Best way to section off a crate

[Fireweed]

We're lucky that we're getting a crate from my inlaws for our new puppy (don't actually have the pup yet though!) It's barely used and in good shape.

It's a lab sized kennel - the Vari Kennel 500, which will be fine for the dog once it's an adult, but obviously I need to section it off when we're housetraining the puppy.

I've seen people shove a box in there, but I'd think the puppy would chew it? Does anyone have any tips/tricks on sectioning off a plastic crate? Something that you've macgyvered that worked for you?

Thanks!

 

[Hanne]

I have never used a crate inside for my dogs (only in the car) but can a cage be too big ???

My crate in the car is a very, very large crate made for my German Shepherd male, and little Minnie think it's nice, and she does not feel trapped.

 

[trini]

I know some feel that severely limiting space for a crated pup will help with housebreaking, but the negative side is that if a puppy is forced to lie in his/her own waste due to a small crate area, it can break the natural desire of a dog to keep his/her "den" clean. And I also don't feel it is in the best interest of a growing pup to totally limit their ability to move around for long hours at a time. Having a crate that is open within a puppy x-pen with puppy potty pads placed in a corner away from the crate allows the pup to keep his/her bed clean and also allows for normal movement/exercise within a safe area.

Trini

 

[Lunatic59]

One of the worst mistakes we made with our first dog years ago was not crating him. All of our subsequent dogs have been crated, but it wasn't for housebreaking. It's their private space. Their safe place. When I say "let's go in" my three boys run for their crates and stand there waiting for me to close them like it's the best place in the world to be, because for them, it is.

As to the subject of crates and space and housetraining, the crate can keep accidents to a minimum, but it shouldn't be a tool in the training. A puppy has a natural instinct not to soil its bedding, but puppies can only hold it so long and accidents will happen. If you have to leave them for more than a few hours, then I agree with Trini, an x-pen and pads with an open crate would be better for a puppy. Of course all that does is give them a place to go inside, which you don't really want.

A vari kennel 500 is much too big to give the puppy the feeling of being enclosed. You'd be better off borrowing one until the puppy is at least 6 months old.

 

[BarbV]

I used to use a plastic milk bin covered with a towel to block off the the back of the crate. It worked for me. You can get wire crates that have dividers that you can move back as the pup gets older.

I've also just rolled up towels in the back end of the crate as well. That's what I did with Callan. I bought a 30 inch soft sided crate . He never had an accidents inside his crate so I was able to to remove the towels.

I also built him a den that he still uses at 12 months. It's an xpen configured to be about 4 x 4 with his crate soft crate inside, and a foam flooring. I don't crate him at night any more or when I'm away from the house, but I still xpen him. It's the best set up I every made. I know I posted a picture of it somewhere, but too pooped to find the photo again tonight

 

[Fireweed]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and help!

In the end we decided to go with the L.L.Bean dog kennel in the intermediate size: 32"L x 22"W x 23"H. http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/90939?feat=9200-GN2&page=portable-kennel

I think that's equivalent to the Vari-Kennel 300.

It arrived today and it's the perfect size for a Sheltie, and well built too.
We'll probably still section off the back for a puppy, but it's not cavernous like a Vari-Kennel 500 would have been.

 

[BarbV]

I know some feel that severely limiting space for a crated pup will help with housebreaking, but the negative side is that if a puppy is forced to lie in his/her own waste due to a small crate area, it can break the natural desire of a dog to keep his/her "den" clean. And I also don't feel it is in the best interest of a growing pup to totally limit their ability to move around for long hours at a time. Having a crate that is open within a puppy x-pen with puppy potty pads placed in a corner away from the crate allows the pup to keep his/her bed clean and also allows for normal movement/exercise within a safe area.

Trini

I have to totally disagree with this.

The whole purpose of crate training is multi-fold:

- to give them a comfort den and a place to escape and feel safe
- to help house train them. For this you need a crate which is big enough to sit upright. Most wire crates come with dividers that you can move back as your pup grows, expanding their space.

The point is that pups are less inclined to defect in their sleeping area, so if you make the sleeping area too big, they'll pee/poo in one end and sleep in the other! This is puppy 101! Which is the opposite of what eJ said.

If you start using puppy pads, you are also opening yourself up to months of re-training. Better to start early on. Shelties are smart. I've had 4 Shelties now, and never had serious house training issues after 4 months by basic crate training. I have NEVER resorted to pee pads. And even though I sell them in my store, I don't encourage them.

THAT being said, but only once basic house trained, I DO endorse the combo xpen/crate set up that EJ referenced. Gives them room to move, but not room to chew the house apart. Callan is 14 months and he is still in an expen/crate set up. Because he will chew everything in sight! Today, I had to pull a push pin out of his mouth. Gasp!

See picture.....this is a 30" soft crate which I used from Day One, but blocked off with a block covered with towels. I gradually increased the space in the crate, and once he was house trained, I just left the crate open. But when I'm away from the house, he's in the pen, with toys and water.

The flooring was my special touch! I found foam flooring, often used in kids play rooms. It comes in interlocking squares 2 ft x 2 ft and fit the xpen perfect. (It normally comes in multi colour, but I found it in plain brown) and it it fit the pen perfectly.