Jump to content

To Those Who Wonder Why We Crate Train


piper
 Share

Recommended Posts

I know crate training gets brought up on here a lot, especially by people wondering why and if it is beneficial.

Tonight I am seeing the full benefit of a well crate trained dog. I got home from work to my poor Piper in a large amount of pain and hardly able to move. A phone call to the vet, over there for a consult and a shot of pain relief and home we came. The vet told me the pain relief would make her drowsy and she should be kept quiet and allowed to rest. Easier said than done - Piper moves anytime I move and she was resisting the drowsiness and forcing herself to keep moving to check on me. Watching her in obvious pain trying to be my shadow as she normally is was as painful for me as the injury is to her I think.

I went out to the car and got the soft crate out, set that up with a couple of nice big blankets and put her in there. She is now sleeping soundly, resting and hopefully getting the benefits of the pain relief. Within a minute of me putting her in there she was laying down and relaxing. I'm quite sure without the crate she would still be trying to move and monitor activities in the house.

I rarely use the crate at home, mostly they get crated at training. Piper at 11 has hardly been crated at all in the last 5 years but tonight when she needed to be able to go somewhere to relax and rest we had a way of making that happen with no stress to her at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know crate training gets brought up on here a lot, especially by people wondering why and if it is beneficial.

Tonight I am seeing the full benefit of a well crate trained dog. I got home from work to my poor Piper in a large amount of pain and hardly able to move. A phone call to the vet, over there for a consult and a shot of pain relief and home we came. The vet told me the pain relief would make her drowsy and she should be kept quiet and allowed to rest. Easier said than done - Piper moves anytime I move and she was resisting the drowsiness and forcing herself to keep moving to check on me. Watching her in obvious pain trying to be my shadow as she normally is was as painful for me as the injury is to her I think.

I went out to the car and got the soft crate out, set that up with a couple of nice big blankets and put her in there. She is now sleeping soundly, resting and hopefully getting the benefits of the pain relief. Within a minute of me putting her in there she was laying down and relaxing. I'm quite sure without the crate she would still be trying to move and monitor activities in the house.

I rarely use the crate at home, mostly they get crated at training. Piper at 11 has hardly been crated at all in the last 5 years but tonight when she needed to be able to go somewhere to relax and rest we had a way of making that happen with no stress to her at all.

I hope she feels better soon and yes I agree crate training is one of the best things you can teach your dog :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have two dogs. One crate trained and the other isn't. Non-crate trained dog was in and out of hospital (seriously ill). Hospitalisation and confinement was very upsetting for him and he became very aggressive and stressed during the hospitalisation.

Crate trained dog injured his foot and was crated for a period of time ... he was very relaxed and wasn't the slightest bit anxious about being confined ... and he is normally a very high drive dog that hadly ever sits still.

Highly recommend crate training ... :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have one dog here who has completely refused to crate train - and when she broke her leg a while back, she actually destroyed a steel mesh crate and got loose. When she had to go to the vet for her desexing surgery, we advised of this fact and they accommodated her just fine.

My other 2 dogs and all of my fosters are crate trained, and none have had any issues.

T.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Funny that this has come up, because I was just talking about it on FB this morning. My dogs are both crate trained, thank goodness, as they both did damage to themselves at 6 months and had to be crated for 6 weeks.

People have strange reactions to the crate in our lounge room, non dog people can't believe that we would put our dogs in a cage. Oh noes!

Here are the miserable beasts:

524159_2098128269418_1731746953_1106007_1734829454_n.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I crate train everyone here as I want the ability to keep control. I like being able to separate my dogs in situations. Like last night we had the niece and nephew here and as we have a dog who is unfamiliar with kids popped her in her crate and off we went no issues :)

ATM I have 3 kids chilling out in crates to keep them quiet and settled

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is a good plan for those times ...

:o no crates here... all ours are tether trained, and we have short tethers indoors for when dogs need to be restrained/rested/whatever .. same principle though- the dogs need to be trained to it, , and , like old Gertie - when her back plays up .. and she is tethered under the kitchen table on her bed, she is quite happy to lie there with her hot wheatbag and blanket :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

my lot fight over the crate.....

its supposed to be leo's but sophie is his shadow and they share... but it can get crowded with a huge number in there. like 6... they are jossling for position.

sophie can't hold on all night... so i can't make her sleep in there... although atm now i am leaving for work at 4.30 i could let her out... and she might start to streeeeetch out her pee stops.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

good timing for this post, as we need some advice.

my gsd is crate trained (and that's pretty much how he got toilet trained).

but in the last month or so, he has just been sleeping on his cushions minus crate in the lounge room (with no problem), though once in a while I let him sleep in the crate.

the reason is, we will be getting a bernese puppy in a few weeks and i would like to crate train her using the gsd's crate, but her own cushions. our house is too small for two big crates.

do you think this is fine? or will the gsd get confused because another dog is sleeping in his crate?

thanks in advance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I have to admit the concept of putting a dog in a cage was alien to me years ago but I wouldn't be without my crates/cages now!

They make life much easier in a multiple dog family and the girls love going in them. It's their refuge from when I'm ranting at the adult/kids :laugh: It's a "time out" for us and them. :) Great for youngies, when unable to keep an eye on them 100% and when I had two sick girls with a shocking case of Gastro a couple of years ago it saved my sanity as the poor babes were pooping liquid and had to be crated on newspaper and bottoms washed after each episode. :(

Hope Piper is feeling well again soon. :kissbetter:

Edited by LizT
Link to comment
Share on other sites

good timing for this post, as we need some advice.

my gsd is crate trained (and that's pretty much how he got toilet trained).

but in the last month or so, he has just been sleeping on his cushions minus crate in the lounge room (with no problem), though once in a while I let him sleep in the crate.

the reason is, we will be getting a bernese puppy in a few weeks and i would like to crate train her using the gsd's crate, but her own cushions. our house is too small for two big crates.

do you think this is fine? or will the gsd get confused because another dog is sleeping in his crate?

thanks in advance.

If you can only fit one large crate in your lounge clearly you will need it for the puppy. Just keep an eye on how the GSD deals with it. He could feel a little "put out" literally. Although the more time he is spending on his cushions helps, make him feel special with his new bedding arrangements and prasie him when he is on them.

Also giving the crate a good scrub out to help remove his scent might help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I foster so crate train all the fosters..

Ziggy thinks he is missing out, so puts himself in the crate when the foster comes out in the morning.

He eats his bones in a spare crate that is set up on the back deck...

I suppose it makes sense to train him to stay in one just in case I ever need him to...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...