Crating and safety question

jellyfish · Feb 15, 2016

What do you allow in a crate with your dogs during work? Food, water, chew toys, bedding? I don't what is safe and what isn't. Help!!!

Jakeyjake · Feb 15, 2016

We used an x-pen with a crate within the pen when our dogs were pups. Now at 2 and 3, they free roam. We like Nylabones and Kong toys. You can stuff the kong with some canned food and freeze it for a treat. Never give rawhide or anything the dog can choke on.

hannah · Feb 15, 2016

crate with bedding, water, toys!

I wouldn't leave food down just because I think it's good to be feeding at specific times and get a routine down..

Alice Kable · Feb 15, 2016

We can't use soft bedding in our boys crates because it gets shredded. We have PRIMO CRATE PADS with tie downs. They are easy to clean and will last a couple of years. We let them have nylabones and rubber kong toys in their crates!

HannahBanana · Feb 15, 2016

jellyfish said:
What do you allow in a crate with your dogs during work? Food, water, chew toys, bedding? I don't what is safe and what isn't. Help!!!

I'm about 4 week into crate training and I feel like, after consulting with vets, trainers, and puppy parents, I have it down to a science.

I assume you are crate training as a means of potty training as well as a safe confinement. In this case, the crate should be only be big enough for your pup to lay down, stand, and turn around. We actually had to stuff ours with bricks wrapped in towels to achieve this since our little guys is so small. I'm also not sure what your schedule is like but we (and our dog walker) take Fin outside several times during the day. While out of the crate is the only time he gets water. We never ever out water in the crate because it encourages him to drink and have to pee in the crate. We also feed him his breakfast and his dinner in the crate but that is mostly just to help him learn to love his crate space.

So other than the spacers to make it the correct size and a comfy towel or blanket (whatever we have available after he has had a few accidents when we were working out the water schedule) he gets one soft chew toy and a Kong with a frozen treat once or twice a day!