As the topic of crates has come up, have you read this DW article Lottie? http://www.dogweb.co.uk/talkdogs/the...sed_15552.html

Crates are certainly not compulsory at shows, but if you go to a Championship show you will have to "bench" your dog and the traditional method of attaching the dog is to chain it down. Not recommended for a puppy! Plus, unless you guard the bench every minute, it is easy for the dog to tangle itself up, hang itself by leaping off the bench, or have a passing dog take a pot at it (all of which I have seen over the years). I use a "bench size" crate which slots in nicely and the dog recognises its own "den", settles really well, and is safe. Many people cover them over with a sheet or towel to reduce the possibility of interference and to help settle the dog. These days, the "tent style, pop-up" fabric sort are preferred as they are light to carry.
At Open shows, if you go alone you either have a long walk between the ring and the car - possibly in wet weather - if you need the loo or a cup of tea, so having a crate near the ring is a luxury and makes life sooo much easier.
Over here, Champ shows are not benched and people even go as far as to put tents up ringside! I use a double size crate (the one Taylor sleeps in at home) and a fabric one, as I am showing 3 dogs and it's a case of, "out with Taylor, in with Polo, out with Polo, in with Polly!" as the classes are so small it's over in a flash and often, open Bitch follows Open Dog as there are no entries for the few classes in between!
By the way, a lovely soft comfy bed will be destroyed within 24 hours, I guarantee it!!!!! Vetbed is the only real option in my opinion.
There are books available on the correct use of crates, may be worth giving Amazon a look.

Gill

PS Of course any dog in any situation, be it shut in a room, in a crate or in the garden will want to come out and greet visitors! Nothing to do with being unhappy in a crate in my view

I think I have thanks SB.

thanks for your idea richard.

i decided to try and get my hands on a cheap crate but i haven't bought it because I have just looked on my bank account

it's now time to really tighten my belt because I am ashamed to say I've spent a lot of money on not very much at all in the last few days! Now I don't even have enough to pay for the petrol to go and see Takara

Lottie

Lottie A word of caution re cheap crates....make sure you get a good safe /strong/well made crate with no sharp edges, did you see Bellalunas post re her friends crate ..and the difference between that and the one Becs has? Cheap can be expensive if it damages your puppy. If you are going to go for a crate I would get the best I could afford it will last you a lifetime . I had a playpen for Amy that I made myself with wood and fine wire, it cost me just a few pounds...the wire ones the others have posted look good and can be lifted in and out of the house..but if your garden is open be very careful and do not leave your puppy out there alone or there is a good chance she will be stolen . maye ask Becs about her crate manufacturer

Look here....http://www.dogweb.co.uk/talkdogs/gue...ate_16224.html

Thanks Mini -

By cheap crate I meant second hand that people just stopped using not because they didn't need them any more that's all!

my garden isn't open it's just not fully secure. By this I mean, the puppy could get out, nobody can see in (they can get in but they can't see in) to see there's a dog there, but she could easily slip out. She would only ever be outside while I am until we get the walls and the secure gate so that then, if I need to go out she can be left in the garden because there'll be no way to get to the garden unless you go through the house and only then will we leave her unsupervised!

Lottie

The easiest way of creating a dog run (say for example 15ft long x 5ft wide) is to fix fence posts into the ground at all 4 corners using 'metpost' adaptors.These have a long spike which you hammer into the ground using a sledgehammer and the post then slips inside the metpost.You will need a nylon 'dolly' to put inside the metpost first to stop the steel metpost from bending under impact.How many fence posts will depend on the type screening you want-chain link fencing will require 2 additional posts in the middle to stop the fencing from sagging and makes it more tight.Unroll the chainlink fencing slightly and using galvanised 'U' nails-hammer this over the links into the posts.Once you have attached the chainlink to the first post,get someone else to start slowly unrolling the fencing,but keeping it tight and carry on fixing the fencing using the U nails until you have gone all the way round.You will need a gate for access and see further down for details.

Metposts are ideal for soil which has never been turned over (like a lawn) and are absolutely useless where its been rotovated-bear this in mind! If the plot of land has been recently turned over and is too soft-consider concreting the posts.

If you want a more solid screen around the dog run-choose 'closeboard fencing' as this is infinetly stronger than fence panels.Fence panels look attractive because of their price,but are made from inferior timber (always full of knots).Closeboard fencing is easy to install and all you need to do once the posts are in place is fix the arris rails (the lengths of horizontal timber spanning each post) using screws NOT nails.Fix the gravel board on the bottom (a 1" thick plank of wood which prevents damp from soil rising and rotting actual fence)-then start fixing the closeboard planks.

The cheapest places for closeboard fencing are timber merchants/fence suppliers/saw mills,but ensure the timber is pressure treated to stop rot and insect attack.Checkout Yellow pages or the net for your nearest supplier.I would never use nails for closeboard fencing because it always shrinks a year or two afterwards and the nails start popping out.Choose galvenised screws instead or even better-black 'carcass screws' as they really bite into any timber.

Obviously you will need a gate for access and this is best placed at the narrowest point.This again can be made from the closeboarding in excally the same principle as the rest,but will just need a couple of hinges and a latch.