When did you stop crate training?

browndog · 10-08-2011, 09:05 PM

Our Katey is 9 months old now and is housebroken for the most part. She has the odd accident indoors...maybe one every 3 weeks, mostly if I miss her cues that she needs to go out. (her cues are subtle). We crate trained her for the first four months and then started leaving her in the kitchen when we were out and she liked this better than being in the crate during the day so we went with it as there is nothing for her to get into in the kitchen. Now the only time she spends in her crate is at night to sleep. I put her in when she is super tired and close the door and she sleeps there till morning when she taps on the crate door to tell me she wants out.

My question is should I just keep putting her in the crate at night to sleep? Does anyone have an adult labradoodle who still sleeps in their crate? Do most people stop having them sleep in their crate after awhile?

I'm just a little confused as when we were first got her everyone stressed how important it was that we crate train her. Was this just to help housetrain, and then once they are housetrained you stop using it? Is there any benefit to continue having them sleep in their crate into adulthood?

Thanks.
Katey's mom

Jasper'sMomma · 10-08-2011, 09:15 PM

jasper is only 7 months but he is only in the crate when we are not home or if we are cleaning...at night he sleeps in our room with us, we close the bedroom door so he cant go roam the house. he usually sleeps on the floor in the master bath, lol...but it is his choice...

he has not had an accident since the 2nd week he was home, but the crate is more than just for accidents...he is in there while we are not home so that he cant chew on things or get into mischief with that doodle curiosity...

also, even if you don't want to lock the door to it...Iwould leave out and just leave the door open, we catch both of our dogs napping in there even while we are home...they grow to see it as their own space...

just some of my thoughts...

Nikkiey · 10-09-2011, 10:18 AM

We crate trained Juneau, but we stopped using it at night when he was around the 5 month mark. He now sleeps in our room, with the bedroom door closed. We bought him one of those Costco beds and that's where he sleeps now (well that and at the foot of the bed on my side). The main reason we stopped using a crate at night was because we used to have the large plastic one and Juneau would get so hot in it and pant most of the night, if we had had one of the wire one (with better air flow) we might still be using it, who knows!

As for when we aren't home, we made a dog run for him. We fenced off the side of our house for him and put a doggie door in the side door so he can get in and out of the garage. Juneau has really bad separation anxiety so leaving him in our house, free to roam, isn't really an option right now.

Juneau still uses a crate when we're in the vehicle, this way we know it will be something he's constantly exposed to so if we travel somewhere and need him to be in a crate, he won't have a panic attack when we put him in there. We also have one in our house so he can go hang out in there whenever he likes.

Ace's Place · 10-10-2011, 12:29 PM

Hey there,
Ace was crate trained. At about 5 or 6 months he began sleeping on a dog bed in our bedroom at night. At first we were concerned he may walk out of the room and wander, but he just wants to be with us the pack - he doesn't go anywhere.
He's 10 months now and has run of house with the exclusion of some rooms. I find that he is basically "frozen in time" sleeping while we are out and doesn't touch anything - altho we are careful to not leave clutter for him to get into...So I don't see what the purpose would be to keep her in the crate at night. Throw down a dog bed by the side of your bed and see how it goes....and if your dog still has accidents you would need to take her out for one last potty break right before bed ( you prob already do).....

Ace's Place · 10-10-2011, 12:32 PM

Oh - actually now I remember that we specifically put him to bed in the crate like we would normally do and left the crate door open. Next to that we laid down a dog bed. He kind of transitioned himself. When he did that (just a coupla nights) we then took out the crate.....

**lindamarie** · 10-10-2011, 12:56 PM

Well....I think we started to block off an area at around 4-5 months. We put up some collapsible "walls" and blocked off entrance to the living room for entrance to the rest of the house.
So, he then had run of the bedroom, hall and bathroom.
One night, I heard him chewing on my antique and expensive dresser leg. ACK!!
So, back in the crate he went for another 3 weeks or so.
Then, we tried it again. After a month or so, we took down all the barriers, crossed our fingers and let him go!
He did very well.

Now, he still loves his crate and we cannot take it away from him. He loves to go in during the day and loves to sleep in it at night.
This is HIS place and he loves it!

Daisy'sMom · 10-10-2011, 09:09 PM

Daisy slowly "earned" her freedom in our home. I don't recall how many months she was when she got 100% free roam all the time. But I do recall for sleeping at night - for Daisy's first birthday we bought her a dog bed and let her start sleeping in our bedroom at night and out of the crate. I worried she'd wander the house at night so we held off until she was 12 months old. We kind of laughed at ourselves because it was so uneventful, she dove into her bed and stayed in it all night from the very first night, she was more than ready. I just value sleep so much for myself that we weren't willing to take the risk until she turned 1 year old

deepnite10 · 10-10-2011, 11:55 PM

all of our dogs including Toby have no restriction in the house..with a doggie door, they ve been train d to use it..

as a new pup..i had no problems at all..he was crate train d in 2 days and potty train d inside 2 weeks..but, that was training in the use of the doggie door..

after he started going using the doggie door on command i released him from use of the crate..*potty* was the command to go outside and do his business..within 2 days he got the idea..to the point when he went out and did nt have to potty..he just faked one to get back into the house..

browndog · 10-11-2011, 12:31 PM

Thanks everyone for the replies. Lots to think about. I think for now we are going to continue having her sleep in the crate for awhile longer as she still seems to like it. Just doesn't like it when she is awake during the day so that is why we put her in the kitchen. She has been limping lately on her front right leg and she has a vet appointment this week, so it may turn out that we need to use the crate if she ends up having a procedure done that requires rest, so we shall keep up the nightly crate training for now just in case. Having a puppy has been such a learning experience. They are all so different, it really helps hearing other people's experience. So thank you again for your input.

-Katey's mama

**lindamarie** · 10-12-2011, 11:38 AM

Awwww......wonder why she is limping!?

These doodles are like our kids! We hate seeing them hurt....and being "members of the wolf pack"........they can hide pain so well!

subguy812 · 10-13-2011, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasper'sMomma

jasper is only 7 months but he is only in the crate when we are not home or if we are cleaning...at night he sleeps in our room with us, we close the bedroom door so he cant go roam the house. he usually sleeps on the floor in the master bath, lol...but it is his choice...

he has not had an accident since the 2nd week he was home, but the crate is more than just for accidents...he is in there while we are not home so that he cant chew on things or get into mischief with that doodle curiosity...

also, even if you don't want to lock the door to it...Iwould leave out and just leave the door open, we catch both of our dogs napping in there even while we are home...they grow to see it as their own space...

just some of my thoughts...

I am glad you typed this response to save me from typing so much

. These are my thoughts and my experiences with crates. Cody is not kept in his crate unless it is time for sleep, we are leaving the house or does something wrong. The crate is a tool. The door is left open and Cody wanders in and out at will when I am home during hours awake. If he gets into some mischief he wanders into his crate on his own. I believe the crate makes for happier dogs and owners, it establishes boundaries. Recently I went around the corner to the store and left him out, when I returned he ran to his crate. I knew I needed to look for something he had done, I searched and saw nothing, and then I went into the bathroom. I noticed the toilet water was a little shallow and there was sand & dirt in the bottom. It was obvious he had been drinking for the toilet and the bathroom is off limits. I have had dogs that I could never trust to alone when I was not home and I have had others that I could. The jury is still out with Cody.

deepnite10 · 10-14-2011, 12:40 AM

by all means..if you feel Katey has an injury, keep her in the crate..

if you have nt already visited the vet..check her paw for any objects that my have stuck her..

early on..Toby was limping and the vet said it was just a slight sprain and just need d rest for a few days..

browndog · 10-14-2011, 02:07 AM

We are taking her back to the vet on Saturday as her limp is getting worse. Vet thought it was a sprain and suggested rest. We have been resting her but instead of getting better it is getting worse. I am going to ask for an xray on Saturday. It is her front leg and when we examine it and squeeze it nothing hurts, just when she gets up from lying down she limps for a few minutes. It may be her elbow... not sure. Poor thing. She tries to pretend there is nothing wrong. She doesn't like to slow down that's for sure! I will let you know what the vet says. Thanks for the tips. So nice to have the support out there that this forum offers.

10-08-2011, 09:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
browndog Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 76	When did you stop crate training? Our Katey is 9 months old now and is housebroken for the most part. She has the odd accident indoors...maybe one every 3 weeks, mostly if I miss her cues that she needs to go out. (her cues are subtle). We crate trained her for the first four months and then started leaving her in the kitchen when we were out and she liked this better than being in the crate during the day so we went with it as there is nothing for her to get into in the kitchen. Now the only time she spends in her crate is at night to sleep. I put her in when she is super tired and close the door and she sleeps there till morning when she taps on the crate door to tell me she wants out. My question is should I just keep putting her in the crate at night to sleep? Does anyone have an adult labradoodle who still sleeps in their crate? Do most people stop having them sleep in their crate after awhile? I'm just a little confused as when we were first got her everyone stressed how important it was that we crate train her. Was this just to help housetrain, and then once they are housetrained you stop using it? Is there any benefit to continue having them sleep in their crate into adulthood? Thanks. Katey's mom

10-10-2011, 12:56 PM	#6 (permalink)
lindamarie Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Birmingham, Michigan Posts: 6,171	Well....I think we started to block off an area at around 4-5 months. We put up some collapsible "walls" and blocked off entrance to the living room for entrance to the rest of the house. So, he then had run of the bedroom, hall and bathroom. One night, I heard him chewing on my antique and expensive dresser leg. ACK!! So, back in the crate he went for another 3 weeks or so. Then, we tried it again. After a month or so, we took down all the barriers, crossed our fingers and let him go! He did very well. Now, he still loves his crate and we cannot take it away from him. He loves to go in during the day and loves to sleep in it at night. This is HIS place and he loves it! __________________ Linda & Bogart Dogs=Unconditional love "We have it all! Just like Bogie & Bacall!"

10-12-2011, 11:38 AM	#10 (permalink)
lindamarie Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Birmingham, Michigan Posts: 6,171	Awwww......wonder why she is limping!? These doodles are like our kids! We hate seeing them hurt....and being "members of the wolf pack"........they can hide pain so well! __________________ Linda & Bogart Dogs=Unconditional love "We have it all! Just like Bogie & Bacall!"

10-08-2011, 09:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
Jasper'sMomma Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Frisco, TX (in the DFW metroplex) Posts: 138	jasper is only 7 months but he is only in the crate when we are not home or if we are cleaning...at night he sleeps in our room with us, we close the bedroom door so he cant go roam the house. he usually sleeps on the floor in the master bath, lol...but it is his choice... he has not had an accident since the 2nd week he was home, but the crate is more than just for accidents...he is in there while we are not home so that he cant chew on things or get into mischief with that doodle curiosity... also, even if you don't want to lock the door to it...Iwould leave out and just leave the door open, we catch both of our dogs napping in there even while we are home...they grow to see it as their own space... just some of my thoughts...

10-09-2011, 10:18 AM	#3 (permalink)
Nikkiey Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Alberta, Canda Posts: 196	We crate trained Juneau, but we stopped using it at night when he was around the 5 month mark. He now sleeps in our room, with the bedroom door closed. We bought him one of those Costco beds and that's where he sleeps now (well that and at the foot of the bed on my side). The main reason we stopped using a crate at night was because we used to have the large plastic one and Juneau would get so hot in it and pant most of the night, if we had had one of the wire one (with better air flow) we might still be using it, who knows! As for when we aren't home, we made a dog run for him. We fenced off the side of our house for him and put a doggie door in the side door so he can get in and out of the garage. Juneau has really bad separation anxiety so leaving him in our house, free to roam, isn't really an option right now. Juneau still uses a crate when we're in the vehicle, this way we know it will be something he's constantly exposed to so if we travel somewhere and need him to be in a crate, he won't have a panic attack when we put him in there. We also have one in our house so he can go hang out in there whenever he likes.

10-10-2011, 12:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ace's Place Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 124	Hey there, Ace was crate trained. At about 5 or 6 months he began sleeping on a dog bed in our bedroom at night. At first we were concerned he may walk out of the room and wander, but he just wants to be with us the pack - he doesn't go anywhere. He's 10 months now and has run of house with the exclusion of some rooms. I find that he is basically "frozen in time" sleeping while we are out and doesn't touch anything - altho we are careful to not leave clutter for him to get into...So I don't see what the purpose would be to keep her in the crate at night. Throw down a dog bed by the side of your bed and see how it goes....and if your dog still has accidents you would need to take her out for one last potty break right before bed ( you prob already do).....

10-10-2011, 12:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
Ace's Place Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 124	Oh - actually now I remember that we specifically put him to bed in the crate like we would normally do and left the crate door open. Next to that we laid down a dog bed. He kind of transitioned himself. When he did that (just a coupla nights) we then took out the crate.....

10-10-2011, 09:09 PM	#7 (permalink)
Daisy'sMom Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 202	Daisy slowly "earned" her freedom in our home. I don't recall how many months she was when she got 100% free roam all the time. But I do recall for sleeping at night - for Daisy's first birthday we bought her a dog bed and let her start sleeping in our bedroom at night and out of the crate. I worried she'd wander the house at night so we held off until she was 12 months old. We kind of laughed at ourselves because it was so uneventful, she dove into her bed and stayed in it all night from the very first night, she was more than ready. I just value sleep so much for myself that we weren't willing to take the risk until she turned 1 year old

10-10-2011, 11:55 PM	#8 (permalink)
deepnite10 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Norcal Posts: 1,358	all of our dogs including Toby have no restriction in the house..with a doggie door, they ve been train d to use it.. as a new pup..i had no problems at all..he was crate train d in 2 days and potty train d inside 2 weeks..but, that was training in the use of the doggie door.. after he started going using the doggie door on command i released him from use of the crate..potty was the command to go outside and do his business..within 2 days he got the idea..to the point when he went out and did nt have to potty..he just faked one to get back into the house..

10-11-2011, 12:31 PM	#9 (permalink)
browndog Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 76	Thanks everyone for the replies. Lots to think about. I think for now we are going to continue having her sleep in the crate for awhile longer as she still seems to like it. Just doesn't like it when she is awake during the day so that is why we put her in the kitchen. She has been limping lately on her front right leg and she has a vet appointment this week, so it may turn out that we need to use the crate if she ends up having a procedure done that requires rest, so we shall keep up the nightly crate training for now just in case. Having a puppy has been such a learning experience. They are all so different, it really helps hearing other people's experience. So thank you again for your input. -Katey's mama

10-14-2011, 12:40 AM	#12 (permalink)
deepnite10 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Norcal Posts: 1,358	by all means..if you feel Katey has an injury, keep her in the crate.. if you have nt already visited the vet..check her paw for any objects that my have stuck her.. early on..Toby was limping and the vet said it was just a slight sprain and just need d rest for a few days..

10-14-2011, 02:07 AM	#13 (permalink)
browndog Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 76	We are taking her back to the vet on Saturday as her limp is getting worse. Vet thought it was a sprain and suggested rest. We have been resting her but instead of getting better it is getting worse. I am going to ask for an xray on Saturday. It is her front leg and when we examine it and squeeze it nothing hurts, just when she gets up from lying down she limps for a few minutes. It may be her elbow... not sure. Poor thing. She tries to pretend there is nothing wrong. She doesn't like to slow down that's for sure! I will let you know what the vet says. Thanks for the tips. So nice to have the support out there that this forum offers.

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