# Crate training



## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

My opinion is yes, crate training makes life for you and your pup so much easier. It keeps them safe when they can't have your UNDIVIDED attention. It also makes potty training so much easier and less stressful. AND gives them a place of their own where they feel safe and secure. It also provides a safe area to leave them in when you cannot be at home. Our goldens were our first dogs that we crate trained and I would NEVER do it any other way again.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

JessRy said:


> I have never raised a puppy before and am curious about crate training. Is it necessary if I can be at home 99% of the time with my puppy? I would like to gather all this information now, before I actually bring one home.


With Samson, for his first month or so, anytime we couldn't give him 100% of our attention, he was crated. Then it was straight outside.

I'm not as sure about long periods of time though, since I was mostly working from home when he was a puppy... So I guess I'm a bit useless here..... :uhoh:


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## MILLIESMOM (Aug 13, 2006)

_Both my Golden's and my Lab are crate trained. The crate is a great potty training tool and a place for your pup to call his own. My dogs crate is available to them whenever they like and they often go in and take a nap on their own. _


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

We started out crate training, but Tinkerbell hated it from day one. we did still use it during the day if we were going to be gone for any length of time. But we put it away when she was 6 months old. 

I can understand why people crate train, but i don't feel it is necessary. In some respects I think it helped that we didn't use a crate all the time. We puppy proofed the house and if she started to do something wrong we corrected her. We've never had a problem with her chewing or destroying things. She had very few accidents in the house. 

Next time around I don't plan on using a crate anymore than I did this time, but I do plan on using a few things I have learned on here such as putting a leash on the puppy when we are home together. And I do think it is important to have someplace safe for the puppy whe it does have to be alone.


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## biscuit08 (Mar 6, 2008)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> My opinion is yes, crate training makes life for you and your pup so much easier. It keeps them safe when they can't have your UNDIVIDED attention. It also makes potty training so much easier and less stressful. AND gives them a place of their own where they feel safe and secure. It also provides a safe area to leave them in when you cannot be at home. Our goldens were our first dogs that we crate trained and I would NEVER do it any other way again.


I agree with you 100%!!


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Crate training is the best for potty training at night and when you cant watch them 100%. The rule goes wake up-outside, play-outside, eat or drink-outside and less accidents in the house. He or she will probably be sleeping thru the night after a couple of weeks. No food or water in the crate at night. The crate is a great if you have to go somewhere and you know they will be safe. Good luck in getting your pup and cant wait to see pictures of him or her.


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## Jakerville (Jan 13, 2008)

I would have been a lost soul without the crate. Jake was one of those pups you had to keep your eye on 100% of the time. Even though I puppy-proofed my house, he would still find mischief to get into. He was potty trained very fast and I attribute that to the crate. I would think it depends on the pup's personality. If you have a quiet pup (is there such a thing?) maybe a crate wouldn't be needed. In our case, in was a downright necessity. At 14 months old, Jake still sleeps in his crate at night - lays down and is out like a light as soon as he goes in. And he's crated when I'm not home. I'm hoping when he gets older he'll become more trustworthy, but right now to let him have free rein when I'm not home is out of the question.


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## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

marshab1 said:


> I can understand why people crate train, but i don't feel it is necessary. In some respects I think it helped that we didn't use a crate all the time. We puppy proofed the house and if she started to do something wrong we corrected her. We've never had a problem with her chewing or destroying things. She had very few accidents in the house.
> .


I agree with Marshab1....I didn't use a crate for Jack, Biscuit or Sasha although I did have a crate (with no door) that Sasha would retreat into when she felt like taking a nap. I decided ahead of time that I didn't want to use a crate and it worked for me because I work from home, just like yourself. Puppy-proofing your house is the trick, plus having lots of appropriate toys for your pup to chew on. I have never really had any problem with them ruining the furniture (use Bitter Apple spray on the furniture if you see them starting to be attracted to any particular place) because I kept lots of cow hooves around for them to chew on---they love them! Of course, Biscuit still eats socks and underwear but that is his own personal bad habit that I think will be a problem all of his life.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

A crate (IMO) is a necessity if you show....

The kicker is sometimes you get bitten by the competition bug (agility, obedience, rally, tracking, carting etc) when you least expect it....so when you find yourself with a brillant pup, but he is not used to a crate...you then have to go back and get him acustomed to hanging around in a crate..


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## Merlins mom (Jun 20, 2007)

We've always used a crate and can't imagine not doing so! Like others have said, it can be a great help for potty training. For us, it was also a safe place for Merlin to be when we weren't at home, a nice time out when he (or we) needed it and it was his "safe place" too. We made it that way with fun toys and treats.

I think it also kept Merlin from forming bad habits such as chewing on things that didn't belong to him. He chewed on one shoe when he was 3 months old, and that has been it. No furniture, baseboards, clothes, etc. 

Obviously not everyone uses them, but unless you're ready to keep an eye on your pup 100% of the time, it's a good idea. And believe me, sometimes you WILL need a break!  Of course you may have an area in your house like the kitchen that you can block off, and that could work too.


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