CRATING DURING THE DAY
When I got Archie he was completely crate trained. He enjoys his crate, and never gives me a bad time about going in there. I've kept him with the same procedure with which he was raised, crate throughtout the night, and whenever I"m not at home. Most of the time I take him to work, but if I know it's gonna be a hectic day, I crate him (at home) and let him out at lunchtime. My question to you guys is I've been tossing around the idea of leaving him loose in the house during the daytime, if I leave for a while, or on the days I leave him home from work. GOOD IDEA..... OR leave it the way it is? I walk him twice a day, and he gets plenty of excercise playing with his older brother, I guess I just was kind of fantasizing coming home and having him greet me, rather than waiting for me to let him out>> THANKS, KRISTIN & ARCHIE
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Judi, Dawn, Soffie & Griffyn on
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Both Soffie & Griffyn are crate trained. For each of their first year, we used the crate for night time. And during the day if we had to leave them. They also "go to their rooms" when we are eating.
We had Soffie first and when she turned a year old, we put her "to bed" and closed the door on the crate but did not lock it. It didn't take her long (about 10 minutes) to discover she could get out.... and up on the bed with me she landed. And that is where she sleeps every night.
We did the same thing with Griffyn. His first year in the crate at bed time. The night he "graduated" to freedom, he chose to continue to sleep in his crate. But after a few nights he started leaving the crate and chose to "sleep around". Most nights he starts off sleeping in Dawns bed, then he'll move to my room where he sleeps on the floor. (I think Soffie has told him that my bed is HER domain). Then he ends up back in his crate, where most mornings is where I'll find him.
Dawn is home most of the time during the day. But if there comes a time when neither of us are home for an extended period of time we crate them both. We didn't used to, but a year ago July Soffie had an accident resulting in a partial tear of her back left ACL. And since she is a furniture "mountain goat" we couldn't trust her not to climb Mount Sofa while we were out. And.... not wanting her to feel punished by being crated, we also crated Griffyn. They both transitioned back to being crated while we were out, so we have continued that practice.
It's important to mention that we NEVER used the crate as punishment. And you probably already understand it's Griffyn's safe place of choice. So, I believe if used properly, and not on a 8 hour, 7 day a week schedule it can really help out and be a good thing on those occassions when you have to leave them for a few hours.
Of course it's a personal choice but since Archie is already accustomed to the crate, then I would encourage you to continue with what he knows. Like that old saying.... "why fix it, if it isn't broken"?!
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Permalink Reply by Kristin & Archie on
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Archie sounds alot like Griffyn. Even when given other choices, he'd rather sleep in his crate. Truth be told, beacuse my hubby is a restless sleeper, and downstairs the cats raise hell all night he probably just gets a better nights sleep in his crate. I'm not bragging, and granted I didn't get Archie till he was 1 1/2 yrs old, but I've never had to punish him yet...KNOCK ON WOOD!! But from others advice if and when I do, I won't ever use the crate as punishment....simply because he has such a sensitive soul that I'd be afriad of doing permenant damage to him mentally. If you even raise your voice too much when you call him to go inside from the backyard, he comes but he looks at you with those sad eyes like "Am I in trouble?"
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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on
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I personally like the idea of a free corgi. Franklin was crate trained and I used to crate him all the time as a puppy because if I left him home and free he would often times chew my stuff up. Now that he is older he can be left at home uncrated and does great. I prefer a free corgi because then he can wander around and choose where he wants to sleep or what toys he wants to play with and I feel like he is a happier corgi because of it. I always took him to work with me until recently when I quit work and went back to school. He is never left home for more than 3 or 4 hours but I trust him enough now that in the very rare event that I have to leave him for 5 or 6 hours I know he will be a good boy. I make sure to run and play with him right before I leave so I'm leaving him nice and tired. Franklin never really cared much for his crate, he'd go in and settle down and sleep when I asked him to, but he never seeked it out when he wanted a place to sleep so that is why for him free is better.
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I guess it depends on each dog and how they are with their crate. It sounds like Franklin would rather be a "free spirit" and feels confined in his crate, Archie on the other hand, when given a choice, would rather be in his crate. If I stay up later than normal at night, every time I walk past his crate he goes to it like "Can I go to bed now mom!!"
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Markley on
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I don't know what to say on this one! I crate trained Seanna from the very beginning, and it ended up saving us a lot of headaches when she tore her ACL and had to be kept on restrictions. I kept crating her while we were gone when she was a puppy, and stopped when I knew she could be trusted.
The worst thing she ever did was chew up our brand new couch...but she was trying to get a rawhide that had rolled under it. Other than that, she has done great. I really think all she does is sleep while we're gone anyway. But she is used to the kennel, and doesn't mind going in it at all since she's used to it.
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Permalink Reply by Molly and Isabella on
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This is a great question and I'm looking forward to all of the replies! Right now, Isabella is crated at night and during the day when we are at work. At first I felt bad about crating her during the day while we are at work so I tried leaving her in a small 1/2 bath with the crate door open. That didn't work too well. She always peed (on the pee-pee pad, but she still peed in there). Then, I moved the crate out into the living room (where it is all the time now), and she doesn't pee in it. :o) I leave for work about 7:30, husband goes home for lunch at noon and then we are home by 5. She seems to be doing A-OK with this schedule. I sometimes dream of the little fur ball sleeping in our bed, but I don't know if we'll ever get there. Right now it just isn't safe, way too high for her and I'm afraid she might try to jump off...After she's at least a year old I'm sure we'll consider the free-roaming corgi. I like Judi's idea of "graduating to freedom" and leaving the crate door unlocked...I'll have to remember to try that and see where she goes.
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Permalink Reply by Jane on
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I leave Henry out during the day while I'm at work. He's actually baby-gated into the kitchen and living room area, but that is only because we keep our 4 month old puppy in a pen in the kitchen, and I don't want him barking all day if Henry goes upstairs to sleep.
You could try just giving him access to one or two rooms to start, and see how he does. If he's still going into the crate willingly at night I don't think it would hurt anything, and he sounds like he would be pretty trustworthy in the house.
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Permalink Reply by Gromit, Sparkle, and Doug on
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Gromit is crate trained and we still crate him if there seems to be particular need for it. But normally he's free to roam the house as he wishes. We have a doggie door so he goes outside to a small fenced area as needed.
Although I'm retired we sometimes go out for as long as 10 - 12 hours and both Gromit and his wiener dog sister Holly are loose. I set up a webcam once to see what the dogs did when I was gone and what they mostly do is sleep. After we've been gone a while both dogs are overjoyed to see us return -- great fun! -- and only rarely do we find corgi mischief has occurred but it does happen. We do close off some rooms while we're gone, like my wife's art studio with all it's clutter and bric-a-brac. No point in placing obvious temptations in the way!
If Archie isn't used to being alone and out of the crate just leave him out for an hour or two when you're gone, then over time increase the duration he's free and alone. Corgis adapt very well and I'm sure Archie will too. And it is great fun to flop down on the floor when you get home can be smothered with doggie kisses and craziness.
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Thanks Doug, that sounds like a good plan to me. It's at least worth a try!!!
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Permalink Reply by Betts on
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I leave Rufus out now, although he was crate trained, and I must admit I love the fact that when I open the door after work, he is literally right there waiting for me. I often wonder about leaving a doggy cam there to see if he sits in front of the door the entire time. I come home at lunchtime to take him out and he's waiting as well, so who knows? He is willing to sleep in a crate at night, but has never loved it, so I don't feel right making him stay in it all day. Perhaps if it was his favorite place I would feel better about it. We have only had one accident in the last several months when I 've left him out, and it was a day I went to work early and couldn't get away until afternoon.
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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I also would start with a smaller area such as kitchen and hall or the room he is usually crated in and leave the crate open for him. About 2/3s of my dogs use their crate when I am gone anyway but have the freedom to be elsewhere actually right now I have 4 dogs in the house and 2 are sleeping in their crates...they love them! I think it's just a pearsonal preferance.
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LOL!! We did the video camera thing too. While Griffyn was in his puppy stage and before Soffie's injury. She was free to roam the house while he was in the crate. Result = Soffie passed by his crate a couple times then disappeared. And the rest was 2 hours + of him sleeping and shifting in the crate while she was off probably sleeping on the back of Mt. Sofa!
When we would come home we could see Soffie looking out the window through the blinds atop of Mt. Sofa. She would watch us drive in. We could see her watching as we got out of the vehicle and then when we came through the door.... there she would be, on the floor..... looking as innocent as could be!!! : ) It was soooooo funny!!
I admit I miss that! But at the risk of her injuring herself, we still opt for the crate.
And.... as a post script.... as I'm typing this Griffyn just crawled into his crate and curled up snug as a bug!!
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