Crate Placement For New Hound?

[Guest ayimera]

Hello! We had our home visit last night (2 months after we applied, the waiting is killing me!) and the volunteer suggested we put the crate on the main level of the house. We have a 3-level town home and two cats and were originally planning on having the crate in the bedroom so a.) the dog would be with us at night; we don't let the cats in the bedroom, and b.) when no one is home 3 days a week, we'd be able to shut the bedroom door for cat safety purposes. Do I need to worry about the cats still if the dog is crated?

 

He said putting the crate in the bedroom might cause seperation anxiety issues since we'd be with him/her all night and then leave them alone during the day, and he suggested to put the crate in the living room instead and then transition to a dog bed in the bedroom once the hound is more settled.

 

I've read and heard a lot of different things and was 99% sure about the crate in the bedroom until the home visit... now I'm not sure! What would you guys suggest?

[Guest k9soul]

I would personally choose to set it up in my room so he/she would not be completely alone at night when everyone went to bed. Alone training (and there are a lot of topics on that here) will do more to help him/her adjust than immediately flooding the dog with being alone at night. It's possible he/she may not even really have issues during the day, but all my dogs have always seemed to want to settle in one room at night when it's time to go to bed. Just my 2 cents.

Edited January 8, 2014 by k9soul

[a_daerr]

This is a multi-faceted answer, but here's my two cents. The dog should ideally be in your bedroom with you at night, whether in a crate or on a dog bed. Every dog I've owned, sitted for, or fostered would go nuts if they knew you were in the house, but couldn't get near you. Doesn't really have anything to do with separation anxiety. It's just not a natural or comforting feeling for most dogs.

 

However... if you're planning on crating the dog during the day when no one's home, it's probably not a good idea to shut him/her away in a silent, empty bedroom all day. Unless you have two crates, I'd probably confine or baby-gate the dog to a room on your main floor with a dog bed (I usually suggest an area with tile or hardwood floors, like a kitchen, because it's easy to clean up if the dog has an accident). Then, crate the dog in your bedroom at night. The alternative would be to crate the dog on your main floor during the day, and let him/her sleep on a dog bed in your room at night.

 

As for the cats, I wouldn't worry about them coming around to investigate if the dog is crated or baby-gated away from them. Definitely muzzle (at least in the beginning), if and when the dog has free reign of the house and direct access to the cats.

[Guest k9soul]

Good point about the silent empty bedroom during the day. Agree that two different areas would be ideal (one for night, one for day) if you can do that.

[Guest ayimera]

I do like the idea of having a dog bed in the room vs. a crate. I guess it depends on how attached to the crate they are and if they'd be willing to sleep right off the bat on a floor bed. They are fostered before adoption, so maybe. I'm sure I'm over-thinking it!

[Hubcitypam]

I'd put the crate on the main floor and baby gate him in your room at night if he seems to be OK with the cats.

FWIW - not all greys are attached to their crates. Some hate them to the point of injuring themselves trying to get out. Yes, they live in crates at the track but they are bigger and they usually have about 70 of their closest friend all around them 24/7. It's a big jump to being crated by yourself in an empty house.

[Feisty49]

I'd put the crate on the main floor and baby gate him in your room at night if he seems to be OK with the cats.

 

FWIW - not all greys are attached to their crates. Some hate them to the point of injuring themselves trying to get out. Yes, they live in crates at the track but they are bigger and they usually have about 70 of their closest friend all around them 24/7. It's a big jump to being crated by yourself in an empty house.

 

My girl never harmed herself when in her crate, but she whined and cried (she doesn't howl or roo) and hated it to the point where putting her in it caused her a lot of anxiety. I gave up on it after 2 or 3 days. Crates are good! I'm not saying otherwise, but as Hubcity pointed out, you can't assume it will be necessary for very long or at all.

 

I'd not leave her alone at night. She needs to hear another alive thing breathing and stirring in their sleep to feel as good as she can, especially in the beginning. Just my opinion.

[45MPHK9]

FWIW - not all greys are attached to their crates. Some hate them to the point of injuring themselves trying to get out..

Yes. I have a hound who would kill himself trying to escape a crate. He can never be crated.

[krissy]

We have always crated in the bedroom so that the dogs can be with us at night. However, we have so far only had one-level homes so the difference between being crated in the bedroom and the living room isn't all that significant. With two dogs now, it makes more sense to crate Kili in the bedroom anyway since Summit spends most of his day sleeping on our bed. Being crated in the bedroom means that Kili actually has company. You know, for when she's sleeping.

[NeylasMom]

This is a multi-faceted answer, but here's my two cents. The dog should ideally be in your bedroom with you at night, whether in a crate or on a dog bed. Every dog I've owned, sitted for, or fostered would go nuts if they knew you were in the house, but couldn't get near you. Doesn't really have anything to do with separation anxiety. It's just not a natural or comforting feeling for most dogs.

For years I fostered and because we wanted the dog to be prepared for whatever the adopter might want to do, the dogs learned to sleep crated in my living room. It took me a long time to realize that's completely unnatural and frankly, when I changed my tune, my life became a lot easier. My preference for a new dog, especially one new to my cats would be 2 crates, one in the living room where he'd be crated when I was gone (and some of the time I was home and in the room to prevent a negative association with that crate) and one in the bedroom for sleeping at night. If you can't do that, then I would do the dog bed at night in your bedroom if you can safely keep your cats safe (shut them out preferably, or you could at least set up a baby gate with a cat door in it and muzzle your dog).

 

When I have a brand new foster who I don't know at all, I always take additional steps to secure the crate when I won't be home. Usually using a carabiner or two with locks to secure any doors and you can also reinforce the crate with zip ties in certain areas. It's what would most likely be an unnecessary precaution, but my concern was always a dog who had interest in the cat and SA. If the dog breaks out of the crate when you're not there, and believe me, I have seen dogs slip out of crates in ways you wouldn't think possible, and your cat is loose? Like I said, highly unlikely, but I'd rather be prepared. If your dog has already been fostered wtih cats, or shows no interest right off of the bat, then it may not be as much of a concern in your situation.

 

Good luck iwth your new dog! And wow, 2 months, sorry you've had to wait so long.

[krissn333]

I'd put the crate in the main living area and let the dog be with you in the bedroom at night on a dog bed since you said you close the cats out of your bedroom anyway.

 

My house is only one level and very small but if I crate Clarice in the living room and then go to my bedroom, she goes ballistic.

 

She also has a kennel in my bedroom that she very happily sleeps in, but, for most first time adopters, buying two crates isn't really something you want to do. My parents adopted two hounds at one time though, so they bought two crates which they no longer need, so, we're using them both while we work with Clarice who has some special issues

[Acadianarose]

We have Payton's crate in our living room. He hasn't slept in his crate at night since day 2 or 3. He is more than welcome to sleep in our bedroom (the other dog does) but he sleeps on his bed in the living room. I only crated him the first 3 or 4 weeks while we were gone. He will still go in his crate occasionally on his own and he gets nervous when we have a lot of company, so I crate him at those times. Most of the time it is empty.

 

Maybe you could borrow an extra crate rather than buying two. Otherwise the baby gate or closing the bedroom door at night would be worth a try.