Unequal Crating

[Ann]

One of our four is always crated when we go out because she likes to chew the wood trim on the windows (you should see the remnants of our windows). She knows the drill and as soon as she sees me put my watch on she runs and jumps in her crate and waits. Our other three are loose. We also crate her during thunderstorms because she runs around the house barking.

It's her routine now and there are times she'll just go lay in her crate -- like when she sees me get the Dremmel out . Each dog has different needs and I don't think you should worry at all about using a crate if one needs it.

It's really a good idea for all dogs to be used to occasionally being in a crate. Then if you ever need to use it when they're sick, or after surgery, it's something they're familiar with.

 

[PatC]

Thanks for all of the responses. My guys are retired showdogs who slept in their crates their whole lives, and traveled frequently in them; I just had never had to crate a dog before and didn't like it. But the one has now had enough mishaps in the house that he sleeps in a very large, soft-sided, mesh-windowed crate...it's kind of like he has his own room. I just have to say "bedtime" and in he goes. He seems untraumatized by the experience.

 

[Justicemom]

I don't worry about being the same with my dogs. Each one is an individual and has different needs.

Birch sleeps in his kennel at night and Justice, Ember and Diva are loose. Diva and Birch are kennel during the day when I am at work or gone. The other 2 are loose. The reason Birch will chew everything if he is bored and that includes the other dogs. Safer to crate him then end up with a foreign body or surgery to sew back on his face because he ticked of the wrong dog(Justice) in the middle of the night.

The crates are in the bedroom so really the doesn't care it is us humans who add the emotions.

 

[Nancy]

I crate my Sheldon only at bed time because he was rescued from a Shelter and actually sleeps if crated at night. The one time I let him in the bed.....he chewed up a new blanket while I slept. I work so while I am at work he has an area that is blocked off on linoleum floor in case of accident but I come home for lunch so he gets to a walk on lunch , before I go to work and then a couple times after work . He seems to feel better in the crate at night and actually puts himself to bed!!