Not for how long during a workday, but how long for a dog's lifespan?

Curious how many choose to crate a dog forever, whenever they leave
the house and/or overnight, or how many choose to wean from household
crate usage (usage being shutting the dog in the crate, not the dog
choosing to hang out there) at some specific ages or maturity levels.

--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

In article ,
Janet B wrote:
Curious how many choose to crate a dog forever, whenever they leave
the house and/or overnight, or how many choose to wean from household
crate usage (usage being shutting the dog in the crate, not the dog
choosing to hang out there) at some specific ages or maturity levels.

I stop closing the doors on crates during meals when the dog
starts understanding that this is his/her place to eat and
runs in there at mealtime (i.e., soon). With crating at
night, I stop closing the doors at night when the dog has
gone about a week without a housetraining accident during
the day.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Bad policies lead to bad results.

On Sat, 09 Sep 2006 12:49:28 -0400, Janet B
wrote:

Not for how long during a workday, but how long for a dog's lifespan?

Curious how many choose to crate a dog forever, whenever they leave
the house and/or overnight, or how many choose to wean from household
crate usage (usage being shutting the dog in the crate, not the dog
choosing to hang out there) at some specific ages or maturity levels.

For me, it has depended on the dog's personality as well as
reliability. Right now, we aren't using any crates on a regular
basis. With dogs I have had in the past, I wondered if it was going
to be a lifelong thing, but the worst in reliability was also the one
who most loved her crate, so that wasn't an issue. It was easier to
just kennel her at night with the same routine and ritual she loved
and both live happily ever after. Why push it when crating always
meant extra safety even for more reliable dogs and this particular dog
was happy being crated? Other dogs have never been crated, having
come to me reliable from rescue and not liking crates much.

--
Paula
"Anyway, other people are weird, but sometimes they have candy,
so it's best to try to get along with them." Joe Bay

Janet B said in
rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

Not for how long during a workday, but how long for a dog's
lifespan?

I'm amazed at the number of people who crate their dogs at
night for life and don't even consider that it may not be
necessary.

For example, I was looking after a friend's dog the other
weekend and had no special instructions. The owners were
amazed that I'd had no problems with him being free at night.
When questioned, they had no specific reason to crate their
dog.

Curious how many choose to crate a dog forever, whenever
they leave the house and/or overnight, or how many choose
to wean from household crate usage (usage being shutting
the dog in the crate, not the dog choosing to hang out
there) at some specific ages or maturity levels.

I crate Rocky, even though he's 8.5 years old, but only when
I'm gone during summertime days - maybe an hour at the most.
(Other than hot days, my dogs are always with me.)

While Friday has been totally reliable unsupervised from the
day I got him from a rescue, Rocky has not. Rocky will go
looking for food even in areas where there's no possibility of
food.

The good thing is that he likes his crate, runs for it when I
ask, and gets food when he's in it.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

On Sat, 09 Sep 2006 12:49:28 -0400, Janet B
wrote:

Not for how long during a workday, but how long for a dog's lifespan?

Curious how many choose to crate a dog forever, whenever they leave
the house and/or overnight, or how many choose to wean from household
crate usage (usage being shutting the dog in the crate, not the dog
choosing to hang out there) at some specific ages or maturity levels.

I crate as long as it's necessary. With Elliott, that was never. With
Harriet, who had SA, she was crated until she was 3yo (I'd have to
Google to be more specific). While she was crated, it was only during
he day, when I was not home to supervise her. At night, she's always
slept on my bed instead of in a crate.

About the only reasons I can think of to crate adult dogs long-term is
for SA or because of potential dog aggression.

--
Shelly (Warning: see label for details)
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

On 9 Sep 2006 18:40:50 GMT, Rocky wrote:

While Friday has been totally reliable unsupervised from the
day I got him from a rescue, Rocky has not. Rocky will go
looking for food even in areas where there's no possibility of
food.

Ah. Another good reason to crate adult dogs. Thanks for mentioning
that, as it hadn't occurred to me.

Harriet (very) occasionally gets into the trash, but it's been an
awfully long time since she's done that, and I've become pretty well
trained to put it up, that it's not a problem anymore. Now, if I could
train the cat to leave Kleenexes in the trash, everything would be
peachy.

The good thing is that he likes his crate, runs for it when I
ask, and gets food when he's in it.

Harriet has always been "meh" about her crate. She gets into it
willingly when told, and has never seemed to mind being crated, but
she's not been what I'd call enthusiastic about it. She gets fed at
least half her meals in it, gets treats there, and now that she's the
only dog, that's where her toys and chewies get tossed when I clean up.
She's lately decided that her crate is a pretty nice place. I regularly
find her sprawled out in it, napping away. Beats me why she suddenly
*loves* her crate, but she does.

--
Shelly (Warning: see label for details)
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

Janet B wrote:
Not for how long during a workday, but how long for a dog's lifespan?

We crated Gordo and Chile as pups only until they were housetrained.

Dylan was in a crate or pen for more than a year, less than 2.
She enjoyed ripping things up. Carpet, shoes, window screens,
boxes... She seemed to like her crate, and after we took it down
she resorted to cubbying out under our desks.

Oppie - less than a year.

We did have occasional episodes of counter surfing, when we
forgot to put food away. We always blamed Oppie, the canine
bottomless pit. After Dylan died, the episodes ceased.
Completely. Poor Oppie! At least when the incidents happened,
we had enough sense to smack ourselves, not Oppie, over the head
with a rolled up newspaper.

FurPaw

Janet B wrote in
:

Not for how long during a workday, but how long for a dog's lifespan?

Curious how many choose to crate a dog forever, whenever they leave
the house and/or overnight, or how many choose to wean from household
crate usage (usage being shutting the dog in the crate, not the dog
choosing to hang out there) at some specific ages or maturity levels.

I don't even own a crate anymore. Once Nikki was housebroken her
crate became a place to store her toys, her blanket, and all my stolen
socks. She is completely trustworthy in the apartment and hasn't even
chewed on anything unappropriate since she was a puppy. When we recently
moved into a different apartment, I really didn't have room for the crate
so I sold it and Nikki now keeps her toys under an endtable. Her blanket
has been permantly dragged onto my bed and she hides my stolen socks in the
recliner for guests to find when they visit.
She sleeps with me at night and although I take her for a walk before
bedtime, she has learned how to wake me up at night if she discovers she
has to go again before morning. Although she usually travels with me when
I go somewhere, I have no reservation at all leaving her in the apartment
unattended when it's necessary or it's to hot out. The only thing I am
sure to do, if I'm going to be gone for more than a few hours, is to have
one of my neighbors look in on her from time to time in case she has to
potty. Sometimes she's gone to grandma's if I'm going to be gone all day.
I'm not at all worried about her getting into anything if I'm gone,
she usually sleeps, plays with her toys, or watches tv, but I prefer not to
leave her alone for too long just in case she has to potty. I'm quite sure
she would hold it if no one was there to take her out but I see no point to
make her do that so I make provisions for her in the event I'm not going to
be home for several hours. I don't know how I got blessed with such a mild
mannered, well behaved little dog but I sure am grateful she's in my life


--
Les Hilliard & Nikki the Super Shih-Tzu

We've done away with the crate for Buddy the beagle mix he's happy to just
lay down and take a sleep when we aren't home. In the 9 months he's been
here he's proven that he can be trusted and other than the occasional
shredding of a magazine he's a good boy. On the other hand Lady my
collie/shepard mix has a habit of chewing things when we aren't home or when
we aren't paying enough attention to her. I'm hoping one day to be able to
do away with the crate for her to but I don't see it happening any time
soon. For now when we leave the house she goes into the kennel. She never
spends more than 4 to 5 hours in it and that's only a couple days a week.

Celeste



"Janet B" wrote in message
...
Not for how long during a workday, but how long for a dog's lifespan?

Curious how many choose to crate a dog forever, whenever they leave
the house and/or overnight, or how many choose to wean from household
crate usage (usage being shutting the dog in the crate, not the dog
choosing to hang out there) at some specific ages or maturity levels.

--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

"Janet B" wrote in message
...
Not for how long during a workday, but how long for a dog's lifespan?

Curious how many choose to crate a dog forever, whenever they leave
the house and/or overnight, or how many choose to wean from household
crate usage (usage being shutting the dog in the crate, not the dog
choosing to hang out there) at some specific ages or maturity levels.

Mine have not required crating once they were past the chewing stage. I
don't use crates with the bunch I have now.

flick 100785