Jerseygirl

I hate that many kennels in the US keep the dogs in cages. We managed to find kennels near where we lived in NJ that had small rooms for the dogs. They had a couple of small fields for the dogs to play in...they even had an indoor pool for the dogs. Cost an arm and a leg though. You may be able to find something similar.

Yorkieabroad

A lot of people here seem to cage their dogs at night at home too. I had never even heard of "crate training" or "crating the dog" till I came here. When our mutt was about 6 or 7 months old, she had problems with her hips...apparently very early signs of hip dysplasia (sp?) and had to be crated for a month. Only time she was allowed out of the crate was to go to do her business, then straight back in. It was tough, but, touchwood, seems to have helped. When talking about it, I realzed that a lot of people just routinely do that at night and whenever they are out of the house.

A lot off the kennels round here have the "cage" option as their cheapest. The ones we go to have the cage option (c. $20-22-ish), then a 4 x 8 basic run, which we normally go for ($22-25 for our size...48lbs). Then there are the deluxe options which include things such as a TV, doggie massage etc etc which can run anything up to 80+ per night We have never done that, as it strikes me as being more than a bit bonkers.....

Jerseygirl

We didn't in the UK but have had 3 dogs since living here and have crated them all whilst they were young. Dogs actually like a small enclosed place of their own. Over the years I have lost two dogs because they chewed and swallowed something they shouldn't have. I therefore felt better knowing that they were safely in their crate when I was out or at night. If we were out for more than a few hours we attached a metal folding fence to the crate so the dog had more room to move around.

Crates can be very useful...but I don't want my dog in a crate for almost 24 hrs per day, every day while I am away.

I used to have a local lady come in 4 times per day when we were on holiday. Worked out OK for a year or two...then I noticed odd things were missing. Nothing major...a special mug my daughter bought...a flashlight...that sort of thing. She always had an excuse...she borrowed or broke it and forgot to mention it. Then I noticed she had been cooking in my kitchen using my food. Turned out she used to bring her kids with her and thought it would be good for the dogs if they stayed and her family had their meal in our house. Needless to say we would never use a pet sitter again.

Pulaski

We crate trained our indoor cats. The last thing I wanted was cats bouncing off the walls at night and yowling for their breakfast at 5 am, which is what Mrs P's cat was doing when we first came to the US and reclaimed her cat from her parents.

Nutmegger

All my puppies start off being contained -- I use quite a big roofed pen rather than an enclosed crate, and they go in when it is time to eat, for a nap, or overnight. It does indeed become a "safe place" for them -- my puppy was just spayed, and although I had her out of the pen so I could comfort her, she went in there of her own volition and went to sleep on her familiar blankets, surrounded by her toys.

lyndilou

We have a uk company 'trustedhousesitters'. Some sitters are police checked and some don't charge for house/pet sitting while you are away either -they seem to have sitters registered world wide. Might be worth checking them out and least the pets can stay at home with no upset of routine, our dog loves the lady who comes in to look after her.

BigK

Crate training and its use certainly have benefits. Our dog loves to sleep in her crate undisturbed otherwise she is distracted by the smallest of noises. We also crate her when we leave the house for the same reason you mentioned, safety. I just don't like my dog to be crated 20 hours a day...

Yorkieabroad

We bought a crate when we first got our dog, partly because the shelter wouldn't let us bring her home without one, but also because I disagree with having dogs "free" in the car*. We used it as a kennel for her when she was younger, and had it in a 5x5 pen that we 'contained' her in in the family area while she was training. The only time the door was closed on the crate was when it was in the car, or the period when I mentioned earlier to immobilize her on vets orders.

We removed the pen when she was fully house-trained, which coincided with her learning how to jump on the crate and use it as a stepping stone out of the pen. I only discovered that new ability when I came home one day to find her sitting on my chair with a very pleased look on her face After that the crate was still available if she needed/wanted it, and tinfoil for a week solved the "keep off the furniture" rule. For a while she did use the crate, but then she adopted a hidey hole behind a chair in the living room, and another under the counter in the laundry room, where her food is, and dragged her bed in there. Final resort, only in the event of thunderstorms, is making herself flat as a pancake under the coffee table! Now, if we need to contain her, which isn't often, she gets locked in the laundry room. Just about the only time that happens is if we have workmen in for any reason, or when one of daughters friends comes round who has a serious fear of dogs. Not just nervous - full on "pee-the-pants" if she hears a bark.

Like I said earlier, I'd never heard of crating the dogs back in the UK when we were growing up, but it does seem very common over here - don't know if it is over there now as well?






*Maybe it belongs in the pet peeve thread, but the folk who drive with the dog on their laps, between themselves and the steering wheel, should drive straight to a no-kill shelter and turn their dogs in, then drop their cars off at the Salvation Army because they are too stupid to own either! No ifs, ands, buts - stupid.

Nutek

I think some of them might be guide dogs.

Yorkieabroad

As long as they have the little white stick, I'll let them off

Phyzz

Since we moved here our dogs have been crated at night. We have just completed building them there own room for night time and when we are all out. The crates are still in the room, but I have taken the doors off.

I went through a period when I took the crates out of the room. One of our brood stopped coming in at night. I was chasing him around the yard to catch him. This went on until I put the crate back in the room!

Nutek

Ours sleep on the bed and sometimes let me use an edge of it as well.

Yorkieabroad

Wife won't let ours in the bedroom. Dog follows me round pretty much all day, and occasionally she will find herself following me towards the bedroom. She pauses in the door as if thinking, then if wife isn't home, dog follows me in. But if she hears the garage door go, she's out of there like a bat out of hell, back behind her chair with that "who, me? " innocent face on

Nutek

Ours are generally on the bed before I can even get there. There is a rush for the bedroom as soon as the door is opened.

Yorkieabroad

White sheets + black dog = bad combination

Wife can always tell if we've broken the rules.... can't think how... it's as if she's psychic or something....