Crate Vs Kennel Vs PEN - Page 3

Yes. YR. I have plans to do Schutzhund with him and also show him. And I dont want any damage in his structure just because of crating if at all that happens. So I posted it to see how to manage crating, kennel, yard and in home etc.

My pup has no problem with the crate he enjoys it only thing is he wants the crate in a private area. If people are around, he wants to come out and play. And I just dont want him crated or in the yard but want him in the house around us but that's what we are trying to do with out knocking down my kids  and also things in the house and also jumping on people etc.

Thank you all.

Inc

inc -- What size crate do you have?   Where did you read that crating damages the hips and legs?

Thanks inc for Putting the ICEING on the cake....When I post something about training methods...I usually try to scope the area of types of people it may cover.

NOW    putting a pup in crate  MAY stop  the pup from getting INJURED>>>instead of harming its legs..

!>  Pups like to spread legs because the RUSH into everything they do....
    They run and then they splatter across a floor....and land WRONG>>>>

Crating prevents pup  from doing that kind of SPLITS when in house...if you are not on hand to stop the pup or slow its vigor down.   Recommended having carpet runners or a fair amount of soft surface..Do not let dog play or run on indoor slippery floors for any reason.

2>  Pups tend to get UP on furniture and JUMP  off and that is not recommended until a dog is much older because of HIP  damage.  ...SO obvious would be to crate or kennel pup when you are not around to keep them from CLIMBING UP and JUMPING DOWN>

3.  Pups tend to eat or chew on things..Crate or kennel in home protects the  house and all its contents.

4.  PUPS that are very large bone  sometimes get PANO or  leg CRAMPS>...larger size pups benefit from being crated while they chew a real bone (RAW)

According to size of pup . the amount of time in crate has to be judged by you the owner...ASK your breeder or call one of the  mentors you may meet to help you  get the correct training..DO NOT ASK THE VET>. Vets do not understand   German SHepherds for DIET and training methods.

Susan Barwig and Ray Hilliard are the authors of the BOOK I recommend to anyone buying a  GERMAN SHEPHERD...for any reason....

YR

I don't give my dogs free run of the house until they've earned it, ie, no going to the bathroom in the house or destroying things.  Mind you I teach them along the way about destroyig things.  I crate train as soon as I get them.  Haven't had any issues with housebreaking .  Always use a crate.  Can't watch 'em then they are in the crate.  Safer that way too.  My girl has earned the right to have free run of the house.  My male however, I don't trust if I'm not there that he will not get into some kind of trouble, hurting himself or damaging my screens and more!  However, he will not relieve himself in the house just get at some things. So, in the crate he goes if I'm going to be out for a bit of time.  He even used to eat his bedding that was in his crate even if there was a nice bone in  there.  I tried numerous types of bedding but he still ate it.  Thank God he's still with me!  He pooped everything out.  LOL  Now, I give him a bone w/p'nut butter inside and he's good.  He doesn't chew his bedding anymore.  I don't know when it will be that I'll be able to trust him free in my house but until then he will be in his crate when no one is home. 

Thank you Maggiemae, YR and JRansom. I have a 500 series crate and a 6X10 kennel.

Thank you
Inc

Hello :)

I want to start by saying that i only have one pup and she is 5 months old.  When we are home and awake the pup is out of her kennel.  We are pretty lucky because she is not destructive.  She goes in her kennel when we are asleep or away from home.  Our goal is to one day let her roam about the house kennel free.    Our old GSD Abbie (rest her soul) had free range and It made me feel very safe and secure in my home. 
We have a mix of carpeting and wood floors so there is a "no running in the house" rule, just like for my kids.  When she gets hyper it is outside to run or gentle holding and petting to calm her.  I also keep TONS of toys with verious texture and shape to redirect her if she decides my shoe looks yummy.   
Best wishes to you and your pup :)  would love to see some pictures if you have any.

Hi Rooka, speaking of pictures............ : )

Thank you all. Rookabadooka, here is his picture. For some reason I am not able to paste the  picture here in the response. So .....link.

http://picasaweb.google.com/happy.harely/HarleyBoy?authkey=Gv1sRgCJS8_fPtlbCc1wE#5560661791828363570

Similiar to Rookabadooka, I only have one GSD- a 7 month old female. When one of us is home, which is often since my husband usually works from home, she's "free" in the house. She loves her crate so she chooses to lay in there (door open)- we put it in the living room so that she can see all the action (she can see into the kitchen, living room and dining room). I can't say I particularly love having a giant cage in my living room but it works while she's a puppy. She's confined to her crate at night and when we are away for a few hours (she's exercised prior to confinement)- we leave CBC radio on to keep her company. She's not destructive- it was easy to direct her to appropriate toys the first few weeks we had her (squeaky ball or deer antler trumps shoe any day) and was super quick to house train (a few days, no accidents in the house). It will take a while before I feel comfortable enough to leave her in the house unsupervised- it would be too easy for her to fail (I have a 1920's house filled with original woodwork.).

My husband is finishing up her outdoor kennel this weekend so we can be gone for more than four hours at a time. We'll let her decide if she wants to sleep in her crate or kennel overnight.

I see that kennel design is a popular discussion thread so for the few hardy souls that are still interested, here are the details:

• 10 x 10 aluminum wire kennel from TSC (inexpensive but takes longer to assemble than you think- my husband is from a farm where he built livestock fences but it still took him several hours)
• Instant Kennel Floor over a 3 inch pea gravel base (www.kennelfloor.com/)
• Heavy-duty stable mat from TSC (3x6)
• Dog house - built from the "deluxe" plans at www.doghouseplans.com/ (my husband is an experienced builder but these plans are really well-thought out and save you a ton of time- totally worth the $)
• Stainless steel 2 quart bucket with one flat side and attaches to wall of pen (Rens Pet Depot) (her greatest joy in life is to flip her water dish over)

AWWW! inc that is a sweet looking pup you got there!