Do you crate your dog when you aren't home?

lporter229
lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
edited November 18 in Chit-Chat
We are trying to decide if and when we should stop crating our dog. She is a one and a half year old fox hound mix and weighs 45 lbs. The only time she is in her crate is when we are not home. I really don't think she would have a problem being left out of the crate, but I think she actually likes going in there when we leave, like a security blanket. She always goes willingly when we are getting ready to go. Once I actually forgot to put her in and was standing outside talking to my neighbor when I heard her barking on the other side of the door. When I opened the door she was standing there! She looked at me and ran upstairs to her crate as if to say "Hey, you forgot to put me in here!"

My husband and I usually leave for work between 8:30 and 9 and are home around 6. He comes home for lunch most days and lets her out. On days he doesn't come home, a neighbor girl lets her out for an hour after school. We have left her on her own for short amounts of time and she does fine. But I am not sure if leaving her out during the day would actually cause her anxiety just to ease our own consciences.

Does anybody have any advice or opinions to offer on the subject?
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Replies

  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Yes. Our dogs prefer having their space, like a den for them. We leave the gate open and they go there during the day by themselves. For us, we work with rescue dogs only so potty training, chewing, and other issues like that are sometimes not addressable, so designated spots and controlled environments help. This is true of all dogs though.

    With using crates and such though, exercise the heck out of them when you can to make sure they stay happy.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    Yes we do. Even though he is 3 years old, he will still chew on anything he can get his mouth around.
  • mechell007
    mechell007 Posts: 97 Member
    You know your dog best, perhaps start by letting her free in one room with the crate available to her just in case. See how she does and go from there. I crate mine, though I think they'd be okay roaming free, it's just how I prefer it. I'm a worrier.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Depends. I've had 3 dogs. The first two we stopped crating altogether at 7 months, when they pretty much stopped going after things they shouldn't (and we had to get rid of the crates anyway when we moved to a small apartment). The last one is 13 now and still occasionally makes messes, although it's typically our fault for leaving things in his reach (dog treats, paper towels etc).

    The third is just 4 months now and not completely housebroken so in the crate she goes. She really hasn't been particularly naughty at all otherwise.. I'm trying to stay vigilant and not leave random things in reach... but she's also getting bigger rapidly and being able to reach higher places, so we'll see in a few months... But to be fair I wouldn't be comfortable leaving the two dogs together in the house (the puppy can get on the old dog's nerves), and she likes her crate anyway, so I'll probably keep her crated for a while.

    She's crated in our room at night also, but I'm not sure how we'll handle that one even after she's housebroken, because we can't close our bedroom door (cat wakes us up if we do), and the kids leave stuff everywhere that she'd get into and don't close their door either... so the jury's out on that one, we'll have to figure it out when/if her current crate gets too small though.
  • jen_0879
    jen_0879 Posts: 155 Member
    Yes, we crate our dog when we are not home. I think of it as a secure place for him when we are not home. I feel like if he's in there, he won't be running around the house wondering where we are.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    Thanks for all of the replies. It seems to be 50/50 on the crating. I think I will try leaving her crate door open a few times and see what happens. Her crate is definitely not punishment and I really don't think she minds it. Like I said, it's more about me feeling guilty. But we do make sure she is never in there for more than 7 hours at a time. If we can't get home, we always make sure to have somebody come by and let her out.

    I also like the idea of doggy day care. I know some people that do it once a week, which is probably all the day care people could handle of her!
  • Keladelphia
    Keladelphia Posts: 820 Member
    I crated my pup (65 pound pitbull) when I wasn't home until he was a year and a half. I started leaving him out for small windows (30 minutes) and extended this amount of time a little bit at a time until it was the length of my work day. Initially he would still go in his crate sometimes on his own so I kept it up and open for a while even after I started crating him, now he jumps on my bed or the couch when I leave but if that's the worst thing that he does while i'm away and he's able to have more room to stretch his legs throughout the day i'll take it.
  • Rivers2k
    Rivers2k Posts: 380 Member
    You have the crate already just leave it open. If the dog wants to be in there then it will. Its good that they can get out and walk around when they want. I have never seen any need to keep a dog in a crate, except with non potty trained puppies. I have had dogs my whole life never needed a crate. My father who also has had dogs his whole life now seems to find the need to have a crate, I think people are easily talked into things. Dogs just need to be taught what is ok and what is not.

    that being said dogs do want their own place to feel secure if you have a crate that works my dog has a giant pillow. again I would just leave the crate unlocked.
  • DeficitDuchess
    DeficitDuchess Posts: 3,099 Member
    edited May 2017
    I'd only crate when, it's bedtime for; potty training purposes! If I am not, at home while; they're typically awake & they, aren't potty trained then; I'd get a pet sitter or place them in daycare! If I'm unable to afford that, then I am unable to; afford a pet!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Rivers2k wrote: »
    You have the crate already just leave it open. If the dog wants to be in there then it will. Its good that they can get out and walk around when they want. I have never seen any need to keep a dog in a crate, except with non potty trained puppies. I have had dogs my whole life never needed a crate. My father who also has had dogs his whole life now seems to find the need to have a crate, I think people are easily talked into things. Dogs just need to be taught what is ok and what is not.

    that being said dogs do want their own place to feel secure if you have a crate that works my dog has a giant pillow. again I would just leave the crate unlocked.

    Or maybe dogs are different or circumstances are different. I know people who don't crate their dogs, but they have a safe room where they are kept instead, like an empty hallway, for example. I know some dogs who always get in the trash or in the laundry, and it's not always easy to keep everything out of reach (especially when you have very absent minded kids)... so it's just safer for the dog to be kept in a crate instead.

    My old dog always got into my little kids toys too, to be honest, but we just kinda learned to deal with it as we had got rid of the crate and he hadn't been crated for years... but it's not ideal when he keeps pooping Barbie and little ponies heads, you know?
  • rachellech
    rachellech Posts: 40 Member
    I tried crating when my rottie was young and he hated it...always found ways to escape and then I got a secure crate and he kept jabbing his nose to the point of bloody. After a few days of that, I couldn't anymore and just hired someone to do a doggie door instead. It has been 5yrs and he loves his freedom. I have a fenced yard so he hangs outside while I'm at work but has the option to chill indoors on the couch and watch TV (I leave it on for him) or he can go over this chihuahua brother's area in the house. My chihuahua is baby gated because he will dig underneath the fence, however, he has 1/3 of the downstairs area and seems to look forward to going to his area when it is time for me to leave (I think he likes his space away from his brother sometimes..haha). Good luck!
  • ladylego1
    ladylego1 Posts: 56 Member
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    This is where my little ones have... its there safe space i don't tend to shut them in unless needed but more they can go to escape if needed. Having said that my mom has 16 as she breeds and shows and they are crated over night really depends on the dog and environment.
  • AgileK9
    AgileK9 Posts: 255 Member
    I've had a multiple dog household for 20 plus years and have always crated at least part of the dogs at any given time just for safety sake in case an argument broke out. Sometimes I will rotate who is left out and who is crated. I still have one who is almost 12 and still gets on the counter when I'm not around...he is way naughty but I love him. I also do a ton of travelling with my dogs as we compete in dog sports and they are required to be crated at events.

    I think crate training is a fantastic tool to have but if you have no need to crate your dog during the day, then I'd say let her free run. However, I would say to keep the crate training and comfort level of it going. Crate once in awhile so in the event you need to travel or take her somewhere, she remains a happy crated dog.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    What? people crate their dogs? I didnt even know this was a thing. So for 4-8+ hours you lock your dog in a cage. how big is the cage?

    I have always just let my dogs have free roam in the backyard/house when i am away. maybe it is different in cities/apartment.

    If you have to lock your dog up for hours every day, should you even have a dog?
  • Legs_McGee23
    Legs_McGee23 Posts: 116 Member
    My dog goes to doggie daycare part of the week; on the days she's home alone she has free reign of my apartment. She's well behaved and never gets into anything. But I don't think she'd mind being crated; she's a dachshund and they love burrowing and being in small places. When I travel I put her carrying case on the floor open wherever we're staying and she'll sometimes hang out in there on her own; it's her safe secure place.
  • toned_thugs_n_harmony
    toned_thugs_n_harmony Posts: 1,001 Member
    Merkavar wrote: »
    What? people crate their dogs? I didnt even know this was a thing. So for 4-8+ hours you lock your dog in a cage. how big is the cage?

    I have always just let my dogs have free roam in the backyard/house when i am away. maybe it is different in cities/apartment.

    If you have to lock your dog up for hours every day, should you even have a dog?

    the more important question here: where are you from that you've never heard of crating a dog?!?
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    I don't even lock my road bike up because it's a free spirit and I can't stand to impose the cruelty of confinement.
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,508 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    I don't even lock my road bike up because it's a free spirit and I can't stand to impose the cruelty of confinement.

    Wow.

    I keep my prized road bike in a spare bedroom. Even there, I lock it up.
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,508 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    I don't even lock my road bike up because it's a free spirit and I can't stand to impose the cruelty of confinement.

    Aren't you afraid that your free range dog will be tempted to take it out for a spin?
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Motorsheen wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    I don't even lock my road bike up because it's a free spirit and I can't stand to impose the cruelty of confinement.

    Wow.

    I keep my prized road bike in a spare bedroom. Even there, I lock it up.

    I keep my road bike in the main bedroom so I can look at it while I'm having se - you know what, never mind.
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,508 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Motorsheen wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    I don't even lock my road bike up because it's a free spirit and I can't stand to impose the cruelty of confinement.

    Wow.

    I keep my prized road bike in a spare bedroom. Even there, I lock it up.

    I keep my road bike in the main bedroom so I can look at it while I'm having se - you know what, never mind.

    I understand.

    Boy Howdy, do I.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    I hope we didn't scare the dog people off.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    Mine are crated at night, but not during the day. We close the bathroom and bedroom doors, but they have free run of the rest of the house. But they sleep in the crate at night. They'd rather sleep with us, but we roll over too much and I dislike the pitter patter of paws at night.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    edited May 2017
    All the dogs I ever had - 4 of them- were never crated. However, we were not leaving our dogs alone 8-9 hours a day every day. These were occasional days where we were gone that long.

    My childhood dog stayed in the basement or outside. My mom wouldn't let her in the rest of the house even if we were home. It was not behavior related.
    The next dog we lived in an apartment with and the dog went between the living room, kitchen and my bedroom freely. No problems.
    The last two dogs we just had a gate up to keep them downstairs when we were not home. So they could go anywhere on the main floor but not upstairs to our bedrooms when we were gone. No problems.

    Maybe dog proof an area and leave the crate there with the door open to see how she does.
  • bassfishingirl
    bassfishingirl Posts: 78 Member
    I've had animals all my life, I now have 2-100 lb. labs, 2-15lb. cats, and a large Macaw parrot.all my animals are inside animals, all get along, and I've never ever crated my dogs, we taught them right from wrong, potty trained them, ect....we go fishing 6-7 hours at a time, when we come home they all ....cats & dogs greet us with excitement at the door, nothings been touched or chewed, we even sat a hunting camera up just to see what goes on when we're away, if you train them good, they'll do good, we take our dogs to McDonald's for a ride out & a burger from time to time, you can't help but spoil them....
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    toned_thugs_n_harmony wrote: »
    Merkavar wrote: »
    What? people crate their dogs? I didnt even know this was a thing. So for 4-8+ hours you lock your dog in a cage. how big is the cage?

    I have always just let my dogs have free roam in the backyard/house when i am away. maybe it is different in cities/apartment.

    If you have to lock your dog up for hours every day, should you even have a dog?

    the more important question here: where are you from that you've never heard of crating a dog?!?

    I have heard of crating a dog if it being transported somewhere like in a car or plane.

    But never for going to work. For 8+ hours, just locking it in a crate. Are these large crates?

    And Australia.
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