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Crate locations in your home?


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We had a couple of friends come over earlier today, I hadn't realized that they hadn't been to our house

for a while, but I guess it was, because they didn't know we had even gotten the second dog. Anyway,

they obviously aren't dog people, or the topic probably wouldn't even had come up. They both seemed

utterly shocked that we had "cages" for our dogs in the first place, but to have them placed right in the

family room was just unthinkable. I laughed it off and it was never that big of a deal to me because

the crates are always there. I see them as part of the furniture now. Other friends, who do have dogs

of their own don't even blink or look twice, other than asking how we can keep them side by side. Our

dogs have no problem knowing which crate is their own and the closeness has never seemed to bother them.

 

I thought to myself, while talking to our friends tonight, they need to come with us and visit our friends

that have a Newfoundland and a King Shepherd. Granted, they both don't stay in crates all the time now,

but there was a time when they did. You couldn't hardly walk through their livingroom, and it was perfectly

normal to me. Training is training, no matter the sizes of the dogs. But those are HUGE crates.

 

So, it got me thinking a little bit, where do most people who use crates, keep them in the home? I know

that some people I know have a separate room for dogs and crates, we don't have that much space, and

our dogs seem to be very content to be in the same room. Even when they go to their crates to take a

break on their own, they always seem fine with it. The only problem that I have is during the winter,

the dogs actually have the best spot to enjoy the fireplace, and they take full advantage...

Mike

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We used to keep our crates in the living room when we lived in the apartment. Crate training whiny screaming Huskies was difficult as is, didn't need them in the bedroom screaming while i need to sleep (and so did the neighbors.) When they became more used to it they went into the bedroom with me. When people would come over they would give me weird looks and ask why i had cages in my room. :rolleyes: Where else are the dogs supposed to sleep? I've taken down 3 of the 4 and now i just have 1 large one in our utility room for "just in case.

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I only have one crate because only one dog needs to be crated. It's in my office, that's where I have room to put it. The office is used quite frequently, so he likes to hang out in there anyway. One thing I just realized, reading your thread, was that people who come over to my house must think I'm crazy nuts! The office is the only room in the house with carpet. My last foster dog was semi-feral and set up camp in the office. Since he wasn't house trained and incredibly fearful of people, I laid a tarp over the carpet to keep it safe. I haven't moved the tarp for a few reasons now, it's less to vacuum and I'm tearing out the carpet this summer, so there is no point in removing all the furniture twice. Who has a tarp over their fricken carpet! :rolleyes:

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All 3 in the living room. A couple of them have a piece of wood on them to hold some of our indoor plants so I guess they are part of the furniture.

 

Everyone who knows us knows we are into dogs so nothing surprises them. One morning someone rung our doorbell. Our dogs don't bark when someone comes to the door. Because it was so early, I was still in my (long) housecoat when I answered to door to a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses. While I was standing there, I was wiggling to keep the dogs in the house. The lady finally asked me if I needed to use the bathroom! I told her no, I was trying to keep the dogs in. She didn't stay after that.

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There is a spare room above the garage that is the 'dog' room. There are three 42" crates side by side for Punk/Stella and a foster or boarding dog. Daisy has the run of that room, as that's the only room where dogs are allowed on the furniture and it is 150% dog proof. I have 5 other crates in the closet, all different sizes, to setup if I have multiple fosters/boarding dogs.

 

I have 1 crate in my bedroom for Stella as she will wake me up at random times wanting to play. When I have boarding/foster dogs, I put another 42" crate in the laundry room (attached to kitchen). The only things I have downstairs are a few dog beds/mats, as all my dogs (and ones staying with me) are mat trained so they know to stay in their beds and not be underfoot.

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I used to keep them in the dining room. I don't have any crates now for the dogs. They're both totally trustworthy unsupervised in the house, and good with company. If I'm getting work done in the house or something like that, Mick goes on his chain outside, mostly because I don't trust him to not escape from somebody leaving the door open. Sinead is the calmest dog ever (unless she gets the zoomies, then watch out...I've seen her jump 4' straight in the air & do a 360), loves everybody, and has no desire to run off, so I don't worry about her.

 

But yeah, I find nothing strange about crates in a living room. I was once personal assistant for somebody with five GSDs (got the job because I was fine working in a house with 5 personal protection trained dogs) and she kept HUGE crates for all of them in her bedroom. The dogs also had a suite in the house with a couple of king sized beds for them to sleep on. They were honestly the most spoiled dogs I've ever encountered. It was also the best job I ever had...even if they held me in the foyer on my first day. THAT was scary.

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I have 2 crates in my bedroom (allthough they are almost never used), 1 crate in the spare bedroom upstairs, 1 or 2 wire crates in the living room, 2 x-pens and a wire crate in the basement room, a smallish crate in the laundry room for one of the 2 cats to eat in and 2 even smaller ones for transport, 2 crates in my car and my soft crate folded up in the basement room...

My husband thinks I have a crate problem...

We have 2 dogs and 11 dog crates between them...

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I have 2 crates in my bedroom (allthough they are almost never used), 1 crate in the spare bedroom upstairs, 1 or 2 wire crates in the living room, 2 x-pens and a wire crate in the basement room, a smallish crate in the laundry room for one of the 2 cats to eat in and 2 even smaller ones for transport, 2 crates in my car and my soft crate folded up in the basement room...

My husband thinks I have a crate problem...

We have 2 dogs and 11 dog crates between them...

 

You definitely have a crate problem. Perhaps there's a chapter of Crates Anonymous in your area.

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Right now I have 1 crate for both of my dogs. Use to have two but roommate needed a crate and my dogs don't mind sharing so...

 

It goes in the most popular used room. Old house it was in the living room. New house right now its in my bedroom.

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I have two crates for one dog and two cats. One big crate in the bedroom where Vala sleeps and gets treats (her safe place), and a medium sized one in the living room sort of behind the couch which is used mostly to confine Vala outside the bedroom on the rare occasion in which she acts up in her bedroom crate (once I made the mistake of letting her out at 2 am when I was mostly sleeping, because she was pawing the bottom of her kennel weirdly, and I thought something was wrong, and this made her think she could paw the bottom of her kennel noisily anytime she wanted to be let out for a few days--at this point that second smaller kennel was super handy because I don't know how else I could've gotten the point across that pawing your kennel does not get you into better nighttime digs!!!). But I also occasionally use the medium crate to confine Nyxer, my very mischievous younger cat, who likes occasionally to pop Vala for no reason as she's passing for fun, at which point, yes, my tiny cat goes to time out. She is quite bold.

 

That being said, I hate the way crates look and look forward to some utopian time in the distant future in which I have a larger house and/or do not need multiple ones in such handy locations (I'd love for them to be in a utility room). This utopian time would be when Vala is finished with heartworm treatment and is accustomed to sleeping on the floor in our bedroom on a mat we plan to get for her at that point. I will probably be moving the medium crate of the living room soon, because I hate seeing it while we sit and talk with guests, but right now we are moving everything around because we're expecting a baby, and that is where it is now (with, um, a bunch of books stacked on it for which I need to buy a high-up shelf).

 

I honestly don't know why I care. No one lives in a Better Homes and Gardens spread. Maybe it has to do with being raised in the South.

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3 dogs and 6 crates. Two crates are in my home office (one for Maggie to hang out in without a door, one for Kes during the day) one crate in the hall outside of the master bedroom for Maggie to hide in if it storms during the day when I'm not home, 2 crates in the car for travel purposes, and one at work for a demo dog to hang out in.

 

With our temp foster here, Maggie's office crate is in the hall off the living room or in DH's office for the foster girl.

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In my dining room sits my grandparents' dining room suite, in regal, unused splendor---and three large wire crates. Since the girls were pups, I've taught them to "Get in your house!" and they do. Each dog knows which "house" is hers (though they double up when we travel--two of the crates exactly fit in the back of a Chrysler Town and Country Minivan.)

 

When the command, "Get in the Van!" arrives, they dash out to the van, and the two who double up (Lucy and Ethel) jump into their correct crate, Bessie jumps into hers. The "Get in the Van" command has helped me several times when they got out (most notably after Hurricane Ike; I didn't realize part of the fence was down). I drove around the corner looking for them, and there they were. I hit the power-operated tailgate and hollered, "Get in the Van!" and they dashed over and jumped in.

 

They stay in the crates during the day (they can't roam, motion sensors would go off---I tried and found out the hard way. Further, in true BC fashion, Bessie discovered that she could hoist herself up on the window seat, make a small jump to the kitchen table, crawl through the pass-through onto the stove, and discover any food items (loaf of bread, fruit, even the wooden cooking spoons). Accordingly, they have to spend the day confined in the crates (hey, I spend my day confined in an 8 x 8 office, glued to a computer sceen, with a telephone glued to one ear while people try to talk to me with the other. They have it easier). I've found that feeding them in their respective "houses" tends to stop any unfortunate food guarding issues.

 

Lately, as I've gone to get ready for work (after the unfortunate escape incident of a couple of weeks ago, they come in the house when I'm out of visual range), when I come around the corner in the hall, each dog is (voluntarily) in her own house, ready to start her day, just like I'm ready to start mine.

 

It's not so bad, they have a window to the front of the house, food, and water. When I come home, the "Welcoming Committee" is overjoyed to greet me, then sticks like glue to me for the rest of the evening. Ethel, the comfort-loving dog, sleeps on the foot of the bed. Lucy is up or down, depending on her mood. Bessie prefers the floor beside the bed.

 

Really, now, what other companions give so much love in exchange for a little dog food, some water, and a chewie or two?

 

I'm taking my Dad back to Arkansas on Memorial Day to visit Mother's grave (she died in January; it was from her that I learned to love dogs; if she'd had her way, we'd have had every stray in town in the yard. When she died, we asked for donations to the ASPCA in lieu of flowers. Lucy, her favorite, visited her in the nursing home for Christmas, the last time I saw her as well.). Dad and I will ride in the front, but the back of the van will be full of crated Border Collies, who will also visit their Grammie's grave. (La Quinta accepts dogs). They like the car better when they're "in their house".

 

I couldn't do without the crates. Entirely too useful.

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one upstairs in living room for my dog. One downstairs for my sister's dog who is kept separate from my dog because they don't get along well. My sister's dog will go to her new home hopefully on Sunday, and I have thought about moving my dog's crate down there this summer as it is much cooler down in the den than n the living room. Oh yes... I also have my mom's crate she had for the min pin she had. it is the same size as the crate I have for taking the cat to the vet! sop that is a total of 4 for 2 dogs and 2 cats currently! the cat crates are stored on the deck or in the basement. They also double for bird strike recovery stations.... if they are only stunned, I take them in quickly in the winter and crate them until they "come too" and have started to eat the birdseed I put in them for that purpose. Of course, many don't make it either, but I am always tickled when one does!

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Right now I have two crates in my living room, one in my bedroom and six in the "dog room" (spare bedroom that has no bed--just space for my computer and printer and dog crates). At times, there are more crates in the living room if they're needed for some reason, and for a while when I had a dog in for training who tended to be noisy early in the morning, I put his crate in the dining room/den area because it's on the opposite end of the house and can be closed off behind French doors.

 

If your friends were apalled by crates, I can't imagine what they would have thought when I had a rubber stock tank surrounded by an X-pen and full of chicks in the dining room earlier this year! :rolleyes:

 

The big joke around here is the 10,000 partly chewed cow hooves lying all over the place....

 

J.

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Further, in true BC fashion, Bessie discovered that she could hoist herself up on the window seat, make a small jump to the kitchen table, crawl through the pass-through onto the stove, and discover any food items (loaf of bread, fruit, even the wooden cooking spoons).

 

That is just too funny. I think I would have trouble being mad at her because that is so clever! :rolleyes: I loved your whole story. I'm sorry for the loss of your mom. I hope having your adorable border collies with you will make the trip easier.

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Right now I have two crates in my living room, one in my bedroom and six in the "dog room" (spare bedroom that has no bed--just space for my computer and printer and dog crates). At times, there are more crates in the living room if they're needed for some reason, and for a while when I had a dog in for training who tended to be noisy early in the morning, I put his crate in the dining room/den area because it's on the opposite end of the house and can be closed off behind French doors.

 

If your friends were apalled by crates, I can't imagine what they would have thought when I had a rubber stock tank surrounded by an X-pen and full of chicks in the dining room earlier this year! :rolleyes:

 

The big joke around here is the 10,000 partly chewed cow hooves lying all over the place....

 

J.

The stock tank story makes me chuckle, because it strikes way to close to home. When I was younger and still living at home with my parents,

they were extremely understandable to my bringing home different types of critters. I remember raising orphaned Mallards and Woodies and

having the most disgusting bathtub at that time, baby ducks are cute, but not the easiest to keep tidy :D .

There was also the year when a "couple" of corturnix quail turned into banks of cages in the basement, those things make the strangest call

and I remember Mom's friends asking what was tied up down there. Cages, incubators, heat lamps, trips to swap meets, ahh the good ol' days.

But thinking back on it now, I think I'm gonna call Mom and Dad and invite them out to dinner...

 

Mike

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When we get a new dog, we set up a crate in the bedroom. That is where the dog is crated while we are gone and, if necessary, at night. That one gets put away once the dog can be trusted. We had two in there when Speedy and Maddie were youngsters, and when we had our foster, Mickey.

 

We also have one that is pretty much set up all the time in the living room. Right now that one is in the car, though. Nobody is crated in the house right now, so I really don't need one, but I will bring the one in from the car if we need it (at Thanksgiving, etc.). That one also serves for a visiting dog or a dog that we are watching for a friend.

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Let's see... my house technically has a formal dining room which I'll probably never need to employ as such. I use it for a crating area and my computer/office stuff. Five crates (all generously oversized for the comfort of the dogs) in there. Two crates in the master bedroom, doubling as end tables. (One crate is for my totally blind old Cattle Dog, for his own protection; the other is open for use, usually by other old Cattle Dog who equally disdains the draft from the ceiling fan and my nocturnal tossing and turning.)

 

There are assorted folding crates stashed in the closets in both guest bedrooms, for the convenience of my friends with dogs, when they come to stay.

 

There are also (at the moment) 5 crates currently in my van, from the trial this past weekend.

 

I have a few more crates and ex-pens folded up in various corners, mostly because I've had (and traveled with) a lot of different sizes and types of dogs in the past 32 years. There's also one really big Vari-kennel in the barn that I use on those occasions when I'm transporting just one sheep in the van.

 

Where do I sign up for the 12-step Crates Anonymous program?

 

Liz S in PA

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Right now we only have one crate set up for our newest dog who is not yet ready to have free roam of the house. It is set up in our bedroom, which is where I suspect the other three hang out during the day anyway. You know, getting my bed dirty and hairy. :rolleyes:

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In my house, I have two crates in the living room for Craig and Taz and one in the bedroom for the little Meggerdoodle. Taz loves his crate and comes and goes as he pleases in it--the door is never shut. Craig is in his crate whenever I can't watch him, not because he will destroy anything, but because I can't trust him not to pick a fight with Taz. Meg is in her crate for obvious reasons, as she is not yet even twelve weeks old. Sophie is anti-crate trained (before I had a clue, I put her in a crate without much crate training for a cross-country flight, and she'd been sick inside when I got her back out again), so she never sets foot in a crate. Actually, she'll set her front two feet in a crate, if there are yummies at the back of the crate, and then streeeetttttcccchhhh to reach them, making sure her back two feet never enter the scary box of doom. :rolleyes:

 

ETA: All dogs except Sophie have crates in my truck, and Meg also has a crate in my office at work.

 

ETA again: I forgot about the crate in the mudroom off the kitchen, where Taz eats and any visiting dogs stay. Really, can you have too many crates?

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Odin's crate is in the loft/nursery. This was a bit appalling to my parents but I think it's a good place for it - it's where I keep things I like :rolleyes: He sleeps with us anyway, and is typically only crated when we are gone or is being fed.

 

He also has a crate in my office at work.

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