# Night Time Crate Question



## Jamm (Mar 28, 2010)

Hmm no advice but ive been worrying Joey would be the same when we decide to get rid of the crate. Joey loves it so much. Ill be back to this thread!

P.s. Joey and Ryder have the same birthday! April 15th?  Just a year apart!


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## Sienna's Mom (Oct 23, 2007)

No real advice either, Sienna is very set in her routine too. She also seems to love "den" areas. Many a evening she will crawl under our bed (just a little bit higher than normal) to have a snooze.

We have her in the crate while we are gone, just a habit as well, since we were both working full time. I was wondering the same thing about getting her used to being out while we were gone, but am concerned of what she might get into, even at almost 4 years old.

We have a TINY house so I really know what you mean about not having the crate : though I do like it at night as if I would get up to use the bathroom she might greet me :uhoh: or in the mornings it's been nice to have 1/2 hour to myself before the house wakes up.

At any rate, all I could suggest would be to maybe have him go into the crate, but not latch the door? I was thinking of doing this for Sienna during the day if I leave on an errand, so she doesn't get anxious wondering why she wasn't put in the crate.

We accidentally did this once in the morning and our doggy helper who let her out at lunch time was greeted at the front door with a very happy dog!


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## doggylove86 (Aug 26, 2010)

Dogs enjoy dens and having someplace to hide and call their own. If it's not a big nuisance, I would suggest just keeping the crate.
But if you are trying to train him out of it, I would suggest gradually weaning him off of it. If it's a metal crate, then maybe you can take off the ceiling and if you have a blanket covering it, remove that too, so that you are gradually exposing him to sleeping in a more open space. Then remove one of the walls, etc. Until there's nothing left but the bed. Just a thought!


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## Looni2ns (Mar 26, 2010)

That's his bedroom! Is it too big to make a table top, cover, or surround for it, so that it becomes a piece of furniture? He won't care if there's a lamp on top, as long as he can get into his cozy space. ;-)


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## tanianault (Dec 11, 2010)

I would like to add my voice to the "keep the crate" chorus. It certainly worked for us with our past dog, Mack.

I know our Mack's extra large crate was a huge nuisance space-wise, but the advantages far outweighed the inconvience. We, too, had to move Mack's crate from its original location (for an entirely different reason) but here's how we did it: slowly, over a period of weeks, we moved his crate an inch or two away from the edge of our bed until it was finally in the hall outside our bedroom door. 

The advantages for us were that I aways knew he was safe at night. And whenever we travelled, all we had to do was set up his crate wherever we landed for the night and he was instantly "at home", perfectly safe and secure. I'm also glad we kept crating Mack at night throughout his life because near the end when he became sick it made managing his night-time seizures, etc. much easier on him (and us). 

- Tania


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## BJSalz (Mar 24, 2009)

I'll definitely keep the crate then. You're all right and it is his bedroom - safe haven - den. He likes going in it at night; him barking and whimpering when it was in another room the other night proved his attachment to it. Honestly, he means more than the looks of the crate being in the living room. 

Thanks for the replies!


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

You can always try leaving the door open, then after a week remove the top and leave the bottom, then put his bed from the crate on the same spot.


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## BJSalz (Mar 24, 2009)

Just an update. We got rid of the crate (donated it to adopt-a-pet) because our golden is trained to no longer need it and is sleeping great at night! It's confirmed, he loved his crate for the den-like feeling because he's now sleeping under our built in desk area, it gives him the den/closed in feeling. 

I'm glad the crate is gone but it served its purpose while he was a puppy and I have no chewed up belongings.


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