# Is crate training necessary?



## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Not if you don't need I guess


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## PeanutsMom (Oct 14, 2007)

I believe there are some people who use crates too much. If you don't have problems I think you've done great without one


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

its not necessary....I simply found it easier. Before I got the crate Lucky was peeing on the kitchen floor (where he stayed at night), chewing up my children and getting into the wrapping paper, biting holes in my rug, eating the toilet paper......mainly because I couldn't watch him every minute.

So it worked for us, but doesn't sound like you need a crate.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I'm a firm believer in them. A dog, especially a puppy or young dog, is so much safer crated if alone in a house. And yes, it makes housebreaking simple and clean. 
I cannot imagine how we survived for so many years without them. Although, if you think about it, honestly, more dogs were "outside" dogs, and, if they weren't well trained and couldn't be lived with, off they went to "the pound".


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## Abbydabbydo (Jan 31, 2007)

I can only say they have worked well for me and my dogs. Not always the easiest in the beginning, but they became critical tools for my <ahem> well behaved dogs. But I have no doubt that some people have success without them. Good luck!


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

If it works for you without crates that is fine too. There is never one way to do things. Good luck in them continuing their good behavior.


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

i feel somewhat in the minority around here having not crate trained my dog.. i tried it, he did not take to it, and he has done just fine without one. i think for some dogs it is the best thing possible... for some, it simply just doesn't work for them. sounds like yours did just fine without crates, but if in the future you find yourself with a destructive puppy, i would definitely try one, as many people have great success with them.


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## Heidi36oh (Feb 27, 2007)

I have know got a 12 year old, 2 year old and two 1 years old's running my house without a crate. I used a baby gate for a while but there doing great without it now. Peanut was the only one I crated for about 1-2 month, there all doing really good without it.


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## FLPRD (Jan 8, 2008)

We NEVER used a crate with Brutus, from the day he came home until now at 3 years old and have not had a problem. He slept in bed with us from his first night here and slept through the night. I'm sure some need the crate but we had no need for it. He has full run of the house and doesn't harm a thing.


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## Lisa_and_Willow. (Dec 18, 2007)

I have never used a crate before and have had very few issues with my german shepherd or my JRT however I have got a crate for my golden pup. 

My main reason is that when I leave the house I do not know what could happen being my shepherd and the pup. He has never lived with a puppy before and is only 17 months old himself. When I had him my terrier was 12 and ignored him plus she was kept in the living room and he was kept in the kitchen.

If the pup annoys Diesel and I am not around I don't want him to feel stressed likewise I don't want him playing rough with the pup.


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## jiggy (Jan 11, 2008)

Ive never used a crate and not had any problems 
Jack does have his own little room though (utility room) where he can go if needs a bit of peace and quiet and for when he is alone.

xx


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## goldensmum (Oct 23, 2007)

I have never crated/caged any of mine and never had a problem (touching wood here), I guess it's a case of go with your gut feeling and your dog's needs.


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## Bailey & Bentley (Feb 25, 2007)

I tried crating with Bailey as a pup and it never worked out. We tried it with Bentley and it we only used it until he was housebroken and then we stopped. Some people love the crates and their dogs really love them, and others don't bother with them. I think it is preference. If you are not having any problems, then you probably don't need to crate.


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## IrishGold (Jan 1, 2008)

We tried crate training briefly but our Bailey _freaked_ out if the gate was closed. I'm talking fits here. I can totally understand their utility in our modern world but luckily we had our conservatory to basically use as his 'crate' in some ways. It's his space, it's the only room he's allowed on the sofa and his crate is in there with the gate removed and he often dozes in there anyway. I'd agree with others that it is a preference. In many instances it is eminently practical but i wouldn't feel pressured into it being an absolute necessity if you have a reasonable, and safe, alternative.


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## Ryan and Julie Ditton (Dec 22, 2007)

We have never used a crate. We have a small mudroom between the garage and den and use it to confine her when she has to be alone. At night she sleeps on her old sleeping bag next to the bed. Unless she gets woke up by one of our kids barging in the room in the middle of the night she sleeps fine.

Crate training is a choice and probably a necessity depending on your lifestyle. All I know is in month we have had our puppy we have not lost hardly any sleep by not putting her in a crate. We feel that we didn't adopt her as a family member to put her in a cage.


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

No crate needed in my world.


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## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

I crate trained my beagle mix and she is still crated when I leave the house because she will pee on the floor if no one is there to let her out. She does not use the bathroom in her crate. She is 4. Taz, my golden came to us at 14 months. She was completely housebroken at the time. I just kept her gated upstairs, and Sage, my lab mix, gated downstairs, since Taz was still new and Sage got a little testy with her sometimes. Well, one day, after about 3 months of perfect behavior, I came home to a 3 ft. by 3 ft. patch of carpet, pad and all, dug up in my hallway. This was carpet that we had only installed the year before for $2000. That night we went to my aunts house and got her XL crate. Taz is still crated while I'm at work, but she is fine when we're only gone for a few hours. I think she'd probably be fine while I'm at work too, but I like my stuff. And she lays in it when we're home too, with the door open, so I know she likes it. I can;t imagine not having a crate for my newest foster Petey. He is a little over 3 months old right now and a holy terror. I have to crate him when I can't directly supervise him or I have no idea what he'd be into!


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## Emma&Tilly (May 15, 2005)

I am of the firm belief that crates are FAR too overused...they are ok as a training tool and used as a bed area...but if a dog is confined to a cage all day long, everyday...then...well, that is a crappy existance, there are no two ways about it. I use one at flyball for Harry but they are not needed in the house. 

If you don't feel you need one then don't!


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Crates are wonderful tools..sure, just like any tool they can be over used.

However they are a great tool if:
If you are housebreaking a pup
If your pup is passing through an destructive adolescent phase
If your dog is recovering from surgery
If you travel and stay in hotels
If you are involved with dog shows of any type

My dogs are older now (4 & 9)...
They dont 'need' a crate...but I usually have one out anyway as the crate is a favored napping location.


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## wagondog (Aug 24, 2007)

naderalmaleh said:


> I lived with dogs almost my entire life.. But one thing I am hearing alot about lately is crate training!!
> 
> My two golden puppies are not crate trained and yet after 3 months they are housebroken and when i leave the house they don't follow me out and when i am back everything is in its place and only their toys are all over the place. They don't touch my stuff at all and only their toys, even my Adult German Shepard is also not crate trained and they are all fine, wherever I go and even in the car.
> 
> I have read alot about crate training but in my situation, do I have to crate train anyway? And why?


Two young Goldens and a Shepard, don't wreck your home, don't touch anything when your away? You sure they aren't stuffed animals.:doh:


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## Phoebe (Feb 8, 2006)

I like crates and all my dogs are crate trained. I also foster and crate training is required for all Col. Potter fosters. If your dogs are doing great without a crate, then really, I don't think you have to have your dogs crate trained. Keep in mind, however, that in the case of a natural disaster, and I'm thinking back to the floods a couple of years ago, many people discovered that hotels and shelters would not let dogs stay without a crate. I heard stories about that during the California fires as well. Here, if we have a tornado warning, I have additional crates in the basement and my dogs are put in those crates until the warnings are over. Also, if your dog has to be kenneled should you go out of town, or if your dog is ill and has to stay at a vet, being used to a crate makes conditions easier to adjust to. My golden, Lucy, was not crate trained, I tried when she came to live with us (she was three), she had severe separation anxiety and the crate would have been handy, however she went so spastic in the crate, I gave up right away. She ingested a box (industrial size) of rat poison that the neighbors landscapers placed on my property while doing work on the neighbor's yard, got very sick, we had to leave her at the emergency clinic overnight and she went nuts in that crate, they called us the next day and told us to come get her, she'd be better off at home than going through the extreme stress she was in. Now that I've had to train so many dogs to crate, I wish I had stuck to my guns with Lucy, as I do believe the crate would, in time, have given her a sense of security.

I've had dogs that did not like their crates before, but because it is required by my rescue, I've had to commit to the training. In my house, all my fosters have accepted and adjusted to their crates. One little puppy, Stevie, he fussed and complained and acted like he was going out of his mind, I stuck to it and within a couple of weeks he was accepting his crate with no complaints. However, the first night in his adoptive home, he went back to his old tricks, the family immediately gave up and he is no longer crate trained, but for five months he was crate trained here.

Jan, Seamus, Gracie, Phoebe & Duke


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I am sorry that there are those who still believe that crate training ("caging") is somehow cruel or a negative thing. All of my dogs essentially crate "train" themselves, as when I have a litter, an open crate (door removed) is in the puppy pen and they instinctively go in it of their own volition and obviously find it to be a safe, secure, and comfortable "den". A dog that is comfortable in a crate is, IMO, a dog that is going to be safe in many situations. I will not travel in a vehicle with uncrated dogs, in an accident a dog becomes a projectile, and are much safer, as are any passengers, when restrained. A dog that is comfortable in a crate is much more likely to acclimate to a new, unfamiliar situation when a crate is available to him. Young dogs are safer (as is property) when left alone in a home when they are crated. Once reliable, my dogs are loose in the house, so it is not the case that they are "caged" and not allowed to be a part of the family. 
Crate are not "necessary", per se, but neither are they a bad thing, and I personally find them to be a wonderful tool and do recommend them for anyone with a new puppy.


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## Emma&Tilly (May 15, 2005)

Of course cages aren't cruel if they are used correctly. I worry about the people that only get a dog because they know they can keep their home (or puppy) safe from harms way while they leave the house all day long. I worry when you hear of people getting a puppy, going back to full time work after a week and a pup is left caged for 10 hours solid. It does happen...a lot. Of course it DOES keep the puppy 'safe' but I would be very worried about the dogs quality of life. When crates are not misused (like most things!) they are very helpful and a great place for the dog to feel secure...all I am saying is they are sometimes used as an easy option for people that cannot provide enough time for a dog...if those same people didn't have that option and had to really think about their dogs life and the amount of time, mental stimulation they recieve, would they still get the dog? eg...a young boistrous adolescent dog is tearing up the house...why? because it is not exercised and bored out of its brains...yes, a cage would put a stop to the destructive behaviour but does it solve any of the problems? Nothing changes for the dog, the owners just come back to a tidy home. 

So used correctly for a sensible amount of time....they are great....used incorrectly then I feel they ARE a negative thing for the dog. It's all a matter of how they are used. 

(pointgold, I notice you have picked up on the use of the word 'cage'...I am from the UK and they are often referred to as cages. If you used the word 'crate' where I live no one would have a clue what you meant...and lets be honest, it is a wire box after all...which, to me is far more synonymous to the word 'cage' than crate is! To me a 'crate' is a wooden box that beer is stored in!)


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Emma&Tilly said:


> Of course cages aren't cruel if they are used correctly. I worry about the people that only get a dog because they know they can keep their home (or puppy) safe from harms way while they leave the house all day long. I worry when you hear of people getting a puppy, going back to full time work after a week and a pup is left caged for 10 hours solid. It does happen...a lot. Of course it DOES keep the puppy 'safe' but I would be very worried about the dogs quality of life. When crates are not misused (like most things!) they are very helpful and a great place for the dog to feel secure...all I am saying is they are sometimes used as an easy option for people that cannot provide enough time for a dog...if those same people didn't have that option and had to really think about their dogs life and the amount of time, mental stimulation they recieve, would they still get the dog? eg...a young boistrous adolescent dog is tearing up the house...why? because it is not exercised and bored out of its brains...yes, a cage would put a stop to the destructive behaviour but does it solve any of the problems? Nothing changes for the dog, the owners just come back to a tidy home.
> 
> So used correctly for a sensible amount of time....they are great....used incorrectly then I feel they ARE a negative thing for the dog. It's all a matter of how they are used.
> 
> (pointgold, I notice you have picked up on the use of the word 'cage'...I am from the UK and they are often referred to as cages. If you used the word 'crate' where I live no one would have a clue what you meant...and lets be honest, it is a wire box after all...which, to me is far more synonymous to the word 'cage' than crate is! To me a 'crate' is a wooden box that beer is stored in!)


I do understand the cultural differences in the useage of the two words. Being from the US, and teaching classes here for now going on 23 years, the word "caged" has negative conotations for a large percentage of the general pet owning public. And now, more people use the plastic "airline-type" carriers as opposed to wire. Some manufacturers now market them as "dens" in order to avoid any perception of "caging". 
I agree that as with anything, crates must be used correctly, and anyone who gets a dog or puppy and simply (crates,cages,dens) them for hours on end lsimply because they can, likely shouldn't have a pet in the first place.


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## Emma&Tilly (May 15, 2005)

Pointgold said:


> I agree that as with anything, crates must be used correctly, and anyone who gets a dog or puppy and simply (crates,cages,dens) them for hours on end lsimply because they can, likely shouldn't have a pet in the first place.


That is exactly what I am getting at...I feel the crate/cage/den/box with air holes (sorry!) is sometimes used as a way of managing a dog that an owner really shouldn't have...I have seen it with my very own eyes more than once...and it seems to be getting more frequent. Sometimes the negative associations to the word 'cage' are rightly placed...I can see why the manufacturers would want to avoid this!


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## naderalmaleh (Dec 11, 2007)

wagondog said:


> Two young Goldens and a Shepard, don't wreck your home, don't touch anything when your away? You sure they aren't stuffed animals.:doh:



The secret here is dog proofing your house!! That's what I did and it's amazing. Iam fine with my german but about the GR puppies you just have to keep an eye on them and introduce new objects to them gradually, with the use of the word NO!! firmly it works by time that they won't touch or play with this object. I don't know, it worked for me without any crates, i think that dogs sense what you do want and dont want them to do especially when you treat them as family members.

But still everytime I mention that Mia my GR puppy loves toilet paper rolls and towels I hear about crate training!! I had to research it and ask about it.. But so far Iam reading that many people didn't use crate training and anyway when any towel or toilet paper incident happens Lord immediately starts barking just to attract my attention to such behaviour  I think he's jealous hehehe My German is a lazy dog... doesn't interfere and rarely plays with the puppies after too many begging and jumping on him by my GR babies.

I think after all it's all about puppy and dog proofing your house you can train your dog. Though many people prefer crating.


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## Phoebe (Feb 8, 2006)

naderalmaleh said:


> The secret here is dog proofing your house!! That's what I did and it's amazing. Iam fine with my german but about the GR puppies you just have to keep an eye on them and introduce new objects to them gradually, with the use of the word NO!! firmly it works by time that they won't touch or play with this object. I don't know, it worked for me without any crates, i think that dogs sense what you do want and dont want them to do especially when you treat them as family members.
> 
> But still everytime I mention that Mia my GR puppy loves toilet paper rolls and towels I hear about crate training!! I had to research it and ask about it.. But so far Iam reading that many people didn't use crate training and anyway when any towel or toilet paper incident happens Lord immediately starts barking just to attract my attention to such behaviour  I think he's jealous hehehe My German is a lazy dog... doesn't interfere and rarely plays with the puppies after too many begging and jumping on him by my GR babies.
> 
> I think after all it's all about puppy and dog proofing your house you can train your dog. Though many people prefer crating.



Crate training does not mean you don't have to train your dog to behave in the house. My dogs all have to be taught not to chew rugs, furniture, not to countersurf, not to eat socks and other objects, etc. My house is dog proofed because I have fosters coming and going. They are trained to crate and trained to live freely in the house. If done correctly, the crate is simply somewhere the dog can go if it chooses, a place you can put the dog if you need to, but in no way does it mean that the dog doesn't require proper training to live in the house. My dogs no longer need a crate when I leave my home, they are all well behaved, trustworthy dogs. However, my dogs chose to go to their crates when I am getting ready to leave. Seamus' crate is actually stored on top of Gracie's and he wags his tail and waits for me to put his crate on the floor and happily hops in. I can take my dogs to a hotel, put them in their crates, leave them in the room while I go to dinner and the dogs don't make a peep. My SIL did not crate train her dogs, when we travel with them, we have to leave them in the car when we go to dinner or order pizza in because we cannot leave the dogs alone in the room, they cry and scratch at the door. We go to horse shows all summer and it gets too hot to leave dogs in cars, the fact that they are not crate trained limits what we can do when we're not at the show. I can't think of what the negative is to crate training (aside from somebody thinking they can leave a dog in a crate all day), but I can think of many negatives to not training the dog to crate. I don't think you HAVE to crate train a dog, but should you ever get into a situation where one might be beneficial, it is nice when they are crate trained.

Jan, Seamus, Gracie, Phoebe & Duke


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## naderalmaleh (Dec 11, 2007)

Phoebe said:


> Crate training does not mean you don't have to train your dog to behave in the house. My dogs all have to be taught not to chew rugs, furniture, not to countersurf, not to eat socks and other objects, etc. My house is dog proofed because I have fosters coming and going. They are trained to crate and trained to live freely in the house. If done correctly, the crate is simply somewhere the dog can go if it chooses, a place you can put the dog if you need to, but in no way does it mean that the dog doesn't require proper training to live in the house. My dogs no longer need a crate when I leave my home, they are all well behaved, trustworthy dogs. However, my dogs chose to go to their crates when I am getting ready to leave. Seamus' crate is actually stored on top of Gracie's and he wags his tail and waits for me to put his crate on the floor and happily hops in. I can take my dogs to a hotel, put them in their crates, leave them in the room while I go to dinner and the dogs don't make a peep. My SIL did not crate train her dogs, when we travel with them, we have to leave them in the car when we go to dinner or order pizza in because we cannot leave the dogs alone in the room, they cry and scratch at the door. We go to horse shows all summer and it gets too hot to leave dogs in cars, the fact that they are not crate trained limits what we can do when we're not at the show. I can't think of what the negative is to crate training (aside from somebody thinking they can leave a dog in a crate all day), but I can think of many negatives to not training the dog to crate. I don't think you HAVE to crate train a dog, but should you ever get into a situation where one might be beneficial, it is nice when they are crate trained.
> 
> Jan, Seamus, Gracie, Phoebe & Duke


It's very convincing the way you talk about crates and you're right. So my conclusion here is I don't think it's necessary but it's good if the dog is crate trained! And as I read before from other threads, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO CRATE TRAIN so I guess I'll ask the school trainer how to start with it..


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

In my house there was no such thing as a puppy proof environment. Anything was a chew toy. How do you keep the carpet and sofa picked up and out of puppies way? 

Of course we don't need a crate to train a pup. But its a great tool to make it easier for some puppies in some family situations to learn house rules and toilet training. How do you pay attention to a puppy when you are focused on helping the kids with the home work or sauteing somthing on the stove? 

Before the crate I was cooking and training Lucky from chewing my molding all at the same time. Not very effective. So I leashed him to the wall to keep him away from the molding, the frying pan (and my pant legs). The only other option was to put him outside. Luckily our fence was down or I would have. 

Another reason a crate is nice is that if you have kids, its easier to know your dog and kids are safe. My kids were not allowed to get around Lucky's crate and I was comfortable knowing their wouldn't be any nipped children or hurt puppy while I took a shower or was occupied.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

naderalmaleh said:


> It's very convincing the way you talk about crates and you're right. So my conclusion here is I don't think it's necessary but it's good if the dog is crate trained! And as I read before from other threads, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO CRATE TRAIN so I guess I'll ask the school trainer how to start with it..


Actually I had never thought about Pheobe's logic either...and it does make sense. I just figured that it can be useful, but mostly in the training stage. It was a nice experience to finally rid my house of the crate.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

The crate or CAGE (which really is a more apt description... and I do like the idea of calling a thing exactly what it is) is only a tool. You can use it or abuse it or do without it altogether. I just believe, when used properly, it makes raising a well-mannered puppy a little easier and faster. Sure you must train the puppy in all the rules of the house... this requires a lot of 'face time' with the puppy... but what do you do when the rest of your life calls? phone rings, time to make dinner, gotta take a bath, go to the store, need to sleep, mow the grass, etc... and for some people... *MUST NOW GO TO WORK!* Its so much better if there is a safe place to put puppy until you can again provide 100% of your attention to interacting (ie. guiding behavior) with the little one. Using this philosophy we've managed to raise 3 puppies to the point of being trustworthy and having full run of the house by 16-weeks of age... that's the time we retire the crate (cage). There are many clever uses for a cage... remember its just a tool and how you choose to use it, or not, makes all the difference.


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## montysue (Jan 30, 2008)

wow! How did you curtail the chewing on furniture while you were away ? My Monty does not do it when I am wiht him but sometimes I see him interested in floor boards, table corners etc ? Did yours never exhibit this behaviour ?


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