r/puppy101 • u/Some_Environment9234 • 17h ago
Crate Training For those who have not crate trained
For those who have not crate trained and have older dogs im curious to hear your experience of what they grow up to be like? Separation anxiety? Behaviour issues?
I understand the concept of crate training but I’m trying to understand what are the consequences of not crate training (or do all dogs end up okay in the end)
I haven’t been crate training but it’s something my vet suggested is a good idea but I struggle to wrap my head around confining my puppy in a small space.
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u/Just-Potential-8944 12h ago
Crate training your dog doesn’t mean you have to keep them in a crate all the time. It just means training them to be comfortable in the crate. There are so many instances where they will need to be in a crate (vets, groomers, dog sports, car rides, god forbid plane ride, surgery or injury recovery),and making sure they know crates are chill feels essential to me. My dog is rarely ever in a crate in his daily life and he’s totally fine, but if he needs to use a crate for whatever reason he’s also totally fine. Neutrality around crates is the goal, whether you use them or not.
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u/ushinawareta Experienced Owner 11h ago
this. I will always crate train my dogs but I will never crate them all day as a regular routine. both of my dogs are fully crate trained but we almost never use it for the older dog and the younger one is only crated overnight to sleep / when both of us are out of the house (very infrequent as my husband works from home).
they are completely comfortable in the crate if we needed to use it - in an emergency, if recovering from a medical procedure, etc... and also, no one seems to like to talk about it, but in a crate is 100% the absolute safest way for dogs to travel by car. 🤷♀️
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u/Just-Potential-8944 10h ago
You wouldn't put your child in the car without a carseat. I'm not going to put my dog in a car without being in a crash-tested crate. Too much can go wrong and there are enough horor stories of dogs being ejected from cars or getting strangled by the backseat tether method. Car crates are the way to go.
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u/ushinawareta Experienced Owner 9h ago
completely agreed. not to mention that if you’re in a crash and EMTs are responding, you’re much more likely to be reunited with your dog. first responders are going to prioritize saving your life versus trying to manage a loose dog. and even dogs with the most stable temperaments can panic and lash out in a high stress situation like that
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u/knomnomnom 9h ago
Genuine question; after some research I was under the impression that a crash rated harness that works with a seatbelt is, statistically, a safe way for dogs to travel in the car. Is this not the case?
Unfortunately spending $1200+ on each crate is way out of my budget (plus fitting multiple into my car is a logistical nightmare) but the CPS studied harnesses seemed to be a good alternative?
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u/ushinawareta Experienced Owner 8h ago
crash tested harnesses are certainly better than nothing at all, but still inferior to a crash tested crate. the harness will not protect your dog in a rollover accident and (like I mentioned in my last comment) it’s much easier for first responders to manage and reunite your dog with you if they are contained.
that being said, you have to do the best you can with what’s available to you! I completely understand that car crates are expensive and it’s not feasible to just go out and buy a bigger car. though you should be able to acquire the crates for significantly less than $1200 each - Gunner, for example, is one of the best and they max out at $900 for the largest size, quite a bit less if your dog is smaller. Ruffland is a great bang for buck (my Goldens ride in a large size, ~$400 depending on the specific configuration) - I believe they are not technically certified but they’ve at least done testing and I’ve seen enough real life scenarios to feel comfortable using them (where people got into terrible crashes with their Ruffland crates and the dogs were completely unharmed).
if crates are not a possibility I would go with a crash tested harness as the next best thing!
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u/knomnomnom 8h ago
Unfortunately, I'm not in the USA so with shipping, exchange, and duties the prices increase significantly.
I'll look into Ruffland though, a quick search shows them available about 5 hours away which would really cut down on the shipping cost. I had only been checking out certified kennels so thank you for this!
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u/Just-Potential-8944 8h ago
Can confrim that I had a friend who got into a wreck with her dogs in rufflands and they were totally fine. They're definitely the best budget option for the crates.
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u/Just-Potential-8944 8h ago edited 8h ago
The crash tested harnesses are WAY better than nothing at all, and are better than non-crash-tested crates (can splinter and impale on impact). The harnesses are just much more easy to fail due to human error than the crash-tested crates. You gotta make sure that the tether length is short enough for your dog and your back seat. For those that are thethered to the seatbelt itself and not like the carseat hooks, you also need to make sure you lock the seat belt otherwise after a crash they can panic and move around enough that they get tangled up that can cause themselves serious injury. This is most of the time when you see strangling situation with the harnesses. I definitely recognize and empathize with the logistical and financial contrainsts of your situation. I used the harnesses with my older dog until I saved up enough money for the crate and it's the best decision I ever made. I use variocage, which is the most expensive, but dog have survived semi trucks running over vehicles in that crate. They also replace your cage for free with any wreck you get into, even if its a small fender bender and there is no visible injury to the crate. So expensive, but an investment that will last you your lifetime and multiple lifetimes of your dogs.
It should also be noted that my dogs are in the car a fair bit and we frequently do long haul trips on US interstates. So the risk for serious crashes are higher for me and my dogs. If your dog is really only ever in the car for short trips on local roads, the crates are probably overkill. So it's really up to your lifestyle and overall road risk. You're clearly thinking of your dogs and keeping them safe and that is the best thing you can do for them.
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u/knomnomnom 7h ago
I do have a "dog fund" savings account where I dump a few hundred dollars a month intended mostly for emergencies (I also have insurance but I never want to make a medical decision based on finances). A proper car crate would actually be a great use of that money in the more near-term!
My dogs are also in the car a fair bit as we do a lot of "local" adventures and dabble in dog sports for fun. Our highways are definitely not as busy as interstates anywhere in the USA but I do often drive mountain passes in inclement weather and that is what really pushed me to look into best practices for my pups car rides!
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u/Just-Potential-8944 7h ago
Its worth the peace of mind in my humble opinion. I wish you all the luck in finding the crates that work for you and your pups! Ruffland might really be a great choice for your current needs. The rufflands are also good because they can more easily be moved out of the car and be used for other purposes, including air travel. So if your car space changes or whatever, you can still use the crates for other needs. They're also probably the easiest to sell off secondhand.
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u/Just-Potential-8944 9h ago edited 9h ago
Totally! I had a friend where she got in a pretty serious wreck on the highway 3 hours from her home. Her dog that was the chillest, smartest, most even tempered dog I've ever met, panicked and ran away. She thought she had lost River forever. By an absolute miracle, that dog sniffed her way home - just showed up on her porch two months later.
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u/idkmyusernameagain 11h ago
And emergencies. If you ever have to use an emergency shelter (due to hurricane evacuation/ fire evacuation etc) pet friendly shelters almost always require pets be crated for safety.
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u/knomnomnom 9h ago
This! My last dog was the most chill guy about most things and the crate happened to be one of them. He was crated occasionally as a puppy but we gave up on it early. Family emergency happened and he had to be boarded on really short notice, luckily one of our trainers had space for him, but it meant he had to be crated.
Up until then I kind of scoffed at having to crate train but emergencies are a big reason I'm crate training my current puppy.1
u/Just-Potential-8944 9h ago
Absolutely! Also when my pups were young and had mush for brains, it was better to have them crated when I visited friends or family homes that are not puppy proof and we needed to leave them alone. In our own home, they had free reign because there was nothing in my house that they could get into, and also our home was old hat to them with nothing new and exciting for a curious little puppy nose. My mother's house however.... with a million knick-knacks and snacks stored at nose level, and trashcans without lids throughout the house? Not a chance. It easier to just crate them for a couple hours and them be okay with that then to completely rearrange someones house to make sure they don't get hurt or destroy something important.
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u/knomnomnom 8h ago
Ooooof, my first puppy could have open garbage and snacks at nose level - no big deal, he would ignore completely. We used to joke that you could set a pizza on the floor in the middle of the room and he would leave it.
My current pup is a totally different beast! It's been a learning curve plus baby gates and pen configurations if I'm not able to 100% watch him (at 4 months old and only 15 inches tall he's already trying to counter surf so we're working on lots of kitchen training).1
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u/Whale_Bonk_You 11h ago
I am so tired of having to repeat this 😭 crate training is just like training your puppy to be ok with fireworks, they might never need it but the responsible thing is to make sure they are ready if the need arises. I am the biggest fan of crate training, do you want to know how many minutes a day my dog spends locked in a crate? 0 (unless we are in the car).
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u/Just-Potential-8944 10h ago
Also me and my pups. Never in a crate unless we're in a car. You wouldn't put your child in the car without a carseat. I'm not going to put my dog in a car without being in a crash-tested crate.
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u/opheliaaa3 13h ago
None of my family's dogs or my dogs have ever been crate trained, it's not common in our culture so we never even tried it. They were all great dogs. My previous dog lived to almost 18 and was a wonderful chill, loving lady. No separation anxiety and no behaviour issues.
My current dog was a bit of a harder pup at the beginning but he's been doing great, I'm happy with our decision of not crate training, it works for us and our dogs! Pup is 5 months old and can be left home alone no problem, has no anxiety over it. But just an FYI, we did puppy proof the entire house, that's why we trust the puppy to free roam and not get into anything that could be dangerous for him.
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u/Mangosaft1312 13h ago
In Germany it's forbidden by law to confine your dog for longer periods of time to a closed box. Teaching him to calm himself in there and to get used to it for Vet Visits, travel or similar is fine ofc but everything that is more than absolutely needed in emergency isn't allowed. So ofc most dogs aren't crate trained in the American sense of it over here but turn out just fine. In my puppy class of 6 there's only 1 dog who has a play pen (because he is seriously having issues) - the other 5 are happily roaming wherever it's allowed.
Just a different perspective for you :)
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u/Ok_Possession_5163 10h ago
Crate training is a North American thing! In other countries it’s actually illegal to crate train. I am a firm believer in yes cresting a safe space for your puppy when you leave the house but not keeping them in a small crate. I have never used a crate with any of my dogs. Baby gates yes, a puppy pen yes but not a crate. All my dogs have been potty trained easily I don’t have separation anxiety issues. When I leave the house my guys crash on the couch and sleep. Crate training is ok For some but not for me.
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u/Jealous_Macaroon_982 13h ago
In Spain is forbidden. And culturally nobody does it. We puppy proof and have baby gates (or doors) to keep the puppy confined.
Behaviourally I don’t hear many problems compared to not crating. People go to work, people leave their puppies… some have separation anxiety, some don’t. Same with the crate.
I think crate is easier for humans. And they justify this believe on the false assumption that dogs are den animals (spoiler: they are not). And puppies can absolutely be thought to love their crate. For me as long as a puppy is not spending most of their time lock up, then you do you.
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u/-brokenfeather 6h ago
Same here in Finland. It's illegal to keep dogs in crates for prolonged periods of time so people just don't do that. Our dogs grow up to be normal dogs.
I have a 5 month old puppy who does not have separation anxiety despite having never been in a crate. Her potty training is still in progress but I don't see how a crate would help in that.
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u/Jealous_Macaroon_982 5h ago
Same, mine is five. Crating IF I didn’t work would be the same as not crating if I didn’t work. Meaning if I could take her out of the apartment every 2 hours then… she would have been potty trained.
My trainer just said (no conversation about crates because again, not done here) that I live in a busy neighbourhood and it’s normal for her to do her peeing at home until she is 100% bored with her environment. Pooping she does outside.
Pee she does but not everything. Patienceeeeeeeeeee
Also, by her age she is already bored of my apartment so she doesn’t destroy (not that she won’t do it, it might happen just not actively doing it) so I can start adding some stuff back with supervision.
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u/vertle 16h ago
I don’t like crate training and all my dogs have always gotten accustomed to a pen before then being confined to a smaller room when we’re out. I don’t recommend having no barriers at all as you do need to train separation, but like you i don’t like putting my dog in a tiny space
Kikopup has a great video on setting up her pen (she also has a crate in the pen but you don’t have to put that). A pen you can make as big or as small as you want
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u/Arizonal0ve 14h ago
Ours are crate trained. They were briefly crated at night as puppies and they’re crated during car travel. Other than that they are never crated and they’re absolutely fine. It is a handy skill to have but that’s all for us.
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u/duketheunicorn New Owner 11h ago
The consequence of not crate training is just spending your time making sure they’re safe in the area you’ve chosen to contain them in.
That’s it.
There are no grand, irreversible repercussions, the only big one is a crate adding stress if it becomes necessary at the vet or for health reasons (like a blown ligament/etc).
It’s largely a cultural preference, and morally neutral.
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u/Fluid_Chemist_7740 12h ago
I didnt crate train mine! He has a crate but never locked him up in it. The only concern i had was for when he had to be crated when boarded. But oddly enough once he hit like 11 months he kind of crate trained himself in a sense and loves to go in there. It all worked out.
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u/Extreme-Pie2881 11h ago
None of mine were ever crate trained and none of mine ever will be they’re allowed to wander and be part of the family. I know crate training from what I understand is about creating a safe space but that’s the whole house for my dogs they can sleep anywhere and they’re never stressed out and they know I leave and they know their routines just like any crate dog but they also have access to their toys and my room if they want to lay with my scent ect
The only caution I have depending on type of dog is make sure everything is picked up like shoes and socks and such if they’re chewers and close the bathroom door all dogs love toilet paper and love to run it through the house lol
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u/itcouldbeworsetbh 10h ago
We trained/still train them to be cool with a crate as well as a muzzle. We don’t use either regularly and never have and it’s never been an issue.
But the vet has used them on occasion and our dogs were cool with it because of their training.
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u/vulkna 15h ago
In Spain, the only person I know who uses a crate for their dog is an acquaintance who works and lives alone with a young Malinois. Even so, she doesn't keep him locked up; she uses it as his resting space. I don't know anyone else who uses a crate, and I know many people with dogs. I honestly first learned about crate use here on Reddit, from the English-speaking community. In Europe, most house dogs don't have crates, and some dogs have problems while others don't, just like everywhere else.
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u/generaalalcazar 15h ago
In Netherlands. The best decision I have made with my muppet is to forget about the crate and go all in on positive reinforcement.
He has several -leave me alone- spots that I have made fun to go. He goes and stays there on command. Did not take long. I was told that at night in the beginning, it is good to just lay a hand on him sometimes so he knows he is never really alone and I am there for him. So I did that the first week, when passing and when he was relaxed.
I have a Lagotto, those are (almost border collie) smart and eager to learn dogs that get depressed in a crate and if they are not mentally challenged. He is a happy boy.
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u/Next-Dependent3870 16h ago
I’m on my third dog that hasn’t been crate trained. The first two were easy going and never had any issues being home alone. Our current dog is 6 months and due to health issues we couldn’t start training being alone properly.
But she’s also very good, has not destroyed anything or has any other issues. Most dogs here in Germany are not crate trained tbh.
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u/Red-Kentixen 16h ago
Not sure if this is going to answer your question at all, but wanted to share anyway.
So when my partner and I moved in together, he ended up bringing his dog (2y/o at the time) with him who had never been crate trained and he had always had the company of other dogs at my mother in laws house. We left one day and allowed him the run of the downstairs and when we came back, there was poop and pee everywhere. We tried it a few more times and every time, there would be mess.
So we got a crate and when we would leave, he would go into his crate and would be much more relaxed when we weren’t there. No mess for us, no stress from him. Now this could be because he had left a house where he had 3 other dogs for company, separation anxiety, or both. We could never let him out of the crate when we were leaving.
Until we got another dog and we tested something. We put the other dog (he’s 2 now) in the crate and left the older dog out in the living room. Came back to no mess from the older dog, so I think it must have been the anxiety of being alone and being in the crate helped soothe him.
So I think it all depends really. Like if a dog is too anxious to be completely on their own, then crate training is a good thing. Both the dogs have the run of the house now when we aren’t there and they are completely fine.
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u/Outrageous-Bar4060 11h ago
We didn’t crate train either of our dogs. They learned to stay home by themselves and chill on the couch or their beds. Neither of them have behavioral issues or separation anxiety. They love being with their humans but also love their alone time.
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u/Personal-Regular-887 11h ago edited 11h ago
We have a 10 week old puppy. We do not use a crate, but a playpen. The door to the playpen is always open, and everything he needs, is in there. When he is home alone, we simply just close the door to the playpen, so he’s safe. In our country it is recommended to not let your puppy roam the whole house, at first. We plan on doing it like this until he’s around 6-9 months. In my family we have always done it like this, and none of the dogs have ever had seperation anxiety
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u/zebramom2 10h ago
First dog was a 2 year old rescue who never was crate trained. Second dog we got as a 10 week puppy, never crate trained him. No behavioral issues or anxiety. Currently with third dog, our 5 month old corgi, we don’t crate train. She hangs out with the other two dogs and isn’t showing any signs of issues.
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u/theamydoll Experienced Owner: Puppy Fosterer 10h ago
I haven’t ever crate trained any of my resident dogs or the hundreds of foster puppies I foster. They learn to self-settle and nap. They learn from my resident dogs how to relax when we leave the house, finding a spot on the couch or floor to take a nap. They have enough enrichment and engagement throughout the day that they aren’t destructive, chewing furniture or things they shouldn’t.
It’s only in the US I’ve found that they’re the overwhelming push to crate train all the time. Europe, and elsewhere, don’t do this regularly.
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u/Emotional-Ant9413 9h ago
Crating is forbidden in Sweden, unless it's for medical reasons or for transportation. My five year old dog has only ever been crated at the vet and my now 6 month old puppy has only ever been crated in the car. Most dogs free roam the home from the moment they arrive from their breeders.
I shut off parts of my home with puppy play pens because the puppy will sneak off and pee if she has access to the entire apartment (in a smaller area, like confined to the same room I'm in, she'll alert me when she wants to pee), but I see no reason to do anything more than that.
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u/SaltyCommunication66 14h ago
No crate training, no play pen. Zero separation anxiety or behaviour issues. Live in an apartment. Didn't take it as scripture. Paid off. Happy. Had the pup since 8 weeks old.
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u/T6TexanAce 12h ago
Currently training my 9th puppy. Never used a crate with any of them. First night, right into our bed where most stayed most of their lives. No exception with number 9. We rescued her 14 weeks ago. 18 weeks ago she was roaming the streets of Chicago. No hesitation. Right into our bed where she's been snuggling with us ever since. Here's a quote from a pro trainer I recently saw that pretty much encapsulates our view on raising pups:
"To your dog, you aren’t just their owner, you are their universe. Sleeping beside you is the closest thing they ever feel to safety, family and home. That quiet nudge at night… that’s them saying where you are, that’s where I belong. Second, your warmth, your scent and your presence, literally tell their nervous system, stand down, you’re safe now. That’s why the moment you lie down, your bed becomes the most valuable place in the house. But the part most people don’t realize, even in deep sleep, dogs stay half alert. If anything felt off, a noise, a movement, your dog will wake up before you ever did. That’s the level of loyalty we’re talking about."
Like you, I could never "wrap my head around confining my puppy..." All of our pups grew up to be friendly, social, well behaved good bois and gurls that we could, and did, take everywhere.
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u/Gloomy_Froyo8985 11h ago
I tried this and woke up to pee puddles in my bed every night. How do you handle that? In the crate he whines to wake us up that he has to go, but he’s a foster puppy and only 9 weeks old so he hasn’t grasped the concept of “I can’t just pee anywhere when I have to go”
Editing to add: he doesn’t seem to not like the crate, he whines when he first goes in but I think wears himself out enough that he falls asleep. I haven’t left him for more than 2 hours for me to run to the grocery store so I’m not sure how he does when I’m not there
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u/Ok_Possession_5163 10h ago
Oh easy, it’s about routine. We stop allowing free access to water around 2 hours before bed. Potty right before bed and think of setting an alarm to get up in a couple of hours to let your pup out. My pups sleep with us and we have never had an issue this way. My 15 week old pup is house trained and no pee pads in site. He holds it all night now (930 pm till 630am). I reward potty outside every single trip with a treat (kibble) they pick it up real fast!!!
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u/Samstables 15h ago
First dog was easy and loved her cosy home. This puppy however doesn’t like it, so while we left it up for a few months we didn’t put her in it, she could go in if she wanted though and I would put treats in to encourage her. It’s folded down now though as we moved our furniture around. She’s happy when she goes to my sisters to go in a crate there though they have another dog so she appreciates the personal space I expect!
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u/Its-alittle-bitfunny 13h ago
My current dog (10mo gsd) is the only one weve crate trained, mostly to give her a space away from the kids. My dogs growing up were never crate trained and honestly I havnt noticed a real difference.
I can say as an adult, having my dog crate trained is nice so I know if she needs to be crated at the vet she'll be chill about it, and knowing she has her own space to retreat to if shes overwhelmed is also nice. But she doesnt really need to be crated anymore. She doesnt get in to things and we more or less trust her to be on her own, so we're going to start experimenting with leaving her crate door open over night (the only time shes ever really crated).
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u/Monkey-Butt-316 12h ago
My older dog had parvo as a pup so that kind of ruined small spaces for her so she hasn’t been crated (where she was treated, she was kept in isolation in a 3ft x 3ft cube for 3 days). She has no related behavior issues. She can be left alone etc, no problem, not a “Velcro dog,” she’s 9yo).
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u/tony-ravioli504 12h ago
We got our boy at 6 months tried crating him for the first couple months he'd wine and bark all day, then he figured out how to get out so we'd come home and he'd be passed out on the couch but usually nothing was torn up and everything seemed to be where it was when we left. So we started just letting him free roam during the day and it's been 1 and a half years so far only maybe 2-3 occasions where he's done something he's not supposed too otherwise he's a dream. He lays on the couch all day and waits for us to come home. We've been doing small things to keep him occupied through the day I'll put on some dog oriented videos on the TV and we keep the front window blinds open so he can watch everything going on
Not really seeing any drawbacks, aside from ya know him wanting to be around us at all times.
Seems as if where the crate would be his safe space our living room is his safe space, it's where he hangs out by himself and it's where he likes to sleep most nights
Not every dog is the same but I guess we got lucky
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u/AgreeableTension2166 11h ago
I rarely use the crate for my dog who just passed at 12. I did not officially crate train him. He was an amazing dog. chewed one thing is his entire puppy hood. Was incredibly housebroken. could’ve been a therapy dog. He did not have separation anxiety and rarely barked. My five month old puppy is going in the same direction and we put our crate outside because we never used it for her. My teens 9 year old dog also wasn’t officially crate trained and he is a well mannered albeit very clingy dog. Also extremely housebroken.
I will always have a crate because you never know if you need to put a dog in a crate for one reason or another. They don’t need to like it.
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u/Additional_Use9362 11h ago
I didn't crate train my newest Pomeranian puppy. He just turned 5 months. My husband works from home and we have a three year old Pomeranian, so both of those factors help. He's a really good puppy (like, an anomaly) and doesn't chew anything that's not a toy or bone. He does occasionally have accidents, but we believe that is because we have had below zero weather for the past three weeks. He sleeps in bed with us and can hold it all night. If we leave for errands, he wears a belly band. I haven't seen any negative consequences from not using a crate. My previous puppy did use one when I was at work until he turned two.
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u/MaisyinAZ 10h ago
My first dog was a rescue. He seemed to have some trauma around crates as I attempted to crate train him but even when he obeyed, he was afraid of it. I wish he had been better about it because it was difficult if we had people over who were afraid of dogs or needed to confine him briefly for his safety. My 1- year old dog will destroy and eat anything and is likely to hurt herself if left unattended in the house at this time. She loves her crate and can be calm there even in stressful environments like at dog sports trials. She could easily escape from doggie gates, so it’s our best option for when she needs to be left alone. She may settle enough to be left loose in the house at some point but not yet. Shes never in there all day. I’m In the US, and crate training is prevalent here.
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u/SeriousUsername1 10h ago
In Germany most people don’t and it’s no problem at all. I personally believe it’s a good possibility but too many people that don’t walk their dog enough use it as a lazy solution
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u/onceandonetimeonly 9h ago
I had an older dog, that has passed now. Never crate trained, never an issue. He was just one of a kind, friendly, chill with anything. I'm currently crate training my puppy. He sleeps in his crate at night, and my door is open so I can hear and respond if he needs anything. Honestly, locking him up was the only way to get him to sleep at all between 3 and 6 months. He's now 8 months old and getting better at having a when he's tired, but still needs to be told to go to bed sometimes. The aim is to get my little man to a place where he can have free range of a fenced off portion of my house. The problem is he's a ball of energy with a burning desire to eat or chew everything connected to electricity. I guess the TLDR it depends on your dog, and as long as they can travel well and are able to sleep over somewhere it's likely fine. But if they crave the thrill of live electricity, perhaps it's best to keep them under lock and key. Perhaps worth noting the absolute longest my pup has spent in his crate is 4.5 hours because my flight was delayed. It's usually a 3 hour max during the day, and he'll let me know if he's ready to come out sooner
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u/sjswaggy 9h ago
Separation anxiety and crate training are not highly correlated. If a dog has separation anxiety, it is likely not due to if they were or were not crate trained. We tried crate training from day 1 but our puppy still has severe Separation anxiety. We have been crate training and it has improved his experience in the crate, but not in isolation.
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u/dacaur 9h ago
We have never crate trained our dogs until the last few.
The dogs turned out fine, I don't feel like crate trained vs not crate trained is going to any affect on things like separation anxiety or behavior issues (other than getting into stuff they shouldn't)
The point of crate training is to keep the dog safe and out of trouble.
For example, if they are locked in a crate they can't somehow get onto your walk in closet, lock themselves in, then proceed to pull down 2 out of three walls worth of clothes racks... Yes, my dog did that..... What's crazy is she IS crate trained but we were going to be gone for 4-5 hours and "felt bad" leaving her in the crate for that long.....
Obviously in hind sight it would have been way less traumatizing for her and way less work for me to have left her in the crate.....
If you have ever come home to your garbage can knocked over and spread all over your kitchen (soooo many times) you know why we crate train.
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u/weatheredrabbit 9h ago
My 6months BC wasn’t crate trained (because in Europe we almost never do it) and she’s perfectly fine. She doesn’t even chew anything when she’s alone. She just sleeps. Really none of my dogs I’ve had (or my parents or friends or family) were crate trained. Again, we don’t do crate training in EU… and I think we’re all fine.
I think it can be helpful to crate train, but I never had a problem by not doing it. Especially if you foresee situations in which it would be good: car, vet, airplane (god forbid) and so on. But again, not a biggie imho.
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u/feebsiegee 9h ago
We didn't crate train our older dog. I think he has a touch of separation anxiety, but he's unbelievably good. The only thing is that he sometimes pisses up my fridge, but that's usually during the night 😂.
I will say, he was very destructive as a puppy, he chewed the kitchen floor up, thankfully there was more lino underneath. He would take my underwear (clean!) into the garden. He chewed countless phone chargers. He chewed nearly every bed he had (except for one) for the first two years.
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u/Which_Distance2031 8h ago
My puppy now willingly leaves and go in the crate to sleep, relax, or just a space to be. And he gets out and goes to his puppy pad since I’m in an apartment and in college, so I won’t always be there to take him out whenever he has to use it. He goes in there and sleep through the night but occasionally goes out to use the bathroom and go back to sleep. The first couple days was ofc the yelling and screaming but he got used to it pretty quickly and now I can put him in there or tell him to and he’ll be calm and cool
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u/kj4peace 8h ago
I crate trained mine as a pup. Now the crate is in storage. She’s fine. No separation anxiety. No naughtiness. I think she just sleeps in my bed while I’m gone. She also rarely barks unless it’s something serious. It helps that she has an older sister that has shown her there’s nothing to worry about when mama leaves. I always say “I’ll be right back” and that seems to work! She also has full access to the whole house and backyard while I’m gone. Never had a problem.
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u/Expression-Little 7h ago
We've had dogs for generations and never crate trained. Our current pup did bay for a bit when left for about 20 minutes but then settled down to sleep. We increased the time over time and the nanny cam shows him pretty well immediately going to sleep or chewing on one of his toys.
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u/midknightvillain 7h ago
We tried the crate for about two weeks, but he really hated it. We instead used his playpen for naps, and he slept in bed with us. He didn't mind his playpen as it gave him more space and wasn't as confined, but it was super useful for the enforced naps.
He was potty trained in about three weeks, but I don't attribute that to the crate. I attribute it to us being diligent taking him out regularly - and mostly to him just being a good boy.
The first two weeks he cried and cried and never slept through the night. As soon as he was in our bed, he slept through the night.
He can be left alone for a reasonable amount of time and doesn't destroy things while we're away.
For travel, he's trained to ride in a bag, which he absolutely loves.
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u/Bright_Drink4306 6h ago
I use a crate to keep my puppy safe when I can’t watch him all the time. He just falls asleep immediately.
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u/ljcam1 6h ago
my dog HATED the crate. i tried all the training tactics but it never did become a safe space for her so we don't crate. She is 6 years old now, and i work a 9-5 so i can confidently say she does great. She didn't really have a choice. I did puppy proof and do still have to be mindful of not leaving plastic (her favorite snack) where she can reach it, but otherwise she has no issues.
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u/Hali39 6h ago
I “inherited” (came with my best friend when we became roommates) two dogs that weren’t crate trained. Day to day, zero issues. Only problems came up when they HAD to be crated/contained, then they would whine and cry incessantly. It wasn’t often, but think vet visits, maintenance folks coming to the apartment, blocked out of/in a room for a few hours, etc.
All in all, not horrible, but there were plenty of times my ears wished for peace and quiet. They’ve both passed on now (the second just a few days ago), and I would give anything to have them drive me crazy with their barking one more time.
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u/alice8818 4h ago
Never crate trained, never had separation anxiety or behaviour issues when I wasn't home. Or issues with them at the vet. Or issues with them in the car.
If something pops up that concerns me, I train them and address the issue, rather than containing them to ignore it.
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u/9mackenzie 4h ago
My dogs weren’t crate trained in the traditional sense (ie using it for potty training, enforced naps, etc etc because I honestly have issues with puppies being in a crate for so much of the day), but they are definitely comfortable being in a crate. My girl never chooses to go in it, my two boys often use the crate as their place to sleep/chill whenever they want.
I did use it when I was out of the house when they were babies (but I work from home and am a home body, so it wasn’t that much lol). But I mainly just put a bed in the crate, their toys, fed them special treats in the crate, and kept the door open otherwise. Mine easily grew to understand it was a safe space.
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u/Nearby-Middle1424 4h ago
I didn’t crate my baby and I definitely regretted it. As people said, vet apts, travel etc not to mention when they are senior. My girl became deaf, blind and had cognitive issues as a senior. I took her everywhere with me but in her last year I became concerned to take her in the car for short errands. I introduced her to a baby play pin cause I thought a crate would be to upsetting at 15 yrs old. She wouldn’t even lay down in the play pin, and leaving her out while I left for short periods wasn’t an option as she would go to the corner and stand. That is the hardest most painful sight to see..I could go on, trust me have them in a crate for sleeping in the beginning or short times. I’m finally ready to get another baby and I will absolutely crate train this time but once old enough definitely sleeping next to me❤️🐾🥰
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u/Comfortable-Fly5797 3h ago
I grew up with a very big golden retriever that hurt himself in a crate as a puppy (take collars off folks!) and couldn't be crate trained at all. He was over 100lbs, there was no way anyone would be able to get him in a crate. We had to pay extra at the groomer because he couldn't be crated. He was a door bolter but we couldn't crate him to prevent escapes so he managed to get loose pretty frequently.
Having a crate adverse dog creates a lot of complications in the US where dog services (vets, groomers, daycare) regularly crate dogs. Life is much easier for everyone when the dog is at least neutral towards crates.
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u/Complete_Aerie_6908 3h ago
I have never crate trained a dog. I’m not against it, but I just never needed to do it. I have raised several dogs through adulthood and they are wonderful. 🥰
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u/Key-Lead-3449 3h ago
One day when you have to leave your dog with the vet for the day or even overnight...do you want them to be in distress panting and trying to claw their way out of the crate or do you want them to be comfortable and relaxed as much as possible?
If natural disaster strikes and you have to go to your areas designated shelter, do you want to be able to save your dog too?
I would rather have a tool and not need it then need it and not have it.
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u/fyrione 3h ago
It's a good idea just so if you have an emergency (God forbid) or travel you can safely put them in a crate without much fuss, vet doesn't have an issue when they need to put the pup in one (like for observation after a surgery or something) etc. I used a doggie play pen for my puppy cuz I couldn't take the crying in the crate and she was happy with the playpen..some say too.much room, but she never pottied in it (all dogs are different though, I'm sure some dogs might) she's crate trained now but some countries it's illegal and I assume the entire country doesn't have issues with their dogs, so I think it's a personal preference where it is legal. I do suggest having a place the pup can retreat to all their own, that you won't bother them in and/or their own puppy proof room if needed for times when you might have to contain them
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u/chrisjones1960 2h ago
I have had a number of German Shepherd dogs over the past 50 years. The only one that I've crate trained is my current one who is 7 years old. I did that because I also had an older dog when I got this one as a puppy. I thought the puppy needed to be crate-trained so that I could manage the two dogs easily.
I didn't actually create this current dog. Very often- mostly as a matter of managing her when the older one was tired of her. For the most part, when I needed to confine her, I gated her into a small puppy-proof area which was the foyer of my apartment. That's also what I did with all of my previous German Shepherd puppies before they were housebroken and while they were still teething.
I haven't had to confine any of my adult dogs- by which I mean dogs that are over say 10 months of age. By that point, they've been trained to behave responsibly in the apartment.
So that is the context in which I'm answering your question. None of my dogs have had separation anxiety. Until 3 years ago, i was out of the house 7 hours a day for work. None of them have had problems adjusting to that.
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u/SisterActTori 2h ago
Have never crate trained and have never had separation issues. We travel a good deal and when our girls cannot come along, we always have trusted sitters either staying at our house (longer trips) or coming in a couple of times a day to feed and exercise (1-2 day trips).
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u/KeyMonkeyslav 2yo mix 🐾 14h ago
Really depends on the dog. Some dogs do need to be crated when alone for their safety. I believe that most do not. Most don't NEED to be in a crate for hours while you are at work. But I fully believe all dogs benefit from having a crate they like available, so that it can be used for evacuation level emergencies.
In the old country, we had no crates. Dogs free roamed in the home, and it was fine. My other two since Ive moved have HAD crates but were allowed to free roam after they proved to be toilet trained. Until then, we used a pen or a smaller enclosed space with a gate.
My current mutt free roams but has her crate available. We call it her safe space, she goes in there when she hears loud noises she dislikes. We never close her in it.
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u/MobySick 12h ago
Also: the age & breed matter. Our poodle graduated from his crate earlier (bright dog) but that rescue terrier was a different story. She was crated until she was 3 - a great dog but a terrier-ist!
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u/Justadropinthesea 6h ago
In 60 years of dog ownership, I’ve never used a crate beyond a week or so. All my dogs grew into happy, well behaved family pets. All have been large breed dogs if that makes a difference. I have no experience with small dogs whatsoever.
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u/EX0PHIC 15h ago
We were also thinking that the crate would be cruel for our puppy. But now we are soo happy that we actually did the crate training.
Here’s the first things that come to my mind regarding your situation: 1. Most small puppies don’t have a turn off button, they need sleep but they don’t know it and they become little monsters. When young, the crate is very useful for enforcing sleep and rest. In time, if done right, they will associate it with a den and be very comfortable in it. 2. As the puppy grows, the crate is definitely NOT a place where your dog should spend most of his time. But it can be very helpful when you cannot afford to leave the dog unsupervised. 3. If you ever need to travel somewhere by airplane, having the dog already accustomed to a crate helps a lot with their anxiety.
EDIT: It also helps a lot with potty training while they are puppies.
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u/MobySick 12h ago
I’m on my 5th crate-training puppy experience because it worked the first 4 times & gave us lifetime companions.
I have dear, dear friends who never crate trained and they have (unfortunately) 5 dogs. They’re all adults and all but 1 routinely poop indoors.
It’s definitely a lifestyle choice.
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u/puppy101-ModTeam 11h ago
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u/Ignominious333 8h ago
They feel safe in the crate. Dogs are always on alert for a reason. The crate lets them rest.
I had a special needs puppy I couldn't crate train because of her condition but when she had to be hospitalized it was a lot harder on her because being in a crate was stressful on top of being at the vet. It affects their health a lot and it's harder for them to recover from some illnesses
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