big boy bed

[Suzanne H]

well looks like the crate has been consigned to history and the boy seems much happier for it. Rather than whining at 5.30, we have to wake him up. And when we come back from work or the shop, he's still asleep rather than desperate to get out.

While he often sleeps curled up, it didn't give him the opportunity to stretch his legs out, which is how he also sleeps.

Knowing dogs, might be speaking too soon - but he's 2 very soon, and always had it in my mind to crate him till then. Means if we get the puppy, we won't have two big crates.

Discovered through trial and error, that it's best to keep him out of sight of the front door as that did wind him up. But he has the kitchen to himself and can watch the birds in the garden. But mostly I think he just sleeps. He just seems more relaxed

but wouldn't have been without it in first 2 years!! And it will return if he starts to play up again, but I don't think he will. He knows how he's supposed to behave now.

[Lisa/Colin]

Thats great Suzanne. Hektor is 1 1/2 now and showing a few signs of calming down a bit too, still a bit of a nightmare on the lead if other dogs are too close though. He's great in the house, apart from sleeping on the couch when you go out or upstairs. I never thought I would be able to leave stuff lying about but he usually does not touch anything whereas before I could come home to a floor covered in shredded newspaper, Argos book or even the current book I had been reading

If we were ever getting another one i would seriously consider a crate this time, would need a bigger house though!

[Suzanne H]

I did try it a few months back, but he played right up...but the mistake was I didn't keep the experience the same. He had access to the hall and the front door....mistake. He is still sleeping in exactly the same spot in a basket he was already used to sleeping in in the living room...I just put them together and bingo.

Must be mad to go back to the start again

Ach won't be so hard second time around ... ...maybe.

[graceb]

Thats great Suzanne, Otto,s all grown up now! Aye time flys when your enjoying yourself

Dexter's got a while to go before I let him out of crate on his own. If I even go to the bathroom and leave him in the livingroom himself he just constantly lunches himself at the window barking. just in case anyones out there I would have no curtains left!
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Grace & Dexter

[geri carroll]

Orla is 2 and I find she can also be trusted outside the crate
I need her crate however to put things on-laundry basket, dog towels etc lol is anyone elses house like this

[Jack]

My girls crates are tucked out of the way under a work surface in the kitchen but do come in handy for popping the odd item onto.

Would I be without them - hell no.

EVERYONE is safe with the girls crated, including themselves. I'm not willing to take the risk. If I'm popping into the garage for 10 minutes I'll leave them uncrated and together but that's as far as I'm willing to take it. Inevitably I come back in and the cat food has been stolen but that's as bad as they are nowadays. They're such a well balanced little pack now I can trust them a little and I probably could safely leave them together but I'm not willing to take the risk, besides which it IS lovely coming home to a non-destroyed house - my first Staffie never did get out of the habit of destroying things and I was forever having to tell her off the minute I stepped through the door - hated having to do that.

My girls love their little beds and are happy in them, I wouldn't want to unsettle them by removing something they go to happily and voluntarily so often.

So glad it's working out for you Suzanne
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Staffies are my life! Visit us at www.staffies.co.uk

[shirley c]

Geri, I am so with you there, the crate can be so handy for storing stuff on

Cant imigine, being able to let Luka go crateless, ever hopefully tho
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lurchers Pixel and Zev and whippet, Fen
3 cats, Greebo, Yu and Lexx - 2 ferrets and Dales pony Jazz and adopted pony, April

[charlene]

ive been very lucky with tina........she is now 7 and ive never needed to crate her
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[Suzanne H]

He never willingly went in the crate and whined to get out from 5.30 most mornings, mostly I think because he needed to stretch his legs. No whining now.

We had a 36" crate for him, and I think it was ok up till now, but he ideally needed a bigger one. And if there is another one coming, it was that or the kitchen table

Mind you, he did chew my gloves yesterday, but that was my fault for leaving them out, plus the numpty teenager didn't leave him a kong. We tried it before and it failed, but this time

The puppy will be crated tho. No danger. Two of those muppets left loose..no chance.

[Jack]

Are we still talking dogs or teenagers Suzanne?
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Staffies are my life! Visit us at www.staffies.co.uk

[Suzanne H]

The dog's smarter than the teenager

And ian, how left an elevenses bar on the counter and thought because it was in a bag, the dog wouldn't know it was there. Oh he knew it was there and happily munched it.

[Gaelle]

[Jack]

[Barry]

We like some others have luckily never needed to Crate Tikka.
Like you say bout Otto, Tikka loves to sleep stretched like a funny shaped star fish!
Even when she isn't sleeping whilst lying down, she pops her 2 back legs out and stretches so she appears twice as long!? We still have the baby gate thou, the divide between up and downstairs, never to be breached, well at least as far as i know...
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Barry, Kylie & Jay with precious Rotti Tikka

[Suzanne H]

Baby gate ha! That had to be dumped LONG ago....he could jump it at 8 months (or get under it).

It is funny though, you can often just find him lying in the basket during the day and when we get up, he's still asleep. That NEVER happened with the crate.

We do have to be careful what we leave lying around when we're out, it's mostly my stuff he'll chew though...never touches Ians. I don't know why.