To Get A Crate Or Not Get A Crate

[Guest Jengrey1]

I am in need of some advice. I have some greyhound experience. I adopted my first greyhound 5 years ago. I have also been a foster failure. I have successfully fostered many greys as well. I am adopting a grey straight off the track coming up real soon. I have never crated any of my greys whether they were my own or fosters. As a matter of fact I gave away the crate I had cause it was taking up to much space. Should I invest in another crate? I have read many different things, now I am confused. Thanks for the help.

[Time4ANap]

I would borrow one if you can to have on hand for a while. The hound is used to a crate and hasn't had any time to adjust or learn a different routine.

 

If you can't borrow one, check Craigslist - usually about half the normal retail price.

[BatterseaBrindl]

I would borrow one if you can to have on hand for a while. The hound is used to a crate and hasn't had any time to adjust or learn a different routine.

 

If you can't borrow one, check Craigslist - usually about half the normal retail price.

 

 

Borrow!!

[Hubcitypam]

Borrow one if you can. If not there is a 42" on Amazon for $75 with free shipping. Craigslist here has 42" crates going for $75-$80. At Wal-Mart they are $99. I only crate with the door shut for medical reasons.

 

Of my own 6 greys and a boatload of fosters the only dogs that really needed crates were the shy/spooky/never raced dogs that used the crate with the door open as a den.

Harley stepped off the hauler a few days after his last race at Bluffs. Buck came straight out of the track adoption kennel at Wichita. Neither ever needed a crate. They walked in and made themselves at home. Comfort will be coming straight from the track and farm and I am holding off on buying a crate until he gets here and we see if he needs one. My neighbor has one that I can borrow very short term and Wal-Mart is around the corner. Of course I am home 99% of the time...might be different if I wasn't disabled.

 

May not be a popular opinion but I think greys loving crates is overrated. Some do, some don't. "They are used to it" is not entirely true. There is A HUGE difference in sitting in a huge crate with 71 or so of your closest friends and kennel help coming and going and sitting alone in a crate in a house.

[Guest Jengrey1]

I am disabled too. I am home pretty much all the time, unless I have to go to the doctor. I was going to school when I had all my fosters and never had a problem with any of them being destructive or anything like that. As of matter of fact I took the door off the crate(big plastic type) and I had one who would sleep in it until he figured out my bed was much nicer. I am going to check into borrowing one.

[Guest Roc]

Tango used his crate all of 1.5 days before he decided he was NOT having it any longer & figured out how to get out of it (stinker). He wasn't straight off the track though. At that point, I ended up using baby gates for about a month or so and now he has the whole house to himself while I'm at work.

[OwnedBySummer]

I agree, borrow one if you can. If you can't borrow one, you may be able to rent one. That's what I did for the first few days (non-fostered straight-from-kennels) because I had heard the "greys love it and can't live without it" line and I wasn't sure. I'm not a fan of crating and was thrilled to discover that she didn't have an "attachment" to having one.

[sobesmom]

If you can borrow - do. Just in case you need it. I had one for many of our off-the-track fosters. Then I loaned it out - got other fosters and did fine without it.

 

Honestly, we're not big craters here, and haven't had any trouble. You just have to be smart about where dogs are for a while, what they're doing, and be attentive.

 

Some dogs NEED crates - I get that. None of the ones I've fostered did. And - my grey knows how to deal with new dogs - no issues.

[Guest Amis_Ma]

Borrowing one sounds like a viable option; we've had our girl for about 10wks now and she was crated for the first month. Now we leave the crate door opened for her to go in and out as she pleases and she still sometimes chooses to hang out in her crate. It's like her safe place to use when needed.

[krissy]

I think it depends on a lot of factors... the individual dog is only one of those factors. Individual dog factors to consider right off the bat would be age and background. No way I (personally) would leave a very young dog (under 2 years) uncrated while I was gone until it had proven itself to not be a troublemaker. My 12 month old puppy has been crated since I got her at 8 weeks and I can't see letting her have any sort of freedom until she's about 2. Even when we're home she's grabbing and relocating things, never mind when we're NOT home.

 

Non-dog factors would be your housing situation and lifestyle primarily. We rent and we both work 9 hour days. Again, no way I'm leaving a dog uncrated until it proves it can be trusted. Even Summit was crated for about 3 months after he arrived home as a 5.5 year old bounce. I'm gone for far too long to just let a dog hang out in my house after stepping off a hauler. It's also hard enough to rent with large dogs that don't cause damage. Landlord references are often important for getting the next place.

 

So, if you're home a lot, own your own home, and the dog isn't a puppy then sure... borrow a crate and see how things go.

[Guest Jengrey1]

Thanks for all the advice. Luckily my best friend has a crate large enough just sitting in her garage doing nothing. I am going to borrow it for a while. I do rent the house for now, with plans of buying it. I don't want the house damaged just in case we have to move.

[sobesmom]

Thanks for all the advice. Luckily my best friend has a crate large enough just sitting in her garage doing nothing. I am going to borrow it for a while. I do rent the house for now, with plans of buying it. I don't want the house damaged just in case we have to move.

PERFECT!!! Fabulous that you can borrow. And - speaking as a landlord - I think it's VERY responsible of you to think of any potential damage to the house. I actually loaned a crate to a tenant of mine that got a puppy a while ago. I didn't tell her she had to- I just mentioned that if she was considering crating I had one she could borrow. She was happy to borrow - and said she'd buy her own if she needed to crate long-term. She returned it after a few months - everybody was happy. No damage to the house, no hard feelings, no repairs necessary. Not every landlord allows dogs - so thank you for being thoughtful to those of us who do.

[Guest jetska]

Of my fosters, they all retreated to the crate as they were getting used to the house. Barbie though never wanted to be in a crate. She still makes a ruckus at the vets when she is in a crate.

[cleptogrey]

there is a line up for who gets which crate when i board my dogs....my friend has 8 crates out and my 2 know which crates they love . my male will stand and whimper and yodell untill the grey in his favorite crate comes out. i've even seen him in there w/ another grey!http://1098143_639545629398090_37990412_n.jpg

i also find a que when i do have mine erected at home. i often use crates for either medical confinement or when someone comes w/ young children- annie's not too fond of them(not the crate).

 

borrow a crate, if your new grey loves it then shop around. best of luck w/ your new dog.

Edited September 13, 2013 by cleptogrey

[45MPHK9]

We adopted Holly right off the track. We never put her in a cage here. She's just fine in the house.

[Guest jetska]

That is so cute cleptogrey!!

[Guest StansMom]

We keep Stan's crate out with the door open all the time. He goes in when he wants some personal space. He finds it comforting. I think it ultimately depends on the dog. I agree with the general consensus that if you can borrow a crate for a while, do. I wouldn't force him or her into it, but just have it there in case. Good luck and congratulations! Let us know how it works out!