Dog crates/cages does anyone else use one

OwnedbyChanter

OwnedbyChanter

With out my boys life would be bland
Apr 16, 2009
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Raininghamshire
Question in the title really. For thise of you that have read about my dog she managed it again today with ease.

OH home from work,walked all 3 of them in the park until they were knacked. left the house at 1530 to take Monty (springer) to the vets I got home at 6, One child gate jumped clean the other knocked down in the utlity room, opened the window and jumped out.

We had to walk the streets to find her, I was beside my self with worry,

So after more talks about how to keep her in but safe we have brought a cage! The biggest we could get 48" long.

So does anyone else out there dogs in one when they go to work?
 
Glad you went with the cage idea, I think it's going to be something that stops her from hurting herself and escaping! Have you tried those dap things? The plug in chill out smelly things they recommend for pets on firework night? Just another thought to keep her calm in it!
 
we used one for each dog when we first had them. Our use was to house train them not to keep it in as such - i just wondered whether it would withstand the pounding your dog could give it? ours never seemed that strong...

mind you it did help with our collies anxiety issues...so hopefully it will work!

just a thought do you fuss your dog when you come home and really overfuss it whilst you are there? when we reduced the amount we fussed our dogs when we left or returned (ie i ignore them totally) the anxiety reduced....
 
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We used one when our dog was a puppy, it meant we could keep him safe and also allow him to get his own 'space'. Be warned, she may well hate it at first, but she will get used to it. Breck hated going in it at first, but within a couple of weeks he was happily going in and curling up on his own terms. We took the cage away once he was old enough to be trusted on his own, but would have no hesitation to use one if I was in your situation. I think it's the most humane thing you can do just now.

The only worry I might have for your girl is that she could tear her paws up trying to get out? I wonder if there's anything you could put on to protect them in case she panics?
 
Yep, did this with my parents' two tearaway corgies for first two/three years of owning them. They were puppy trained with cages and would sleep in them all night, graduating to being allowed to come and go as they pleased with the door open - they chose to stay in them.
I have a friend with a huge cage - I could fit in it (and thats me, the 16stoner) for her dog when she goes out to work. Dog seems happy, a huge Bouvier-des-flandres(sp?!)
Think its the right thing to try ObC.

ETA, yeah as Laura107 says, I'd probably be wary for her and build up the time you have her in there for. And then adding in times when you're not there to see how she copes.
 
The cage made my collie go mental, i made it really nice in there for him aswell.
Blankets over the top so it was nice & dark, duvet inside, toys, treats etc

Went to college (This was 4 years ago lol!) came back he wasnt in there, my neighbour had to go round and rescue him.

Apparently all she could hear was him screaming and shaking the cage.

I do hope it helps your doggies though OBC, as the others said it may make
them feel more secure.

xx
 
I have 2 for 2 labs and they love them. One cage is 36" and is getting a bit small for the younger one but he fits in the other dogs larger 42" cage. It lets the older dog get peace he gets shut in all night in his cage but the younger one has his cage left open in case he wants a drink etc he is now 1 and sleeps pretty sound now though. There great if you come back from a muddy walk you can just shut them in with towels to dry off. The older one opens the door of the cage to go to his bed when he is tired.
 
We use a crate for our puppies. We have a special 'pen' for our bullmastiff, but I dont think it would help with yours as it is the same hight as child safety gate, but my boy is to lazy to jump over.

Fingers crossed that the cage works for you.
 
We have used one from day one for Ruby, our 2yo black lab. She goes in it when we go out without her, without question because she doesn't know any different and I have the peace of mind knowing that she's not diving down the bin or managed to open the fridge or freezer! :D

Wish I'd had one for our whippet when he was a pup many years ago... would have made life so much easier than him wrecking our kitchen periodically....
 
We have a 8.5 stone Great Dane cross ( looks like a giant Lab!). He was a rescue & very insecure. Managed to get a big cage for him & he's never looked back. Took it slowly at first, but 4 years on, it is still his bed of choice & his safe place. We just leave the door open now.
 
I used them for mine whenthey where younger, word of warning always take the collar of as the dog can get caught up by its disc and hang itself.
 
I have always used one for my young GSD. I got her when she was 5 months and she just accepts that is her wee house when I'm at work. I keep my other dog in the kitchen with a dog gate.

My young GSD is 3 now and I will probably always have the cage for her. Monty, my other dog hates fireworks, thunder etc so he goes in there too when he needs somewhere to hide!

I would take it slowly and maybe feed her in the cage and leave her for a short period.

My dog Monty has seperation anxiety issues and when I am leaving the house, I dont look, touch or speak to him. I second the DAP diffusers, they take up to 6 weeks to work but I bought it in the spray and used it on his bedding and that helped.

I also reccommend Kongs. You can fill they with paste, treats, anything really. However, if your dog is stressed she probably wont eat but maybe something to think of it at a later date.

I really feel for you, it must be such a worry. I hope that she calms down soon xx
 
My friend has two Huskies, and they use the large crates, they sleep in them and feed in them. They would trash the house otherwise, the doors are left open during the day when my friend is in the house. They do not have a problem and are comfortable in them.
 
best invention ever!
its all in the introduction and you cant just expect all animals to just go in and be quiet or well behaved and accept it as normal to start with. I notmally start feeding them in it and throwing toys in and generally playing.
I start all my pups off in the cage in the house before moving them out to the kennels.
They are safe and stop the dogs wrecking things if they are that inclined and also from injuring themselves. Wish I had bought one for my first lab as I came home to destruction daily from him till i bought a kennel and run. Half a kitchen door one day! used to empty the cupboards in the kitchen and chew everything.
 
Both of my collie crosses (one is crossed with a JRT and the other with a Springer, so they are both fairly mental) were introduced to their (palatial - it is HUGE) crate from a very early age and are confined to barracks while we are out of the house. Both love it, willingly go in it and will choose to sleep in it during the day while we are in the house. I am a huge advocate of crate training . . . but I must stress that you need to acclimate your dog to his/her crate rather than just shutting them in and leaving for several hours.

N
 
I had one my my Golden Retriever whilst he was a puppy so that he had his own space and safe haven for when he wanted peace and quiet etc. I fed him in their too but I never shut him in.

I also have a child gate at the kitchen door so he can roam the kitchen but not the rest of the house.

He is now 15 months and still lives in the kitchen at night and when we are out and it works very well. He sleeps right through he knows the routine.


He just sleeps when we are out so we are lucky there. He never chewed the kitchen furniture or anything like that.
 
We used cates when our 2 dogs were puppies. The staffy came with an enormous crate thats like 5 ft long as she used to be locked in there all day while they were at work (why they gave her to me) I think you need to introduce it really slowly and make it a nice place to be as it could very easily been seen as a punishment to go in there. We didint use the crate for a while and then I had to re-introduce it to our staff as she is quite a nervous dog anyway. I encouraged her in, treated a few times, shut the door, treated etc etc. With your dog i would imagine it would be a couple of weeks at least before they were settled enough in there for you to go out. They need to trust that you're coming back to feel comfortable in there. It could be a solution. Its a shame you're not closer - Ive been threatening to sell me big crate for ages!
 
OMG I am overwhelmed by the replies from this post, Thank you all so much.

We will do as you have all suggested keep it slow and short sessions believe me she has been my constant friend for 9 years and we want to keep her happy and well for many more. The discussions we have had about how to keep her safe have been long and 'loud'. We really feel that this is the only option open to us now as she can.

Open doors, jump child gates, or just run at them until the give in and he damages herself by chewing through doors and opening the windows to jump out off, we have tried locking the windows but she just causes her self more damage.

I am worried that she might damage her paws if she panics but compaired to the damage she does in the whole house not to mention that she can actually get out the house now, I am scared she will cause a crash on the road.

So cage is brought training starts tomorrow night hoping to start full time in a week or so. OH will pop home from work on the first couple of days.

We do not fuss our dogs when we leave or come home as my OH did not train the springers correctly when he had them as puppies so they where a really hand full when I came along. So I have retrained them and OH. LOL
 
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