millionaires that can afford to easily replace everything that my Dane chewed and we do regularly flea, worm and insure our 2 dogs and 4 cats, but I get where you are coming from. I just don't agree with cages. The majority of kitchens are safe depending on the size of the pup - just get magnets etc for cupboards if the pup is really small and double check everything in there for 'reachability'. Also, the poor little loves in the pound have no choice but to be in a crate!!
I was not saying that people who have crates don't love their dogs as I am sure they do - and if it is a safety issue then I'm all for it - but the majority of pups can be placed in a safe space where they do not need to be in a cage - and still feel safe in their bed.
I was not saying that people who want to keep their house clean lock their dogs in a crate for the sake of it but people do lock them in crates if they chew things in the house - which is not nice.
Also the people who I know who have used them went 'by the book' and their pups still didn;t like being out of the cage.
But it is a personal choice - if you have the facilities then don't use one - or if you don't have an area where you can put your pup without the slightest possibilty of it being able to get to and chew electrical wires - then use one - a caged pup is better than an electrocuted one!!
We had a problem with our dog in that she had a runny tummy when she was a pup (now only eats expensive food). We thought she just wsn't picking up the house training. Every day we had a cage full of s##t to clean. However went onto vet food, no more runny tummy clean cage. We regret not solving her tummy problem before crating her, it must have been stressful as she is a clean dog. Good luck
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