Oh yes, I totally agree with this! I was looking at it purely from a home perspective. There are loads of situations where a crate is really useful, like the one you have mentioned! Another reason why it's good to have a crate trained puppy.

Aw, Pidge! You've actually made my day by posting these photos! He's adorable. Nice and chunky. Keep it up and always remember, stay calm, be consistent and keep focussed and everything should fall in to place with regards to toilet training and sleeping through without many accidents (but be realistic and expect one or two at the start!). Well done.

Now, don't you go letting me down tonight, or Woody!

No, Pidge, you're doing it for Woody and peace of mind for yourselves knowing he will be safe and sound.

I'm still not sure why you say you really don't like the crate. Like i said before, if you don't like it you may be passing this feeling and doubts on to the pup.

I think they should be used but why use it if you don't want to - why not just do what you want to and keep on picking up the poo?

Like i say, i would use it, but not sure why you keep saying you don't like it? Interested in your opinions.

I don't know Catrin. I guess it's because I'm used to (all my life) having a dog that lies by my feet and sleeps in a big open space, in a comfy bed. We've never used a crate with any of our dogs. I'm also very claustrophobic, this might be something to do with my personal fears!? I think I should be allowed to not like it. We bought it to give it a go as it was highly recommended to us and you have to give us a chance to get used to the idea.

Anyway, last night we played with him and tired him out then settled him in for his first night. He howled and scrabbled (worse than his first night here) for about 20 minutes and then went quiet.

The alarm went off at 1.30pm and my husband went down to take him out. When he approached the crate Woody was down on his front legs barking and snarling at him through the crate like nothing I have ever heard before. He let him outside but alll he did was go frantic and bite and snap at my husbands legs and feet. He stayed out there for 15 minutes of this and eventually Woody did a wee and a poo.

When they came back in Woody was absolutely hyper and my husband felt like he couldn't put him back in the crate. So he set him up in the kitchen again. He said he did it because Woody hasn't spent much time in the crate and no wonder he was scared.

Now personally I wanted him to persevere and am cross that he didn't, but Woody's behaviour was concerning me. He doesn't just bark and whimper like other puppies, he gets a crazed look in his eyes and howls in an horrific way!

Now I really need advice. I don't want to give up on the crate until I know we've given it the best shot we can give it. Do we need to just keep putting him in there and locking the door? He already has all his meals in there and we put him in when he's sleepy.

I don't know what to advise... I've always had my dogs sleep in the bedroom... Ben went into the crate by himself, I never needed to train him to it.

I put the crate in the office when I first got him, and he just went in and went to sleep, while I was on the computer... I got another crate for the bedroom, put it next to my bed, and he slept in there with a few toilet trips for the first few weeks...

Ben has been the hardest dog I've ever had to toilet train - he's also the first puppy I've ever had a crate for.

some of the advice that I was given on here when I was training Beebee with the crate (she slept on our bed at night beforehand) was to put the crate ON the bed and you sleep next to it with your fingers in the crate stroking her. I only needed to do that about four or five times before she didn't mind it and now she sleeps in there through the night and wakes up for the toilet at about 7-ish. That may help but if you have her sleep in the kitchen it may not, sorry if it doesnt!

Just to reassure you...

We spent the first 2 weeks when we got Max sleeping on the living room floor

He was crated in the kitchen and would happily sleep locked in his crate during the day, but at night would cry, howl, whine, whimper and act as if we were torturing him

We didn't even need to set the alarm to get up to take him to the toilet, we were permanently awake

I think it was a bit like when people say you should leave a baby to cry rather than pick it up and let it sleep with you

After about 2.5 weeks, the crying & howling stopped, and I would set the alarm for about 2am to do toilet duty.

But in those 2.5 weeks, there were many nights when I dragged a blanket into the kitchen and slept on the floor with my hand through the crate bars....



Honestly, it WILL get better!!

We let our two sleep in the kitchen now, but both are happy being crated when we go camping/on holiday (a soft crate though, as I can't lift a metal one big enough for 2 Boxers!!)

Lovely story Iso, thanks! Isn't Max a sweetie boy!

So shall we sleep downstairs with him tonight then, or just be strong?

Also, do we wake up when he calls for us, or when the alarm goes off? Husband is worrying about waking him up again as he obviously scared him last night.

He's gone in the crate on his own today to play with his kong (that I froze with treats and gravy) and has had all his day naps in there - door shut. He doesn't call for us at all when he's in there during the day and we've made it super cosy for him.

Your heart isn't in this, is it Pidge?

Your negativity about the crate is getting to your pup and you are making sure that it doesn't work for him.

Crates are wonderful things, properly used. They do, however, require commitment and hard work which, I am sorry to say, you do not appear to have. You are determined to prove that they are of no value.

I will offer no more advice - I wish you well.