[Guest]

As you know from my previous post...a new male basset pup will be joining our family in a couple of weeks. I'm debating about whether or not to crate train. Part of me feels like its cruel to have the pup locked in a crate all day while Oscar (dachshund) gets to run free of the house. Any advice is most welcomed and appreciated!

 

[MissMolly]

Crates are a great way for puppies to understand boundaries, and its a great way to potty train!

I think we all struggle with this question. In my experience it has worked wonderfully. We crated Molly from the very beginning, and now she gets in her crate willingly. Sometimes when she's tired she'll actually go in to sleep.

I think its important to make the crate seem like a fun place for the puppy. Make sure you praise him when he goes in and give him lots of treats. Good luck!

 

[Guest]

Also, I am uncertain what size of crate I need. Any particular brand I should be going for?

Thanks again!

 

[Guest]

A basset needs kind of a big crate because they are short, but heavy, long dogs. I bought a crate from Petco that had a divider in it so that it could be made small for the puppy stage and gradually larger as the puppy grew. You don't want to give them enough room that they can potty in one corner and go sleep in another.

Janet 'n Twinkie

 

[Guest]

Crate training is great. Be sure to get a crate big enough for a full grown basset. They grow so quickly and you don't know how long you may need to crate him. Byron is nine months old now and I don't think I'll be letting him roam free unsupervised anytime soon.

 

[Mikey T]

1. a dog need not be locked up in a crate all day to crate train. Crate training means to accept being in a crate.

2. Buy a crate need for a full size dog. If you plan on using the crate as an aid to house training you will need to block acesses to some of the crate. To make the space smaller the simple solution is to insert an approprately size cardbord box.

many mistakes are made introducing a puppy to a crate which can make the experience tramatic for the pup and therefore makes crate training more difficult here are a couple links on crate training including selecting a size.

Crate Training

Crate Training by Jos Lermyte u=, use a techinque called "shaping" to introduce a crate to a puppy. While the article is geared for those that clicker train there is no need to be intimidated by it. Every where the article says click or C/T (short hand for click and treat) just toss a small morsel to the dog it will work. Maybe not as fast as with a clicker but fast enough.

 

[Guest]

I'm by far no expert, but I am raising 2 bassets so I can speak from expierence. All I can say is that I wish I had done it to Mollie(10 month old basset) earlier. I should of known better from Maggie my older basset, but I felt bad locking Mollie up. I paid the price and now and redoing my kitchen as a result(I wanted to re-do it anyway but the timing wasn't right).

Mollie didn't like the kennel at first, but now goes right in when I call her. And she dosen't seem to mind it. I have bones and toys in it, and I used to give her cheese to get in to it. I still will do it every once in a while. Kennel training will be very helpful once your puppy is getting into everything.

Good luck!

 

[Guest]

I think I might be off to a good start. The breeder has already gotten the pups used to crates. However this pup is probably going to be used to sharing the crate with his littermates or his mommy. So it might be a big adjustment to having a crate all to himself. We'll see I guess.

 

[Milly and Lily]

Crate training is the only way to save your sanity and help him understand his role. Also, gives him a safe place to retire that is just his if things get too uncertain or rowdy for him.
My crate is a hand me down from my GSD, but it is perfect for Lily because she is so long. She can stretch out in there. Her dog bed serves as the cusion and it leaves just enough space for her water bowl in the corner. Of course you will want to create some sort of divider because a little pup won't need all that room but you'll want him to be able to grow into it.
Very helpful for him to know where his "bed" is so that if there is something major going on in the house like moving a piece of furniture you can tell him "eventually" to go to bed and he will run right in there out of the way. He won't get stepped on and you won't trip on him.

 

[Guest]

When we adopted Molly, our Basset, it was painfully apparent that crate training was the only thing that would keep our family sane! However, we had an almost 2 yr. old Lab at that point who never needed to be in a crate. To this day, our Lab is out and Molly is crated--our Lab turns 5 this summer and Molly will turn 4. We keep them in the same room during the day when we are gone, Cinny ends up on our bed and Molly is in her crate. There has never been a problem with this situation and frankly crate training saved our sanity!!!
Good luck in your decision.
JEnnifer

 

[BassetsDad]

This is from VERY limited experience. We have had our 10 wk old basset for two weeks. This after labs and a scottie over the years.

After the first few days, the need for crate training became painfully apparent. Emma now has a more solid sense of what is expected of her. We will be working on bladder control for quite a while still, but she really tries to make it outside, and you can tell. I believe it is because even over a 1 week period, she has developed a sense of where is appropriate and where is not appropriate to eliminate.

The first couple of days involed a fair amount of whining, but she has since adopted the crate as her "home", and willfully heads that way at appropriate times.

Mark

 

[TriciaG]

I think we must do things differently over here because I have never heard of these crates or crate training, and I don't know anybody else who has. I used to confine Bertie to the kitchen with a baby gate when he was a puppy and we were going out. He had his bed and some chew toys and he was always perfectly happy in there.
Since he was about a year old, we have just left him loose in the house and we have never had any problems. Bertie was fully housetrained by the time he was six months old, although of course he could only last for a certain amount of time when his bladder wasn't fully grown. Now he can last out from about 11pm until 7am without needing to use the garden.
Why is it that you need to use these crates?

 

[Mikey T]

A crate is no different than confining to the kitchen provided the kitchen is small enough. The advatage of a grate however is they are moveable. Visit the in laws the crate can go. Need to confine the dog for a dog show the crate can go. In multiple dog household it allow confining only one of the dogs also.

[ February 20, 2006, 08:47 PM: Message edited by: Mikey T ]

 

[Guest]

Bertrum: we did the EXACT same thing with Oscar when he was a pup. And I'm debating about just doing that again with the new pup, or crate training this pup and letting Oscar still have free run of the house. I feel bad either way though. Either I'm letting Oscar run free, while the puppy is caged, or I'm penning Oscar in the kitchen with the puppy (after being used to having free reign). I just dont know what to do.

 

[Mikey T]

Personnally I would not confine an adult dog with a puppy in a confined space. As they get olders puppies have a tendency to annoy adult dog to the point that they have to take action, A confined space limits the options the adult has and increase the risk of injury to the pup. Even though, he may have deserved it, I don't think it is what you want. If using the baby gate I would keep each dog on opposite sides until the puppy has earned the right to have free run along with Oscar.

If the reason you would confine Oscar to the kitchen is so he had access to a dog door then that somewhat changes the dynamic. The size of the confined space must also includes outside, thus, greatly expanding escape routs from an annoying pup.

 

[Mikey T]

You can still crate train and use a baby gate to confine. Crate training only means teaching the dog to accept using the crate. It does not mean it has to be used a consistent means of confinement

other uses for crate training
travel
crates keep dogs secure in cases of auto accident
many if not most

A crate is require for air transport

Most motel/hotels that accept pets still require crate confinement of them will in the room, at least the US

Visting relative and/or friends the crate allow you to confine dogs which are not baby gate freindly

other uses
protech the dog on vet visits. The precentage of aggressive dog in vet office seem higher than the general population. My theory is pain induced aggression but what ever the cause the crate can and will protect a dog.

Confine the dog where normally you would not be able camping, dog shows etc.

other consideration a dog crate is secure. A baby gate not so much. then have been Climed over, jumped over knocked over, gnawed through on a consistent basis by a large number of dogs.
It is a rare occurence with a plastic or metal crate and ussual tied more to human (owner) error than a design flaw or lack of material integrity.

 

[Guest]

Hi Bertie and Tricia

We don't do things differently i live in abergavenny not too far from you and have used a crate for Menna since we had her at 7 weeks old. It is the first time in over 35 years of sharing my life with dogs I have used one and it's been a great help. Having other dogs in the house (my 5 year old chow and very often my daughters rescue bitch) it gives the other dogs a break from a very active pup and Menna likes to have her food to herself in her crate before she comes out and finishes the others food off.
She used to sleep in it at night so that I knew that all the dogs were safe. When she was six months old she decided she would prefer our bedroom and rushes up the stairs as soon as it looks as if anyone is getting ready to go to bed, but she still goes into the cage from time to time for nap during the day if the door is left open. She also travels in it which is a great help because she had problems with travel sickness ( much easier to clean a cage than the whole car). She doesn't see it as punishment but more her special space.

 

[TriciaG]

I'm far from being an expert in these matters, and I wouldn't interfere with what others do with their dogs, but as I said, I grew up with Springer Spaniels and we have many friends with a variety of breeds of dogs and I have never before heard of crates or crate traning.
Bertie was fine being confined in the kitchen with the baby gate for the first year of his life, and he hasn't needed any kind of confinement since then, and I don't think I have ever spoken to anyone who has needed to confine any puppy or adult dog in a cage. The idea of keeping a dog in a cage for any length of time, particularly for a long time, is not an attractive one to me, nor is it something I have ever found it necessary to do.
I would never presume to tell anyone else how they should best care for their dogs, but I cannot agree that these crates are a good thing.

 

[Guest]

My experience with José was I first used a crate for him to sleep in when he was a puppy. But then that was the end of the crate. I had a tiled kitchen and baby gate so that worked great while I was at work. I had to José-proof it a bit first - barracade under the stove so he couldnt get to it, remove the rugs or anything within his reach. I just put his bed at one end & food and water too. I put newspapers down by the door in case he had to go while I was away. Newspaper training worked great, had him pee on paper outside and he caught on that that was good.

Now at 5 he still gets babygated in the kitchen & living room. The bedrooms have too much temptation... he still has many puppy like qualities. :roll:

I suppose I would have used a crate if I didn't have a good confined area for him.

 

[Guest]

As Mikey T mentioned on the first page, I'm concerned about the puppy annoying Oscar if they are baby gated together. Then I was considering letting the pup be gated in the kitchen while Oscar had the living room. Then I though that might make one or both of them upset...trying to get to the other side. Since I'm taking a couple of days off to acclimate the puppy to his new home...I will feel out what to do depending on the pup's reaction to the crate, and Oscar's reaction to the pup.

A side note, I went to visit Murphy in Pequea, PA on Sunday. He is SO tiny compared to his picture! From the looks of the pic, he looks about 5 to 8 pounds. But really, he's more like 2 or 3 pounds. Anyway, the breeder let me bring a towel to rub the puppy with so I could take it home for Oscar to sniff and get familiar with his smell.

And Murphy gave me kisses! Don't cha just love puppy breath?