To Crate or Not to Crate

The really nice thing about reading an abundance of blogs in my feed reader is that I can “steal” topics write about the same topics in our point of view.  Juliana wrote about the crating vs. non crating issue which is a topic that our household had pretty huge differences of opinion. 

My first experience with crating was well over twenty-five years ago when we got a Rottweiler puppy.  My boyfriend at the time already had an adult male Rottie who was never crated and never needed to be but we introduced the puppy into the crate right away.  I think upon reflection this pup spent too much time in the crate and it was not done correctly but there are a lot of issues involved in the whole relationship to delve into.  That puppy ended up with parvo and didn’t survive.  This had nothing to do with crating but I reference him because we then adopted an adult female Rottie whom we also never crated.  She, however, was not confident and spent a lot of time hiding under a chair in the corner of the room.  I think she would have appreciated a crate for a feeling of security.

Fast forward to the present and Ray-Ray, who is actually very quiet in his crate.  Kevin has never crated and was firmly in the non-crating camp but I think he is starting to see the value of giving Ray a quite and safe place to be when we need to “put” him somewhere.  Ray, as far as I know, has never not been crated.  He was born in rescue and rather than a whelping box, I believe the fam resided in a fairly sizeable crate and a play yard for the most part.  When he came to live with us, we also crated and still do.  While he will occasionally go in for an afternoon nap of his own accord, he still prefers napping on a blanket or mat in a spot of sunshine.

The obligatory picture, though it has nothing to do with crating...

As for bedtime, Ray is quite willing to be bribed to do nearly anything.  For a tasty tidbit of food and the words “night-night” Ray will sprint to his crate which makes tucking him in all that much easier.  Although I would love for the crate to be used less often, I don’t see that happening in the near future.  Ray still has a penchant for the taste and texture of a nice throw rug, so he will need to be kept in his safety zone while we are at work until he grows just a little more responsible.  I am just relieved and happy that we have a willing dog-walker who can give him a midday break whenever needed.  If we didn't have her, I would really need to formulate an alternate plan, meaning I am pro-crate, but in moderation.

What are your thoughts on crating?