Puppy crates + play pen recommendations?

[JrTxJ]

Hi everybody,
I'm getting a golden retriever puppy either this coming weekend or the next. I had a dog years ago, but haven't had a puppy in roughly 10 years. So, I'm looking into buying a crate to train her and for her to sleep in. I also would like to get one of those indoor outdoor playpen things so when I have to leave her at home, she isn't stuck in a small box all day. This is until the summer time comes and it's warm enough for her to stay in my backyard. My other option is doggy day care...there is a place on my way to work with reasonable rates.
Anyways, here are the ones I've been looking at. Found some used on craigslist, but for the price they have at walmart or when they're on sale at petco, I might as well buy new. Just looking for real life opinions from people with experience. Any suggestions or reviews would be much appreciated. Thanks!

hopefully this link works: http://www.petco.com/Shop/ProductCompare.aspx?skus=905011|11371%2C711969|7491%2C904961|11368%2C986003|13744%2C206512|13372&redirecturl=%2fShop%2fpetco_ProductList_PC_productlist_Nav_180_N_22%2b97_cp_4_Nao_36.aspx

 

[Fergie]

I'd skip the play pen.

If you crate train her properly, she will be fine in the crate al lday, you just need to make the commitment to walk her every evening.

Our Springer/Border mix has a bit of seperation anxiety, and would chew on things when we left her out when we left. We put her in her cage now, and she is just fine.

For the cage, we bought one of the collapsible ones to make it easier for travel and such. We've taken it camping, to both sets of parents house, and it work great. Has a removeable tray if by some chance she messes, or if she yacks.

Hit up Gil for some more in depth knowledge.

 

[RichP]

Just make sure it's big enough for her full sized self and that she is able to turn around in it. The one we have now belonged to my inlaws english setter, our westie uses it now and has for the past 12 years, whenever he wants to be left alone or just to stay out of the way. He makes a beeline for it when the vacumn cleaner comes out on sat mornings, he's got his blankie and a couple of stuffed animals for company.. actually the cat will sometimes go in there with him when I light off the cannister vac... but then the cat thinks she's a dog, the two of them been sleeping together since my son found her before her eyes opened.

 

[karstic]

I would second the collapsible crate v. the hard-sided crate. We have both, but prefer the collapsible, it seems a bit larger than the hard sided, it has two doors, and its easier to store.

 

[ponyracer1]

Don't believe the large cages are a good start for a puppy. You need to spend about 2 weeks with them directly after they wake up and straight after they eat, outside they go. Most dogs won't mess where they have to sleep, with to big of a cage the puppy can mess in one corner and sleep in the other, then you've got a whole load of training probs to deal with.

When I got my non housebroken dobberman at 11 weeks that's what we did to train him, then we used a small cat carrier for sleeping. He loved it but we did have to buy like 5 kennels as he grew!! Remember dogs are pack/den animals and like to sleep in a small, warm, secure feeling place. One of the BIG wire kennels would prob make them feel like there sleeping in a super wal mart!!

 

[JrTxJ]

some of those metal cages are collapsable AND adjustable so you can limit the space in them when the dog is small, then as it gets older open it up more to accomodate their size.

the puppy is ~7 weeks now so I will be picking her up either this weekend or next. thanks for the advice and keep it coming!

 

[Fergie]

Also, you can spend weeks training the dog for the cage, letting them adjust to it and such, or buy some earplugs.

The pup will HOWL and WHINE, but after a few days, they'll sleep through the nite.

We did this, and have had no issues at all.

 

[r/c-pilot]

A year from now, you'll be asking yourself: what would I have done without that cage. You'll love the cage and so will the dog. Ours just love there's. They go there when their scared, tired or when that damn vacuum comes out. LOL We've got 2 mixed lab and golden from Humane Society of Tucson, and 1 full blood Yellow Lab and a Bichon/Maltese. All have been crate/cage trained.

 

[ebxjbob]

I have a Choc Lab and had the crate and the pen

The pen was downstairs on a tile floor where she could hang out for the day

She was scared of the stairs as a pup so I had to carry her down, this worked for a month until she got to heavy haha, I fixed that problem by carpeting the stairs and putting a treat on every couple ones

Anyway the pen was alright but I think a crate would be the way to go. Dogs like to have a a little place thats their own, a safe haven, so once they're trained they love it

I'd second the earplugs though, mine whined and whimpered and cried, its tough because the damm things are so cute you hate to have them crying

BTW the pen is in my garage, there is two because we conneted them to make a big area, I have the big crate too, I think there like $100 bucks new. The crate looks just like the one you got pictured, the pen looks exatcly like the gold one you have pictured. If its worth it with gas to make the drive I'll sell them to ya for a good price, PM me if your interested

 

[macgyvr]

i have a 3 yr old beagle/sheltie mix and just got a lab/blue tick mix a month a half ago (he's 5 months old now)...

crate trained the puppy...the best training in the world tho is the 3 yrs old dog. and the two keep each other busy while i'm at work. not too much separation axiety with the pup due to the other dog.

if you can, take an old towel over to the puppy's house now a couple of days before you pick her up, leave it with her. then when you pick her up, bring the towel back home with you and put it in the crate when you leave...that will definately help with the separation axiety...OR get another dog lol

mac 'good luck' gyvr

 

[banditoXJ]

get a crate large enough for it turn around in, but when they are a puppy you need to section off some of it so that they don't have a huge area to play in. The problem occurs when they can poop in one corner and sleep in another, it will not want to sleep in their poop or pee, so it will learn to hold it until you let it out first thing in the morning or when you get home. You must be 100% consitant so they know that you will let them out soon. But goldens are smart so it wont take long.

 

[jhatch13]

In my opinion from working at a pet store for 9months and handling this question many times i would say go with a Midwest Life Stages Crate. It has a dividing panel that you can put up. Buy it big enough that you can use it till she/he is full grown and even use it then. The dividing panel you can put up to where she/he can stand up and walk around a little, this helps with training because a dog won't use the restroom in an area that they are going to sleep. This crate is also easy to fold and put away for like you said in the summer time when she/he can stay outside.

here is a link to the crates i am talking about

http://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/ProductPages/LS-1600.asp



to help training the puppy when you are home and playing with here or even just have it running around the house, take it outside periodically, say every 30 to 45 minutes.

 

[motorcityxj]

Lucky! i want a puppy.

the above post mentions an adjustable crate, thats the ticket, or maybe make your own adjusting wall with some ply wood and a few 2x4 spacers. I would make some sort of cover ( hopefully your wife can sew and not make it a gay flower or doiley cover, something manly like burlap) :cheers: that way the open screen cage can be more like his own private den/cave.

seems at cabelas web site they sell covers only for the plastic non colapseable crates. If you just make a lil ply wood divider for the plastic crate, then your set.

Thats what i am going to do this summer when i get my pup

 

[Fergie]

Get the double door version of the crate linked above, and you'll be fine.

 

[snoitcelfer]

I see no one has talked about day care. If I understand correctly the puppy is 7 weeks? Most kennels will not allow puppies under 6 months old, as they require current DA2PP (DHLPP) AND Rabies vaccination. Most Vets will not administer Rabies until at least 4 months old and most will hold off til 6 months. Also most kennels with day care will have a spay/neuter policy in order to participate in day care so as to avoid "accidents," and will have some sort of weight or age requirement. Some kennels will accept day boards, but these are drastically different than day care, as there is no socialization with this. Talk to your local kennel/day care to get the exact details. If they do not require most of these things to participate, then I would question using that particular kennel, as these are for the safety of the pets. Also keep in mind some kennel/day care(s) require a Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccine. These are like flu shots for humans and are not
%100 guaranteed to work, so there is a chance of your pet catching KC regardless.

Now onto crate training:
What everyone said above is solid information. Crates may seem "cruel or isolating" to some people, but like mentioned, dogs are den animals, and will grow to love their crate. My female spends most of her time in there when not required. She is a shy girl (always has been, no history of abuse) and prefers the comfort of her crate to sleeping on the bed! You will probably have some accident in the first couple of weeks, and need to not punish the puppy for messing up it's crate, as they feel bad enough having had to hang out in there, ans as their bladder and muscle control goes this should resolve itself.

here are a few useful links for more info
http://www.training-dogs.com/crate-training.html

http://www.inch.com/~dogs/cratetraining.html

each person and pet is different so go at your own pace and be consistent and you will see results.

 

[XJ Dreamin']

At first, when I got my beagle mix pup I only had a cardboard box. She was restricted to the bathroom for her first six months because of mange and worms and such (I found her in the woods). Once she got strong enough to walk around I put a board across the bathroom doorway. She decided she didn't need to be kept like that so she took to standing at that board, whining and whining. I knew I had to fix that or get kicked out of the apartment so I went K-Mart and bought a pet caddy for the size the vet figured she'd become (he was petty close - he figured 40# - she's weighed 38# for the last 14 years). I put the caddy in the bathroom and locked her in for a few hours. At bed time I opened the caddy and went to bed. Pretty quick she came to the board across the doorway and started whining. I got up, grabbed her, locked her in her caddy and say "Box!" After a while in the caddy she quieted down. When she was quiet I unlatched the door to the caddy and got back in bed. She went back to the bathroom doorway and started whining. I put her in the caddy and said "Box!" That went on all night. On the second night (I did this over a long weekend so I had time to catch up on sleep) when she started whining I went the bathroom doorway and, without picking her up, said "Box!" She walked into her box and settled down. I went back to bed. She came to the doorway and started whining. Instead of getting out of bed I just hollered "Box!" from my bedroom. I did that a couple of times that second night but after that, whenever I went to bed, she would settle down in her 'box'.

Later, when she was rid of all her pests and had the run of the apartment, I put her box in the living room. Whenever she got in trouble she would run and hide in her box 'cause that was the only place she could go that I wouldn't get after her.

When I got married and we moved into a house, I put her box in the shed. Now days she's 15 years old and spends most of her time sleeping in the house, but if I need to confine her (usually because some guest's kid in scared of dogs) I just tell her "Box!" and she goes into the shed.

Whatever 'container' you decide to get, you're going the right direction. Dogs really appreciate someplace that's theirs, where they can feel safe.

 

[motorcityxj]

to second what snoitcelfer and xj dreamin said about dogs enjoying there crate. Its dogs nature, modern man wants to make dogs "their kids" when fact of the matter is they are animals (though amazing animals along with dolphins dogs are gods lil angels that just love man for some strange reason) dogs LOVE crates. Granted dont like being confined to one 24/7 and never exercise ... but they NEED their own space, they love structure, order and discipline and rules and knowing their place in the family pack. I get really annoyed with folks that want to be hippies with their dogs.

 

[Fergie]

My border collie/english spaniel mix has an annoying habit of barking at the palm tree in our yard. She doest like the rustling sound the fronds make against the wall, and thinks it is an intruder.

At first I was hesitant to punish her for the random barking, but came to find out that she just like barking at the thing, and wasnt warning us at all.

To fix her of this habit, everytime she would run outside just to bark, I'd put her in her kennel for 5 minutes, and then take her back outside, and she wouldnt bark at the tree. When she'd go outside, and not bark the first time, I reward her with an ice cube(her fav treat).

She is to the point now that she'll run outside to bark at the tree, but then stops when she gets to it, and turns around to go about her business.

I really cant stress how well crates work.

 

[XJ Dreamin']

to second what snoitcelfer and xj dreamin said about dogs enjoying there crate. Its dogs nature, modern man wants to make dogs "their kids" when fact of the matter is they are animals (though amazing animals along with dolphins dogs are gods lil angels that just love man for some strange reason) dogs LOVE crates. Granted dont like being confined to one 24/7 and never exercise ... but they NEED their own space, they love structure, order and discipline and rules and knowing their place in the family pack. I get really annoyed with folks that want to be hippies with their dogs.

And besides all that, they're mighty tasty!

Sorry. That was in poor taste. :badabing:

Sorry, again. That was un-called for. I am ashamed :laugh3:

 

[snoitcelfer]

the thing is you can love your pet and spoil them all you want, but remember they are animals and need structure and dicipline to be great pets.