my old doggy used to chase the hover and get her paws under it so we used to put her outside when we hovered lol as for creating the kids lol i used a play pen for when i was not in the living room washing up ect and both my babies now 5 and 2 loved it sooooo much they still use it but the get in on there own now, funny how kids and dogs have so much in common

If or when I have a second dog the dog will be crated when I am out which is not often for more than 2 hours.

I would not leave 2 boxers together until I was confident that they would behave or not get into any scraps, then the crate would be left open.

I have only just collapsed my crate due to lack of room...mine loved using it as a 'den' but after they were house trained and no longer chewed saw no point in shutting the door.

cant understand why you would want to think the dog is not there. if mine are out of my sight for anylengh of time I look for them but then thats maybe because my4 are part of the family where I go they go and in the house they are ALWAYS around me can,t go for a p in this house without a dog following they sleep on the couch ,get on the bed ,play in the lounge, run with their toys, so what I have them that way because I enjoy their company cant see the point of having a dog part time and most of the doggy people I know are exactly the same maybe thats where breeders and pet owners differ

because I like to do as litle housework as possible!! my old collie casts hair at a phenomenal rate and its better to keep it in one place. my staffie just wants to be all over me when Im trying to work, its not easy to type with a staffie trying to sit in your lap
i find crating is convenient, the dogs certainly dont object to it. they get playtime and fussed and cuddled I just dont have them under my feet all the time.

I am not one of these modern dog people who has their dogs all over the furniture on the bed etc etc etc, I was brought up on a farm and I was taught that dogs and cats had their place within the family but within reason, our dogs were working dogs which were kept in a kennel and run in the yard and they got to coem into the kitchen, which led directly off the yard too, the cats were also allowed in there, although not on the furtniture.
I believe that dogs should occupy a slightly lower position in the pack, if you watch dogs in a pack environment, the top ranking dogs will assume the best positions for sleeping and sunbathing etc, I feel that allowing dogs on your furniture and bed not only elevates their "pack status" but also defeats the purpose of spenidng money on nice furniture or bedding since no dog is 100% clean, or smell free

I think dogs need their own space, somewhere they can go and have a bit of relaxion time, a crate fulfills this perfectly for me.
I cant understand people who have their dogs all over their house and let them do as they please, to my mind I think they are a bit barmy, but hey, I would never normally say that out loud as I think its up to the individual choice, but since tam T seems to find it incomprehsible that anyone would be able to enjoy being a dog owner without having their dogs all round them 24/7 I thought I would share my opinion on those who do

call me old fashioned but I think dogs need rules and boundaries, just like children do and i think a lot of the people who have problems with their dogs being dominant, unruly or suffering seperation anxiety are the same people who allow the dog free run of the house and dont set enough boundaries between whats acceptable and whats not.

I have my doggy clothes and mucky boots for outdoors, and my dogs can romp and play and have fun and if I get muddy and dirty thats fine, but when I come back indoors, I like to have peace and quiet to work, and I dont want to be cleaning up mucky pawprints or constant dog hair. its much easier to wash their blankets once a week and thats that

besides my dogs are the dirtiest animals ever, they eat poo, roll in it sometimes (when Im not looking) drool (if theres food on the go) and can never go anywhere without getting filthy, so I think thats a good enough reason on its own to crate them! lol

Yep...wouldn't be the same house if you didn't fall over a dog now and again!!!!

tell me about it

well, thats your way of doing things and your way of thinking, and your entitled to live that way.

I prefer to keep my dogs the way I do,

neither is right or wrong, its down to individual choice and what suits you and your dogs, once again

Indie follows me everywhere even upstairs when she knows she is not allowed !!
i have a crate up, the door is always open unless they have a chew or bone, then one of them (they decide) goes in the crate with door shut to eat their treat, this stops any arguing or stealing of the other ones treat. Indie is used to the crate, and needs to be for shows, if she didnt get to use the crate at home while she is young, then i think she would get very stressed out at shows suddenly being put in one

If a crate is used properly then you will find the dog will go in of his own accord