Creating a dog overnight.

[MrB.]

We acquired a 3 year old Havanese around 4 months ago from a home where, let's just say, he wasn't a happy dog. Although I grew up with a dog, this was the first time my partner and I had decided on a pet together. We had decided on him as we felt training a puppy was too much for us to take on, however, we soon learned that despite his age, there was somethings he just didn't do. He had never been walked on a lead before (and had no recall whatsoever), and whilst he was toilet trained, we did wake up to a few accidents. My sister in law has 3 Lurchers and is reasonably knowledgable about dogs, and she suggested getting him a crate for overnight. We did this, getting one that is much bigger than he is so he has plenty of space, and we have fitted it with a spongy mat and a dog bed so he's comfortable, and covered it with an old towel to block the light and make him feel safe.

He has a big comfy bed that sits in our snug, although he's usually found on the sofa, but he has access to the crate through the day if he wants to as I leave the door open. However, at night, when he goes in there to bed, I shut the door. I'm up just after 5am to let him into the garden, but I'm now wondering whether I should keep the door closed to his crate overnight? He seems happy with this arrangement as we've had no howling or scraping to get out, but I'm just wondering if this is the right thing to do.

Whilst he's in the car with just the two of us, he has a car seat with harness in the rear, but we are planning on a holiday in Wales this summer taking our two nieces, so he would have to go in the rear of our XC60 in his crate, so I think given he's used to sleeping in it with the door closed, this will be no issue.

Am I doing the right thing by keeping the door closed overnight?

[Output Flange]

I'm interested in thoughts on this too. All being well, we're collecting our first dog (a rescue dog, coming from Romania) on Friday and we're as yet undecided about whether to crate, and then whether to close it overnight or not.

[chrisga]

Ours sleep in crates overnight with the door closed. Obviously as you say they are large enough for them to stand up and stretch out. They also have a smaller crate in the car for short journeys and we have a van with a large crate each in for longer journeys and going to doggy activities. We have found crate training to be very useful, if we go on holiday we know they will be happy to sleep in their own crates in rented cottages for example, away from home. It gives them their own space. They each know which is "their" crate at home and rarely try to invade the others space if they are in there with the doors open.

If yours isn't causing any fuss with the door shut i'd say keep doing as you are doing. Just make sure he has access to water at all times.

Others may have different opinions. You just need to find what works for you. Ultimately I guess there is no right or wrong answer.

[Erasmia]

I think they work well for puppies, where it's good to know they aren't wandering around chewing cables etc at night. Personally it's not something I tried with my rescue dog as it was clear that she'd been mistreated and I thought keeping her contained in a crate would be stressful for her. If using one I'd suggest always checking for any signs of stress such as lip licking.

[Greshamst]

I don't know if you could create a dog overnight. You might want to talk to some scientists if you manage it though, I think they'd be very interested.

[Marcellus]

Greshamst said:

I don't know if you could create a dog overnight. You might want to talk to some scientists if you manage it though, I think they'd be very interested.

Pretty sure you can, I have several friends where their dog takes themselves off to bed in their crate most nights and then when the owners go to bed they shut the door and the dog stay there quite happily until the morning. it's just a matter of what the dogs are trained/used to.

[krusty]

I crate both my labs overnight (separate crates but next to one another) and have done for four years. It's just part of the routine of us all going to bed. As soon as I get up to go upstairs they are waiting by their crate.

[Kateg28]

Marcellus said:

Greshamst said:

I don't know if you could create a dog overnight. You might want to talk to some scientists if you manage it though, I think they'd be very interested.

Pretty sure you can, I have several friends where their dog takes themselves off to bed in their crate most nights and then when the owners go to bed they shut the door and the dog stay there quite happily until the morning. it's just a matter of what the dogs are trained/used to.

I got it!

[moorx]

Marcellus said:

Greshamst said:

I don't know if you could create a dog overnight. You might want to talk to some scientists if you manage it though, I think they'd be very interested.

Pretty sure you can, I have several friends where their dog takes themselves off to bed in their crate most nights and then when the owners go to bed they shut the door and the dog stay there quite happily until the morning. it's just a matter of what the dogs are trained/used to.

I think this is in response to the title of the thread - creating, rather than crating Must admit, I was intrigued when I saw the title!

With regard to crating, though - we used a crate for Sam and Jet when they came to us as 8 month old pups. I had never used a crate before, and was not sure how I felt about it, but they had already been crate trained and we were assured that they preferred to sleep in a crate. Sure enough, they happily went in at night (with a treat each) and on the odd occasion if we had to pop out for a couple of hours. Over time, we only put them in the crate at night.

After a couple of years, we redecorated the front room and decided to remove the crate and replace it with a soft bed. Not used the crate again since.

So all in all, I would say that I'm okay with crates, but you do need to crate train - not just expect to be able to shut a dog in there from day one.

Edited by moorx on Tuesday 28th June 12:59

[Marcellus]

moorx said:

I think this is in response to the title of the thread - creating, rather than crating Must admit, I was intrigued when I saw the title!

doh.... especially as when I read the title it made me smile!

[moorx]

Marcellus said:

moorx said:

I think this is in response to the title of the thread - creating, rather than crating Must admit, I was intrigued when I saw the title!

doh.... especially as when I read the title it made me smile!

I thought it was going to be about cloning!

[moorx]

MrB. said:

He has a big comfy bed that sits in our snug, although he's usually found on the sofa, but he has access to the crate through the day if he wants to as I leave the door open. However, at night, when he goes in there to bed, I shut the door. I'm up just after 5am to let him into the garden, but I'm now wondering whether I should keep the door closed to his crate overnight? He seems happy with this arrangement as we've had no howling or scraping to get out, but I'm just wondering if this is the right thing to do.

Am I doing the right thing by keeping the door closed overnight?

Realised that I haven't actually answered your question, sorry

I think you would know if your dog was stressed by being shut in the crate. Over time, you may wish to let him have more freedom at night, but for now, I think what you're doing is fine.

[mike74]

We've never crated any of our dogs, although I suspect our current retriever cross would love to be crated.. he's always trying to lie under tables, beds etc

[Blanchimont]

We crated our Husky for 6 months from a puppy until 8 months old that she is now.

She was the same, slept on the floor/sofa during the day, in the closed cage at night.
When the OH was ill she slept downstairs for a day or so, and we tried the dog out of her cage, and he was fine, she was initially confused (as we'd folded it up) and we said bed time, and put an old quilt with a blanket over the top and pointed to that as her bed, in she went, off to sleep, never woke up and has done that ever since. So much so, we keep her "bed" down permanently in the corner of the dining room, as she'll mainly sleep on that now.

[bexVN]

I have nothing to really oadd to what's already been mentioned re: crate o/n (Oh ok I will say we closed the door when Bryn was a pup o/n. Once toilet trained his bed moved to our bedroom) but my main reason to make a post was to say thank you for a great thread title, was properly intrigued

[MrB.]

Thanks for all the responses chaps, and apologies for the error in the title! If I were to CREATE something overnight, I'd go all Weird Science and try for Kelly Le Brock.......

Anyhow, back on subject. I feel that little Finlay is happy with the door closed, but he came from a relatively unhappy home and he is still quite withdrawn in himself, so just want to be sure he's settling in OK. He gets the run of the ground floor and the garden, and whilst I leave the crate open all day if he feels the need to take himself away to a quiet space, he never really does as he likes the company as I work from home. He's always either on the sofa, or in his big comfy day bed. We will also be having a few weekends away this year visiting family in Scotland, and the break in Wales, so we will be taking his crate for him overnight.

Appreciate all the input.

Edited by MrB. on Tuesday 28th June 21:13

[otolith]

I recently gave my dog's crate away to a dog charity. It was useful when he was a pup, but I trust him now not to do anything awful when left alone!

[bazza white]

What's your understairs like. Ours was always open and ask kept the dogs bed in there. Enclosed enough for the dog to feel safe without locking him.