What is a crate???

[Boxer&Scott]

Another thing that is good about crate training is safety while travleing. We often visit Family about 4 hours away and always take the dogs with us. We also take them to the beach on vacation with us. We put them in their crates when we go out for dinner so they don't get into anything at my MIL's house. Even if the dogs are fine at my house during the day, I just couldn't trust them that much in a different environment. It also is comforting to them in a strange place because they know that the crate is "Their Space". If the dog is never crate trained, it would be hard to put them in a crate in those situations.

 

[Sabrina]

Also some dogs just don't like to be left alone loose and would rather be in the crate. Cortes is a year and a half and crate trained. Part of the contract I signed when I bought him stipulated that I would crate train him. I have tried to gradually leave him out of his crate and increase the time, but he absolutely freaks out if we leave and he's not in his crate. He literally throws himself against the door, clawing and biting at it. In contrast he knows if I put on my shoes and take him outside to go to the bathroom when he doesn't ask that I am leaving and will walk back to our bedroom and lie down in his crate and wait for me to bring him a couple of treats and close the door. He is much happier and feels much more secure in his crate than he does being left out. I see no reason to stress him out and frighten him by leaving him loose when he is so happy to sleep in his crate while we are gone.

 

[Anna Begins]

i never crated either of my dogs -chloe and my rottie - and never have i had any damage done in my home, yes an accident(chloe with her seperation anxiety) but no damage, my dogs have free roam of our home when we are not home. like you i puppy proofed my home when they were babies. i hear some of these stories about damage and im so suprised because chloe and maxi have always been so good that way.

Yes, that is the way I raised Luka too- I bought him a crate and we used it for 3 months until he was 6 months old (about the time he was realiably potty trained). I close my bedroom door and bathroom door, make sure everything is picked up completely. I open the front door just so he can go out and give him a Kong. I used to come home at lunch and walk him, but now I don't.
Most of the day, he lays sprawled out in the shade on the patio or eats his Kong and watches the occational person pass by the apt.
He has only destroyed 1 money tree, the bottom of my sliding glass door shade, my Laura Ingles Wilder book collection and 3 of my Clive Barker books.
Outside of the Barker books, I think that is a small price to pay for not having to crate him duiring the day. I just couldn't stand it. He would have so much energy from being in there and he never liked it if I had to tell him to go in or put him in. Plus, it just didn't look comfortable.
He still has his crate in the center of the apt and goes in it daily. I'd say about 2 or three times a day he goes in it. This also helps him when he has to go into one at the Vet's or groomers, if we travel, etc.
But, maybe I am lucky- Luka isn't as destructive as some I've heard of. A friend at work said as a puppy, her pug nawed all four legs off a dresser while she was at work. :eek: