Ron Dog when to leave his Crate

Hiya Everyone - Ron Dog is crate trained and does really well left overnight in it.

At what age have you stopped using it through the night?? Im thinking about 8 months??

Do you then suggest to try through the day after the nights are no problem or is it the other way round - daytime with no crate then nightime??

Im not rushing things but now we have had the whirlwind at home for 4 weeks we are thinking about long term and putting his crate where it will stay for a few months (at the minute its plonked in the middle of the front room) until Ron Dog as settled into some sort of rountine. We have a big kitchen so thinking of putting crate in there as he only goes in for bedtime and when we nip out through the day - doesnt use it when we are home.

Hi, unfortunately I don't crate, so don't have much advise, someone will be along soon to help

It really depends what you want to do long term . For us as soon as the kids were ok overninght and accident free we consigned the crates to the loft and that was that , however a few months ago we went to stay with family and as Tommy can be a bit lively we took their crates and they both went back in as we were going out to a party for a few hours and my Sis In Law was nervous as she looks after her house. This was really an alternative to Kennels for us and the better of 2 evils but I was broken hearted to put them back in there.
All basically my own fault as we had removed them from that and then reintroduced them to it , not the way to go.

There is no harm and many of our members crate long term , you could try just leaving the crate open as a safe haven

I don't regret what I've done as the kids have the run of the house mi casa su casa but it can give you other limitations , as in my experience above

Just think about your long term possibilities , how you will handle travelling , holidays etc and then you think about what you really need to do

Hiya,
We're crate training Bruno and intend to use it until he's past adolescence at least but might carry on using it anyway.
My other two dogs (live with my mum) have both been crate trained and have slept in them every night since. They're 4 and 5 years old now, and they love their crates. Sometimes they even take themselves to bed of a night.
In fact they've only recently been sleeping out of their crates because of the hot weather, and since my dad passed away last year they've been sharing the bed with my mum on and off too. I think they all enjoy the company, not least my mum.

I don't think there's a down side to crating long term. It's very useful for holidays etc. We went camping, took the crates and both boys were settled and happy to sleep in the tent in their crates. I think it's personal preference really.

Rosie3 wrote:Hiya,
We're crate training Bruno and intend to use it until he's past adolescence at least but might carry on using it anyway.
My other two dogs (live with my mum) have both been crate trained and have slept in them every night since. They're 4 and 5 years old now, and they love their crates. Sometimes they even take themselves to bed of a night.
In fact they've only recently been sleeping out of their crates because of the hot weather, and since my dad passed away last year they've been sharing the bed with my mum on and off too. I think they all enjoy the company, not least my mum.

I don't think there's a down side to crating long term. It's very useful for holidays etc. We went camping, took the crates and both boys were settled and happy to sleep in the tent in their crates. I think it's personal preference really.

These are exactly the kind of situations I refer to so thanks for the input on that . If I could go back I think I would try and have a 50/50 situation whereby they were there to be used if they wanted to and free to roam also , this way they have the best of both worlds , but obviously doing this you have to have rules or it will lead to confusion Good luck however you decide to go with this

Darcy is crate trained and it's her inner sanctum she often takes herself off to have a lay down when we have visitors/busy house, I've just bought a bigger crate as the one we bought initially has become to small, we go away quite a lot to for weekends and darcy comes with so she we take her crate, I think we plan to crate always because then when we go away she has her comfort too

We got Rocky his crate the day we got him from the rescue centre, it came from the rescue cnetre shop in fact.

It went straight into the hallway with the door open where it has stayed since, still with the door open. Rocky will just take himself off there when we are getting ready to go out, he somehow seems to know, and will just sit in there until we leave. He will then take himself off to our bed for a snooze where he stayes until we get back.

We never him alone for more than about 3-4 hours a day. Rockys crate is his safe haven, somewhere to take himself off to when he wants some time alone.

Rocky was about 9 months old when we got him, he was already house trained. He has only ever done one pee inside our home that was on the second day we had him and couldn't get the back door open quick enough, our fault not his.

Hi we crate trained sasha from the day we got her. She now takes herself in there to sleep as the door is left open all day I think she finds it more comfy in there with her bed and blankets. She even puts herself in there when we pop out or last thing at night after her late walk. I think we will probably keep her crate even if we dont shut the door

Vinnie was crate trained from day one, and its still his safe haven at nights and when I am out at work. He absolutely loves it, and so glad I did as went to a cottage last year for holidays and dogs were not allowed upstairs so he settled very well in his crate.  

Ruby was crate trained and still now sleeps in it, she has a bed next to it and goes in whichever takes her fancy. When she first took ill I covered it with a big blanket so she felt more secure.
If she's warm she dangles out of the bed across the tiled floor and if she's a bit chilly she'll go an curl up in the crate.

Thank you for the advice everyone - if Ive took anything from it, Ive realised I have to change my mindset of the crate.

Instead of me thinking its his 'bedroom/or his space' Im feeling like Im looking at it like a prison.

We have re-loacated the crate to the kitchen and he's settled ok so Im going to look at it like its here to stay.

First time Ive used a crate, my first staff I got in 96 and never used a crate for her after she passed my other staffs were then middle age rescue.  Not doing puppy stage for 17yrs is like having a tornado living with you Ive had a couple of days wondering what the hell have I done but just trying to remember this stage isnt forever.

So the crate is a positive and so long as its not over used he will enjoy being in there.  

Thanks again everyone - no doubt me & Ron Dog will be asking things again.

Pleased you are thinking like this , I sort of got the crates thinking it was somewhere to contain them until they behaved well enough to roam free , don't get me wrong they weren't shoved in there and knew it was their bed , also when OH was childminding in the early puppy stages for both of them somewhere to keep them secure when things were a bit hectic and their shelter from the kids