# What's in your Crate?



## Oskar der Drachen (Oct 28, 2011)

Aside from your pup, what's in the crate for them to play with, chew on, be stimulated by or not? Looking for some guidelines please?

My crate is basically a sleeping place for Bear and not much else. The only times he is in it are for night sleeps, and when everyone has to leave the house without him. He has currently dragged his Pooh-Bear blanket out to the quilt area with Fred. He has no issues with being in the crate, and will happily go in for night-sleeps from 10:30 - 11:00 to 6:30 on the dot (even on the weekends - sigh).

It's an extra large travel crate, and he will be able to fit for another few months at least. I was hoping to get past teething in it before re-evaluating another "inside the house enclosure".

Please show me your crates, the contents, and your reasoning?


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## mwiacek10 (Nov 8, 2010)

For the longest time I had nothing in Gunny's kennel. He shredded every blanket and pad. I've never left him alone with toys out of fear of him chocking or ingesting them. He's 2 yrs old now and has finally stopped tearing up the bedding.


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

I have a wire crate for both my dogs. When Niko was very young, we did not let him have a pillow in his crate because we were afraid he would chew it up. The only toy he was allowed to have was a Nylabone or a treat filled Kong. No stuffed toys, no toy he could destroy and ingest.

Once we trusted Niko to leave his bedding alone, we put a nice crate liner in there for him.

I think you will be surprised at how fast your pup outgrows the crate you have pictured. Once he is reliably house trained, get him a nice big crate so he can sit up straight in there.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

We just recently added a crate pad back to his crate after months without one..he would shred them all. So far so good with this one.

I do not give any toys in the crate at all. For the most part if he's in his crate we are not home. If it were to somehow get stuck or out of his reach he would stop at nothing to get it.

I do attach a waterbottle to the outside of the crate with the nozzle in for drinking water.


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## Geeheim (Jun 18, 2011)

I never put anything in my dogs kennels (ex: toys, liner). They just lay on the tray. I'm too fearful they will get destructive.


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## Oskar der Drachen (Oct 28, 2011)

Good_Karma said:


> I have a wire crate for both my dogs.
> I think you will be surprised at how fast your pup outgrows the crate you have pictured. Once he is reliably house trained, get him a nice big crate so he can sit up straight in there.


I had been thinking about what someone said about puppy bedding, "a den not a condo".

I was looking at Bear this morning, and laying straight, he is longer than that one now, not including tail... 

When you say then, "nice big crate" what kind of size are we talking about? Dimensions? Have a look at this one and tell me what you think.

Foldable Dog Cage Kennel - XXL 42" Blue | Trade Me

It says... 
*Note: To get the right-sized crate for your adult dog, choose a size that is at least 10cm longer (tip of nose to tail) and 10cm higher than your pet (floor to top of head). 

He is not done growing yet...! Tip of nose to tail in what Bear looks like being, plus six inches would be darn near five feet long, YikeYikeYike!


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## RogueRed26 (Jul 15, 2010)

Inside Texas's crate:

Towel
Kong toy
Duck plush toy
A raw hide boy
A plastic bottle to chew on -they are making toys out of them.

It makes the crate a restful and entertaining place, since she can be quite destructive in their as well.


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## Oskar der Drachen (Oct 28, 2011)

My other option is something like this...

The same kind of thing I saw in the Leerburg videos. Any preferences either way? This option would certainly be more flexible, but it would be *much* easier to break out of if the mood struck.

Advice?

Outdoor Puppy/Small Pets Pen - 6pc | Trade Me


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## GSKnight (Oct 18, 2011)

Viktor has a pillow, blankey, 800 TC sheet, water bowl, and a Bad Cuz.

He's not spoiled or anything.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Abby has a 42" crate, not quite tall enough to sit up in but
she only goes in there to lie down. Nothing inside except a pad.


This is Abby before she was mature enough to have a cover
on her crate.








.... and after ....


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

GSKnight said:


> Viktor has a pillow, blankey, 800 TC sheet, water bowl, and a Bad Cuz.
> 
> He's not spoiled or anything.


LOL I am a sheet thread count snob and love that he has 800


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## GSKnight (Oct 18, 2011)

Courtney said:


> LOL I am a sheet thread count snob and love that he has 800


Me too... I blame an ex-GF... It's all her fault.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Stark has a material crate that I just leave up for him to lay around in - nothing in that except a nice sheep skin rug/mat.

**NOT the normal spot it is kept - we were getting ready to go out.









Zefra is in a 48" wire crate. She has a blanket, a water bowl (attached to the crate side), a few chew toys and that's about it.


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## DanielleOttoMom (May 11, 2010)

I have both wire crates for Otto and Circe.
Both earned their (by not being destructive) padded bed to lay on.
I do not leave toys or bowls in their crates. I fear some thing could happend while I'm not there.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

I should mention that mine are both in wire crates while at schutzhund or any venue.


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

My dog is fully grown at 85 lbs and 28 inches at the withers.

This is him in a 42" crate:










He can't sit up straight in a 42 " crate, so we bought him a 54" crate, pictured here:











It's more than big enough, and I like that he can stretch out. Some people will say their dogs prefer a smaller crate. Niko has never asked me to downsize, so I'm keeping his extra-big crate.


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## iBaman (Oct 25, 2011)

Sheldon has a wire crate with a blanket on bottom and covering it (though he's about to get that taken away if he keeps chewing on them. this is a fairly new development). When I want to sleep in a little or I'm going somewhere, I put his nylabone or kong inside (sometimes it's frozen with peanut butter, too!!). I'm pretty sure this crate is going to be too small when he's full grown, though...he already can't fully stretch out, and can't sit up straight...it was made for a full grown shepherd!!


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## SamanthaBrynn (Sep 2, 2011)

Callie has no blanket or mat...she shreds . She gets a stuffed kong and antlers with peanut putter smeared on them. I think pb is her new fav thing.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Good_Karma said:


> My dog is fully grown at 85 lbs and 28 inches at the withers.
> 
> This is him in a 42" crate:
> 
> ...


My 60lbs girly is in a 48" crate, people laugh because it looks like she has her own home! but I like that she can turn around, stretch out and have extra space for her water dish and a bed.


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## NewbieShepherdGirl (Jan 7, 2011)

When I used a crate for Sasha I didn't have anything in it. I originally had a bed in there for her, but she always pushed it up to the front of the crate and laid behind it; I think she was getting too hot. So I took it out.


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## Razzle J.Dazzle (Sep 8, 2011)

We have a 54" crate too  We keep a dog bed in the "south 40" and that still leaves room in the "north 40" for him to lay on the plastic tray if the bed gets to warm for him.

He gets no toys though as he still likes to destroy and consume the aftermath


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## cowboy17 (Sep 26, 2011)

Gunner has nothing in his crate.

If we are home and he is in there he will get a kong stuffed with PB or treats, but when it's done it's removed.


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## spidermilk (Mar 18, 2010)

As a puppy Dax had only a Kong with frozen yummies in the crate or *nothing*. There was 1 time when he had diarrhea (bad) in his crate and I was *so glad* that he didn't have a fancy bed or anything in there!

Now that he is more trustworthy he has a small fleece blanket my sister made him, a water bowl (attaches to the side or he would tip it), an elk antler, and a Kong (usually). His dog bed would be in there but he doesn't sleep in the crate. Dax has never been a shredder or destroyer (got lucky there).


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

my dog didn't like any bedding in his crate.
when i crated him i would put a bone, kong toy
and a rope in his crate. whatever i put in his crate 
i made sure it was large enough so it couldn't swallow it.
the crate was large enough to fit a Great Dane.


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