Crate advice please :-)

[hazybubbles]

Hi everyone, I will be welcoming a whippet x italian greyhound puppy into the family in about a month. She will be 10 weeks old by then and I was wondering what size crate would be best suited for her? Would it be best to get something for her 'den' in the house and something maybe smaller for the car? I want her to be safe and comfortable obviously! Any advise very much appreciated!

 

[gypsysmum2]

They need to be able to stand up, turn around, and lie out flat, once adult size.. That is all. If you get one that is too big they lose their "cosyness".

Toilet training is easier with a well fitting crate as the puppy will be keen to leave the crate at, toilet time, and you will know about it, giving you the chance to get her out to the garden.

 

[JoanneF]

Don't rush the crate, make it a fun place. Don't close the door until she is happy in there. Put a t shirt you have worn in the crate with her toys and bed. Only ever use the crate for good things, never punishment. If she cries you are going too fast.

At night, it's a good idea to have her crate in your room to start with so she knows you are close by. You can put a hand down to stroke and comfort her if she gets distressed. Please don't ignore her, you wouldn't ignore a crying child and leave her in an empty room.

Comforting her when she is distressed is fine and will strengthen your bond. Unfortunately many people make the mistake of allowing a puppy to cry in the hope that they grow out of it, when actually all they have done is cement in the puppies mind that being left in the crate (or alone, or whatever is causing the crying) is indeed a terrible thing, and for many dogs this fear becomes a learned habit.

Gradually you can start moving the crate away to outside the bedroom door, near the room you want her to sleep in, and eventually into that room. With puppies learning, everything is done in little steps, and if anything starts to fail, you go back a step and stay there longer.

Also in your room you are more likely to hear her if she moves and needs out to toilet. With young puppies it's too long to expect them to hold on all night (their little bladder and bowels aren't big enough or strong enough) so set your alarm for a couple of times in the night.

During the day though you should start to get her used to being alone for short periods so when she isn't interacting with you (to make your leaving less of a contrast) just walk out the room then back in - build up the time gradually.

 

[hazybubbles]

Thank you for your advice ) Could you give me a rough guide to the sort of measurements of crate I should be looking while she is a puppy so that it is cosy and not too big? I would like to get things organised in advance of collecting her, and although I am visiting her I don't have a clear idea in my head how big she will be by 10 weeks, so advice from someone more experienced would be fantastic.

 

[JoanneF]

You could go for a crate that will fit her as an adult and use something like cardboard to partition it so she only has access to what she needs. Sorry I'm not sure what size she will be so cant really suggest a crate size! To add to what Gypsysmum said, a crate is useful as a tool to help with toilet training but it is just a tool, not a solution. If you need advice on toilet training please ask.

 

[Kate75]

We had a crate that would fit Holly as an adult (she's a GSD so it was a giant one). We were very lucky that friends of ours had one that their dogs no longer needed so we just bought a divider once we knew the measurements.

Just a word of advice - be wary of the differing quality between the various makes of crate. The one we borrowed had been bought to contain an escape artist labrador who had already broken out and destroyed two other crates! We bought a different and cheaper make for the car and that one seems so much weaker. ts fine for the car as Holly can't really open it but I think if we'd had the same make as her main crate she would have been out of it in five minutes!

 

[hazybubbles]

We had a crate that would fit Holly as an adult (she's a GSD so it was a giant one). We were very lucky that friends of ours had one that their dogs no longer needed so we just bought a divider once we knew the measurements.

Just a word of advice - be wary of the differing quality between the various makes of crate. The one we borrowed had been bought to contain an escape artist labrador who had already broken out and destroyed two other crates! We bought a different and cheaper make for the car and that one seems so much weaker. ts fine for the car as Holly can't really open it but I think if we'd had the same make as her main crate she would have been out of it in five minutes!

Thank you, that's good to know regarding the different makes of crate. Do you have any idea what make yours are as a guide to what to look for and what to maybe avoid?

 

[Kate75]

I'm afraid I'm not sure what her big strong one was. It was bought 14 years ago and my friend, who it belongs too isn't sure either. We think it may be a Savic and having had a look at the pics of them they are very similar. This one was really solid and heavy when assembled and other than rattling the bars, Holly didn't seem to be able to make it move at all. The car one we have is a Barkshire which as I said is fine for the car as Holly wouldn't be able to open it even if she tried, it is much lighter though and easier to move around which made me think it wouldn't have been any good for a lively pup determined to escape!