Crate Training

elainee

Hi have bein crate training my puppy for the last few months just want to know do people keep the puppy in the crate and use it as a bed or do you buy them a dog bed once toilet trained? also what way do u use the crate? my fella only uses it at nite.also should u put a water bowl in?what toys? i have a chewy toy and teddy in mine just want to make sure im using it right!
Thanks

cianer

My pups had a crate until they were about 6 months old and fully toilet trained, unless they started being destructive while I was out. If I had the space I'd have left the crates there all the time, mine all love it, my main problem was getting my older dogs out of the crate so the pup could go in! I put in toys and kongs and only lock the door when I'm out, and they all love their crates.

If you're going to buy a dog bed for your pup don't spend alot of money until the dog is at least a year, preferably 18 months old, they love to chew and it can be frustrating to find an expensive dog bed destroyed.

baubl

cianer wrote: »

My pups had a crate until they were about 6 months old and fully toilet trained, unless they started being destructive while I was out. If I had the space I'd have left the crates there all the time, mine all love it, my main problem was getting my older dogs out of the crate so the pup could go in! I put in toys and kongs and only lock the door when I'm out, and they all love their crates.

If you're going to buy a dog bed for your pup don't spend alot of money until the dog is at least a year, preferably 18 months old, they love to chew and it can be frustrating to find an expensive dog bed destroyed.

I have three jack russell pups in a dog cottage or crate i would call it, they sleep in it and love it, when they wake up i go out the door with them to toilet train them, then they play for an hour and then fed, then they go to bed in crate by themselves for an hour or two when they wake up i open crate door to do it all over again, the crate give great freedom to you and pups are happy to rest and sleep there

Sigma Force

Depends how well the pooch is doing with the toilet training, our lad is 7 months and although he's almost there he still chews and eats everything in site so can't be trusted wandering around the house at night.

At night time there should be no need to put water in it, if you have a bowl of water outside or in a room that he can get to when he is going for a toilet break then he can have a drink then. Otherwise they just end up stepping in it, he shouldn't be thirsty now he's a bit older feeding him twice a day should be enough and last meal not too late so he won't be too thirsty.
A toy and teddy is fine, if he's tired he'll just plonk and sleep anyway I stopped putting toys in because he wasn't using them he does have a snuggle safe heat pad though eventhough the room is very warm he likes something warm to cuddle up to at night and he settles better with it.

If yours is fully trained now and isn't into chewing up stuff he could be popped into a bed instead, if his crate is in your room though he'll just end up jumping up onto the bed to cuddle up anyway.

Eventually hope our guy stops his chewin and messing at night so he can be allowed to roam from room to room but I'd say he'll be a year or year and a half before he does but he goes into the crate by himself now esp. if he's really sleepy he gets restless if we're up late and he wants to go to bed.

You could give it a try and see how the pup goes, some pups train quicker than others.

Whispered

We got rid of our crate as it had gotten too small and we ended up buying a new one. The dog took to sleeping under the clothes horse, so he he let us know prefers being enclosed.

tk123

Guineapigrescue wrote: »

If yours is fully trained now and isn't into chewing up stuff he could be popped into a bed instead, if his crate is in your room though he'll just end up jumping up onto the bed to cuddle up anyway.

This is what our guy does! The crate was getting too small for him and he stopped using it for naps so we had space taken up with the crate and the dog sleeping outside of it! He's a golden retriever so a bigger crate would have taken up too much space. I don't mind him on the bed tbh..he keeps my feet warm!