Crate Question

M

Mom2Melli

Forums Enthusiast
I have a variety of crates and even a tent. The tent is working great for sleep though it's pretty old and I think the zipper is on its last teeth. I have a couple sizes of soft crates I use in the car with Shay & Melli & a smaller one for the Pup now/cats as needed. Pup is in an old soft-sided crate of Shay's that I replaced when I bought a different colored car (brown vs silver). It's prety worn down and kinda leans a bit, on of the zippers doesn't work, but it is still viable.

I would like to use my wire crate during the day while working. More of a playpen type dealie rather than putting in while gone or sleeping. I am sitting right across the room. It's the biggest one as I had it for my large large dogs. I raised Shay in it. However, with Shay, just about the time I was ready to stop crating I was opening he door and he stuck his front leg through the part next to the door all the way up to the shoulder and totally freaked. I was right there with the door open and grabbed him by the collare and pushed the leg back through and he was totally fine, but he could have really torn self up. I consider that my "luck out" incident on Shay. I put a soft crate inside the wire one for the last few times I used it but it spooked me really bad.

Granted this little guy has WAY smaller legs than Shay and even if put through it is doubtful the fit would ever ever be tight like on Shay but I have heard other people's stories of torns claws, stragulation (we have a breakaway collar though), broken teeth on the bars, etc. Is it worth using the wire crate or putting the soft crate inside it like I did with Shay? I want him to better see out and be able to interact more with the dogs/cats/dog TV but not at the expense of injury. BUT, I am typing for work just 8 feet away.

Wire crate? Soft-sided lining to wire crate? Are wire crates THAT dangerous or did have a fluke? Again, breakaway collar and likely will always have a breakaway collar or stretchable in some manner

Thanks. I am sure I am just paranoid?
 
We've never used a wire crate, I was always afraid of what you experienced and the other things you mentioned. But, I do know at least one other person who used one for a chiweenie and hasn't had any issues with it... so maybe a fluke?

We used a plastic crate when Watson was younger- honestly I was thankful for it when we went through the "let's try to figure out what makes the dog have explosive diarrhea phase." I still use it in the car. We have a soft sided crate set up for when we aren't home right now while he's still oozy. I bought it originally for the camper (to see how that turned out, see the "letting your sheltie share the bed thread). I like the soft-side one because it's foldable and easier to store away, but I don't like the hinges inside of it-- but that's probably because I'm hyper wary about his wounds getting hurt... he's never had an issue with it ever... in fact, he just this second put himself in there.

He was never a digger or a scratcher, so we never worried about him clawing his way out of it.
 
I've used a wire crate almost exclusively with my dogs. I only had one incident with one. Lexi was a puppy and was in a crate stacked on top of another one. I went to let her out and she launched into my arms. One of her feet got stuck. She was fine--just a little concerned. We immediately went to work on learning to wait when I open the crate door and we have had zero incidents since.

Plastic crates are good but I like the visibility of a wire crate plus the ventilation. Soft crates never seemed like a great idea to me with puppies.
 
I love the soft crates. They are lightweight so easily transportable.

I used it Bacca and now with Callan and so far never had an issue with chewing or escapes.

Callan's sift crate is inside an xpen. When I'm home, but working, I leave the crate open so he can play, drink water, etc. It's also where I feed him so evil Indy can't move in on his food. When I leave the house, I put him crate. I think I posted a picture of his den on another thread......but cant find it. Blonde moment!


He's 4 months now, and so far has done no chewing damage....but if have a big chewer p, it may not be the best option. I
 
I suppose I am treating the crate like a wire x-pen with a roof because this is the big one -- 36 x like 24. He made himself a little hammock out of a fold in the fleece pad border and plays with toys on the flat part. It's just a few months til I can babygate instead. I will use a soft crate for bedtime for awhile though.
 
We used a wire crate for all our pups and never had a problem. However we were always concerned about collars, so when they went in, the collars came off. The only problem we ever had is we had placed a comforter a little too close to the crate. Who knew a small puppy could pull out all that stuffing:lol:


Becky Mom, of Bristol, Charlotte, Phoenix, and Sparkie
 
We are doing quite well in our wire crate, actually, and the pup prefererd it so much to the softsided options that I have him sleep downstairs in it. Eventually, it will go upstairs in the bedroom for nighttime crating only, but we are not potty trained enough for days loose yet. I have a Petsafe keepsafe breakaway collar on him and that is working fine with the option to pop off it caught. I plan to have him sleep in the crate for a good while and have it as an option for crating if we have to leave until we are sure he is not a termite.
 
I've now progressed with Callan that I don't crate him at night anymore, but he is contained in his xpen. During the day if vim gone only an hour or so I leave the crate open but pen closed. If more than a few hours crate is closed

The bad news is that he has decided that pee time is 5 am. But then he goes back to his pen for another hour.

I expect to keep the xpen well into the first year. I'd like to say that he is 90% potty trained! but not chew proof.
 
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