Everyone Says...crate... But...

[wolf_Q]

I don't think that you should necessarily have to keep him in a crate while you are away, BUT I *do* think that having a dog that is used to being in a crate is very important. If you ever have to leave him at a vet, groomers, etc. a dog that is comfortable in a crate is a lot easier to deal with, and less stressful on the dog.

[ChrisH]

Bob is the only dog I have owned that has been crated, indeed, five years ago it took some searching to find a crate to buy, before I got him I had not even heard of crating a dog, even nowadays it is not a common thing to do over here! I do not know of anyone else who crates, but that may be just that I move in the wrong circles!

Thinking back over the years most my RB dogs did not need crating anyway, Prince, Duke, PrinceII, Blue, Duchess, and even Max for the greater part of his life, always had someone home with them so the need for a crate didn`t arise. Penny, my dog before Bob was a whole different case. How I wish I had a crate for her while I was at work. Destroyer she should have been named for destroy she did, curtains, sofas & chairs, lino, doors and she even made holes in the wall! Beside, a crate may have helped with the howling stuff....
Anyway, although I wasn`t working when I got Bob I still got him a crate, for a few reasons. The usual ones, training, somewhere for him to feel and be secure, etc, and also because my home is small and I was taking care of my baby grandaughter at the same time and I wanted to be able to keep them apart as and when needed, (I also used baby gates as they both grew! ).
In our case the crate has turned out to be a best ever buy! Bob took to it like a duck to water, - he still loves it, its his `den`- and as he turned out to be a chewer it saved me a lot of, what shall I call it? aggravation?

So, I think crates are great when needed but within the circumstances you describe with Mr Binx I don` t think one is. If it were me I would not bother crating Mr Binx. If confinement to one area was needed, permanently or on occasion, I would use a baby gate as Karen suggested.

Big hugs to that gorgeous big boy!
Chris

[Karen]

Originally posted by wolf_Q
If you ever have to leave him at a vet, groomers, etc. a dog that is comfortable in a crate is a lot easier to deal with, and less stressful on the dog.

From her description of Binx, he's a typical Saint - laid back guy, and won't care whether he's in a crate or not when at the vet or anywhere else. He'd RATHER be with his human, but otherwise, who cares? is a typical Saintly attitude. Stress? That's for OTHER dogs.

[shais_mom]

I have to cage Keegan when I am at work. She gets into stuff when I am here I can only imagine what she would do when I am not!
I hope to one day let her out of her crate while I am gone. Maybe after the puppy stage.
Binx sounds like a great boy!
Can't wait to meet him!

[Cinder & Smoke]

Originally posted by Cataholic
As to Binx, teeth, and crating,
we will just have to see how "saintly" he remains!!!

How did Binx react to his crate the few times he's been confined in it?

None of my dogs have ever been crated at home...
and I've never had a Vet tell me that any of them acted "badly" when crated during a Vet visit.

Most of the Kids have experienced confinement of one sort or another during their puppy or initial periods after adoption - usually by being secured with a short chain (6-8 feet long) to a corner of the basement. With NOTHING other than toys, blankie, and water bowl within reach of the chain. I always felt they had a LOT more freedom and a larger area with the chain than if they were in a crate.

Shadow (Shepherd/Husky RB ) had a surgical complication during spaying - after her THIRD surgery in two days , she had SOO much IV fluid she had to be confined in the kitchen (she was *constantly* *p-ing* for 3 days)! I used a chair barricade at one end and a borrowed baby gate at the other. That's when I learned a baby gate will NOT hold back a 50# dog that seriously wants to sleep on the BigBed with Dad! (We got up a lot for "outies" that last night!)

Cinder only spent the first couple nights in the basement *On-the-Chain*; potty training wasn't an issue! She had a relapse with "Furniture Chewing" that required a few weeks of Time-Out Chain confinement if I had to leave her in the house, but she took the hint and hasn't bothered anything since she was a year or so old.

Smokey "graduated" from the Time-Out Chain in the basement to a short leash tied to the bed after just a few nights. He had a minor set-back (THREE *p's* upstairs ) and spent a few evenings "On-the-Chain" before he figured out that marking the howze was NOT an approved social event.

Summation? If Mr Binx remains trustworthy and doesn't have accidents, doesn't chew, and doesn't ** Chaze Katz, then I'd say leave well enough alone! But *WATCH* out for electrical cord chewing! That can be fatal! Even a *hint* of interest in a wire or cord should result in Swift Punishment to nip THAT problem before it becomes a habit.

Keep on being a Saintly *GUD BOY*, Mr Binx!!

[marysmerrycats]

ok so you don't have dogs, but, what about pics of Miss Hoppy?

[Aspen and Misty]

We crate trained Nova who is 2 years old. The only reson we did was because when we took her on trips she was awful! There was no way we could EVER take her anywhere, so we crated her in the van and since then she just moves about a little and normally finds a nice spot to sleep. She is not in her crate all day though, there is no need for it to be used. She is comptly 100% house trained and she never gets into anything. I do liek the fact she is crate trained though because on trips to my grandmoths she loves to sleep in her crate because it is her own spot and I think it's comforting. But I dont' see why you would need to and don't stress over it, he is your dog, you don't have to crate train if you don't want. And you obviously are doing everything wonderfulyl!!

Ash

[slleipnir]

I don't think you really need to..I've never crated mine and they seem fine if there were at the vets or w/e..then again I never travel with them either but I doubt they'd mind. I guess it depends on the dog..All I did was keep mine in the kitchen till they were old enough to not eat everything

[Albea]

You probably had enough opinions about crating by now but anyway here's my experience: I had three Goldens in the last 26 years and none of them was ever crated.I got my first one, Natasha the Red Menace, from a breeder who insisted on my getting a crate. I brought it home and never used it, I ended up giving it to somebody who had a ferret. All the dogs came as puppies and stayed in the kitchen while I was at work until they were trustworthy enough to be left alone in the house. Because I worked very long hours, I even trained them to use a safe place with paper in the basement. Believe me, this was very usefull once when I was stuck overnight at the University due to a blizzard that closed the state.
So, if baby Binx is as good as you say, and looking at his face is not hard to believe it, I don't see the point in crating him. Karen is right, Binxey is a laid back St. Bernard who would rather be with you, or take a long nap when you're gone than get into trouble.
Please give him a big hug from me.

[tikeyas_mom]

Tikeya was never creat trained, she would freak lol.

if she peed in the house she would get her nose rubbed in it. if she popped, he was make her smell it, then she would go out side.

Oscar WAS creat trained a little. he was mostly paper trained though. We hung a bell off the door at his level and we would ring it everytime he peed or pooped on the paper. Soon enough he rang it when he wanted out. . sweet hey? I think so !!

our friends have a unaltered dach hund, he is created all the time and ALWAS pees and poops in the house. Yuk!

[tikeyas_mom]

Originally posted by wolf_Q
I don't think that you should necessarily have to keep him in a crate while you are away, BUT I *do* think that having a dog that is used to being in a crate is very important. If you ever have to leave him at a vet, groomers, etc. a dog that is comfortable in a crate is a lot easier to deal with, and less stressful on the dog.

that is very true! Tikeya was never creat trained and when she had to stay at the vets over night she screamed all night, the vets thoguht she was dieing. She hated it!! Good thing that wont have to happen again.