Do You Crate?

[gazehund]

For the people who don't use crates... I'm just wondering for my own curiosity, what housetraining method do you use? Confining?

Sorry to hijack the thread.

Dog door. The old timers teach the newbies the ropes.

 

We have had Finn now for almost 4 months. We got him from the same place ownedbysummer got Summer from, so he was never fostered and was actually only at the kennel here in Canada for maybe a week before we brought him home. I had a crate set up and we used it at night and when we were gone. One night he was sleeping on one of his beds outside the crate all snuggled under a blanket and I didn't want to disturb him just to crate him so we left him out that night, which was day 3 of him being here. That was the end of the crating for him and a week later the crate got boxed up and put away. As for potty training, we got extremely lucky with Finn as he has never messed in the house. He doesn't bark, doesn't chew, doesn't mess in the house, has no sleep aggression, or SA. He is literally the perfect dog. I would love another one but am scared to death the next one we would get would be the devil in disguise. LOL

Don't be. Far more greyhounds are normal, regular, happy, well adjusted dogs than not IMHO. I have had 7 greyhounds

over 14 years and not one of them has had any issues. Even my spook (I knew she was a spook going in) was

manageable away from home and a normal dog at home.

[Fostr_Mom]

I use crates. They are a useful tool. I foster for my group and both of my dogs were my fosters Fosters are crated at night (until I feel they are comfortable) and when I leave the house. We do this just in case the new family will need to crate. Depending on the foster, I will start out feeding in the crate. I also leave an open crate in one room for anyone to use. Both my dogs will sleep in it during the day and my female will sleep in it for part of the night. I also use an x-pen (rather than a baby gate). I want my dogs to always be comfortable in a crate in case of emergency where we might have to leave the house for awhile (fire, tornado), or we have to travel. My dogs have the run of a small area when I am gone and are very good.

[greytpups]

We crated our first grey, Bailey for as shortest time possible. she was terrified of the world so this was her safe haven. However, the door was left open. Eventually, we started closing the door and keeping her outside the crate so she could learn her new home was a safe place. shortly she discovered a pillow in the corner was preferred so the crate was put away when she no longer went into it.

 

Ben and Brooke were both fostered and their foster humans said they loved their crate. Ben lasted about 20 mins., Brooke would not go in it. Crates were immediately put away and it's doubtful I'll use one again unless it becomes a safety issue.

[BootsyCollins]

I've seen a couple references to the group that told adopters to crate for 22 hours per day, and I'd just like to clarify a bit. I adopted both of my greys from that group. I am not otherwise involved with the group. Heavy crating *is* recommended ... for the first two weeks only. It is a way to ease the dog into your home life without overwhelming him or her, and it's a useful tool for new adopters, especially people with minimal dog experience. Anyway, both of mine did just fine with it and were / are great dogs.

And it's not 22 hours per day. It's use the crate as a safe place for the dog to be, even if you're home. There is no set # of hours.

[mrsmcd7]

We crate bc we have. 5 year old and 9 year old kids. He sleeps in crate at night bc otherwise he wakes us up. Also kids aren't allowed to key him out if we are showering, sleeping, etc.

 

I mean let him out.

 

Oh and he goes in the open. Crate all the time on his own. Probly bc kids annoy him sometimes.

[Guest grey_dreams]

Thanks everyone for all the responses. I'm learning a lot from this thread

[Guest borzoix4]

We did Bam when she first came, however its a year and half later- and she still loves her crate at night. So- that is where she sleeps at night or if I have to go out on an errand.

We call it " her castle"...

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

There was no way I was bringing a dog into my home and NOT crating it in the beginning. The safety of my two cats was my first priority, and I didn't want to come home to a dead cat for trusting the dog too soon.

 

Three years later and I trust the dog with the cats, and even loose in the yard with my poultry.

 

I do, however, still crate for several reasons.

 

1. Jayne likes her crate. She's accustomed to the routine of getting her cookie for going in, and I don't see a good reason to not take advantage of that in case there is a time when she needs to be crated. It's good for when we visit my in-laws' over the 4th of July week. We camp on their farm. Jayne knows the crate is set up in the house and will pull me toward the door when she's ready for some down time. I keep it locked so nobody can unthinkingly let her out into the wilds of rural South Dakota. She used to only be crated when we left, but on her own she decided that she would sleep in it at night as well, and for the following reason the door stays closed at night:

 

2. She has a propensity toward getting UTIs. It's not fun cleaning her bedding and crate pan when she has an accident, but it's much nicer than having to clean the carpet each time.

 

3. My dog is an absolute klutz. She's cut her back on the underside of my kitchen table. She ripped open the skin of both her front legs last winter, requiring stitches, by falling UP the deck stairs when it wasn't even icy. She needed stitches on a foot one other time for cutting it on something we never figured out.

[JJNg]

I crate my dogs when I'm not home, and they also eat in their crates. The exception is my 1 most trustworthy dog, and he is still baby-gated into the kitchen (where all the crates are) when no one is home. All of my dogs sleep on dog beds in my bedroom with the door closed. My greyhound fosters sleep crated in the kitchen.

 

With 6 dogs and 2 cats in my home, I feel more comfortable knowing everyone is safe and secure when I'm gone. They all get along, but you never know when something might set them off, and I've heard too many horror stories over the years. With crates, they can't get into trouble. If there are any accidents, the mess is limited, and if anyone is sick, I immediately know who it is.

 

They all run eagerly into their crates at meal time, and don't mind being in there. I sometimes leave them crated for an hour or two after breakfast on my days off so that I can get housework done, and they are calm and mostly just sleep.

[rschultz]

I only crate because if I took the crate away Lexie would go into serious anxiety mode..lol. She loves the crate so we have kept it for 5 years.

[Trihounds]

Our first two were adopted right from their race kennels so we kept the crates for a couple of months. One day, one of the crates was found in another room with walls nicely marked up. That was the end of crating and there were no issues.

 

Our next two dogs were not crated at all and learned the ropes from the two originals. There were nor have been any issues. We simply have no need anymore (and are thankful for it!!).

[Guest Gemma]

We crate all fosters initially. I've found that it really helps with housebreaking, makes the newbie feel secure when eating, and prevents our rented apartment from being destroyed! I also don't like to have dogs out loose together when I cannot supervise. Of all our fosters, one was truly terrified of the crate so we muzzled/baby gated him instead. Another didn't like the crate but was dangerously destructive if left loose so we worked on keeping him entertained with chews and kongs when in the crate. It eventually became his safe space.

 

Peyton came to us as a bounce at 6. He hadn't been crated since the track (I think he was retired at age 3) so we never crated him. I do occasionally throw some treats in there so he's comfortable going in and out, though, in the hopes he'll be more relaxed if he is crated in the future (such as at the vets, or during travelling).

[Guest karilynn]

I've had my boy for 10 months and I still crate him. The reason being, he loves his crate. I tried to take it away and he was lost without it. It's his safe haven and his little bedroom for when he wants some alone time or the cat was mean and looked at him the wrong way (lol - he's a baby)

 

I crate him when I am at work because he is still pretty young and likes to chew stuff, even with plenty of toys, kongs, marrow bones, etc. to pick from. I don't want him to hurt himself. Also, it makes me feel reassured that I wont come home to a dead cat. He has no prey drive, but I don't chance it. My cat is pretty old and wouldn't be able to defend herself very well.

 

Perhaps someday he will be crate free and I wouldn't mind because it's a total eyesore and takes up a lot of space in a studio apartment. In the mean time, he loves it and the door is always open when I'm not at work. Typically he is in there, hanging out with his toys. (he likes to take every toy from his toy basket and bring them into his crate - he also takes my stuff and brings it into his crate) sooo cute!

[Guest mld]

I'm using a crate with Garland, he was fostered for 3 weeks prior to me, but he is very shy. I've had him for just 2 months and his crate is him safe place. He prefers to be in it, the door is always open when we are home, so he can come and go at will. He has never had an accident, I just recently got a second bed to place outside the crate, so hopefully he will come out of his shell and start using this bed.

I think that if we didn't have a crate for him to go to, he would be so stressed!

[PatricksMom]

Yes, fostered only for a couple days and that was all restricted movement due to neutering complications. Henry likes his crate, will voluntarily go in it to nap, and gets into way too much trouble to be left alone in the apartment. We are training him to sleep with us though, turns out he sleeps in later if he's in our bed and I like the snuggles.

 

Patrick, hardly crated him at all. He didn't like it and didn't need it.

 

I'm a big believer that it depends on the dog--what they like and what they need.

[queenwinniesmom]

64 foster dogs, 9 adopted dogs, all have been crated initially. I don't think I could foster without a crate, for many of the reasons already mentioned---housebreaking, safety of my cats, to prevent any altercations when I can't supervise, chewing, getting into garbage or counter surfing, and for the dog's feeling of security. I just feel like, in a home with 4 or 5 dogs and multiple cats, isn't it better to be safe? We'd start out crating a new foster any time they couldn't be supervised---meal time, at night, when we were at work. Each dog was gradually transitioned away from the crate. The time frame depended on the dog. Some of them were very shy and wanted to be there all the time, and we'd have to close them out of the crate for gradually increasing periods. Some wanted to be with us all the time. All of them were usually sleeping in the bedroom within a few days, and then only crated when we were at work. To me, if it's a choice between getting into trouble for any of the above reasons or being safe in a crate, I choose the crate. You can tell if a dog is comfortable there or not. If the dog hates the crate and is fine without it, then I don't see a need. If the dog is relaxed and eager to spend time in the crate, it can be a safe place. We still would crate during a long work day. I think my dogs associate crates with treats, and really don't seem to mind them. It's not like they're doing workout videos or playing cards, or letting themselves out to pee (a doggie door is not an option for us in a city neighborhood and with a downstairs tenant)---wouldn't they just be laying on the couch or their bed? Now that I'm retired, they are fine for the amount of time I might be away from home, and are seldom crated.

[Guest Lovey_Hounds]

I crate at first until i have gotten to know the dog and my pack knows the dog and if the dog is ok outside the crate they are able to have their freedom (muzzled of course for the kitties well being). So far I have had one dog who is still crated after 4 years, and it is Chili and she gets in to trouble if left alone for even 10 minutes.

 

All new dogs are in kennels until i feel they have shown they will be ok to be loose, all fosters are crate trained an stay in crates until they get to their new homes that way if the new family wants them crated the transition will be easier.

[Guest snoopycomehome]

No crates for ours. But we did muzzle when we were gone for the first few weeks. And we have a baby gate with a little cat door in it for the kitchen pantry so they don't eat the cat food.

 

I want to foster in the near future, and I will get a crate then...just for when we aren't home, because of the cat, and possibly at night. We just can't handle THREE greys in the bed...two is difficult enough!

[Guest BaltimoreHounds]

I have had 4 greys, three of them are currently living with me right now. I have never crated.

One of my dogs came to me straight from the track and he did just fine.

One was a bounce, and the other two made it to the adoption agency but never to a foster home, so both of them were crated.

 

They have run of the thouse when I am not home, and at night.

 

My house training methods is that I vigilantly follow the dog around when I first get it, thus avoiding accidents, and ingraining in the idea that outside is where we pee and poo, So far so good.

 

I have a pretty small house, so having to crate all three dogs may not even be possible :-)

I'm glad that they get along and have no issues.