[CptJack]

I'm a work-from-home type who is home, a lot. Most of the time, if I'm not, one of the kids (I have teenagers) or my husband is. I also have a neighbor across the street who will puppy sit if we need them to. That means, theoretically, the dogs really rarely need to be left alone, for anything.

However, I still put them in crates with a toy, turn the TV off and go plop my butt on the porch with the ipad or laptop, and kill an hour or so at a time.

Theoretically they don't NEED to be in them, most of the time, but I don't want to think about what would happen if life happened (as it tends to) and I did need to. Or staying at the vet. Or flying. Or travel.

Honestly, I'm more concerned about dogs who are content to be crated for reasonable amounts of time/to not freak out and panic by it, than I am housebreaking issues and chewing. Jack would be fine no matter what, I think; he's holder. But I want Kylie to learn to be okay by herself, sometimes.

"Home all the time is ideal for the dog!" Yeah. But what about when I'm NOT?

And yet, I feel guilty.

 

[sassafras]

Don't feel guilty. Sometimes I put Squash in his crate if I've done everything I can think of to wear him out but he's just bugging the crap out of me anyway. I don't even take care to get out of his sight. Usually he just falls asleep anyway.

 

[dagwall]

Haha I don't have a crate for Jubel but if he's acting like Sass just described Squash I'll leave him upstairs and go into the basement myself. Most of the time he'll take the hint and go take a nap in one of our beds, hour or two later he'll give me some soft barks asking me to let him join me in the basement. Just little "ooffs" to get my attention.

Though I did find out this last week with the short term foster dog at the house that he will NOT shut up and go take a nap if I take the foster dog down with me and leave him. I did this because she was a hyper one year old who giving the option wanted to wrestle almost constantly, Jubel is four and wanted a break sometimes. I trust him alone but wasn't so sure about her so she got to come with me and he had to stay. Barked his fool head off until I let him down with us, then pouted cause she wouldn't leave him alone haha.

I'm borrowing a crate to use with the long term foster coming home this weekend and I plan to take advantage of it's presence to do some basic crate training with Jubel too. He already went in it to investigate a few times and I've put treats in it to encourage this. Might stick him in there with a chew toy tonight just to see what happens and let him out when he's done as long as he isn't freaking out over being shut in.

 

[NozOnyCalAur]

I crate my pup on an off during the day. I'm a stay at home mom and I need to be able to turn my back on my pup to take a shower, wash the dishes, fold the clothes without her attacking each piece. Or if I wanna take a nap on the couch for an hour. I like to tell myself I'm keeping her accustomed to the crate in case of an emergency.

 

[GrinningDog]

Oh, man, don't feel guilty!

I used to chuck Gypsy in her crate occasionally when she was a pup. Sometimes I needed a little time off.

As long as the dog is well-loved and well-exercised and gets plenty of time out of crate, there's nothing wrong with doin' this.

 

[a7dk]

No need to feel guilty! It's great that the dogs are rarely alone and don't usually need to be crated, but you're right to train them anyway, in case they ever need to travel or stay overnight at the vet. That would be much more stressful if just being in the crate stressed them out.

I don't need to do this anymore but I used to throw Hobbes in his crate for an hour sometimes just to give the cat some time off. It took him awhile to stop chasing/bothering Jack every chance he got.