[DaisysMom]

Do those of you that crate your dogs at night completely cover the crate with a sheet or cover of some type? Daisy does really good unless the cat starts bugging her. Sophia likes to sit right in front of her crate (the other 3 sides are covered with a cloth crate cover) and bathe herself. I don't know if she's doing it on purpose but it drives Daisy insane. Daisy going insane at 3AM isn't the best way to wake up /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/tired.gif So, someone told me to completely cover her crate, but I don't want to freak her out either.

 

[Joe Johnston]

Although Vinny does not sleep in his crate at night, he does treat the crate as his place to get away and have some alone time. He napes in there during the day. We do keep it covered (top and half the sides).

 

[madison069]

When Dixie is in the Crate it is covered completely. No problems here.

 

[Shenniff]

I also cover the top and sides...

 

[Murphys Dad]

Hmmm.... Maybe I should try that. Are they more relaxed in there when it's covered?

 

[Murphys Dad]

Spook sleeps in his crate, but I don't cover it. Once he's in it for the night, nothing seems to disturb him.

 

[Spencer's Mum]

When we used to crate the dogs at night, it was in a plastic travel carrier, they were more cozy in that then their wire crate. I had never really covered their crate until we moved here and the crate was inthe basement, I fogured it might make it a little warmer in there.

 

[Murphys Dad]

Jersey has a travel crate so I don't have to worry about covering it. I think that they are more comfortable when the crate is covered, like a little den for them.

 

[BeagleBabe]

We don't cover her crate at all.

 

[MariaK]

We cover Blue's completely. He seems to sleep when it is covered. We have tried leaving one side open during the day, and his up sitting at the door when we get home. If it is closed, he is asleep when we get home and sleeps most of the night (someone is spoiled and thinks he should sleep with us so he wakes up thinking he will get to come to bed with us).

 

[Brisen]

I've not been covering Maggie's crate, but she doesn't sleep in it at night...only during the day for a couple of hours.

 

[ktvalentino]

The crate is like their den. Covering the crate will make it seem more den-like. I know when our Sam was a puppy, covering the crate allowed him to relax and settle down to rest.

It shouldn't really be a problem to cover the crate, and it might make it less interesting for the cat to be a bother to your pup.

 

[Jennifer]

I always used to put a blanket over the crate and let it hang down the sides when my puppies were very small.

 

[Redsox]

We don't cover Bloom's crate at night.
But maybe we should try it out....I just read that covering a crate can reduce barking and stress and lower levels of tension.
Sounds good to me /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/tired.gif

 

[beaglesmom]

The <u>only</u> time I cover the "kids'" crates is if they won't settle down at night - which is <u>very rare</u>. Most of the time they settle right down and go to sleep. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/freak5.gifOnly 4 of mine are crated at night or if I'm away - but once in a while something will disturb the crated kids - then I'll cover the crates with a sheet and they settle down nicely. Now if we could find something to settle down the neighbor's cat who was yowling outside my window at 5 am - I'd be happy!

 

[imoverit]

I tried covering Emma's crate but she always tears it and pulls it into the cage. She dosent like it in there and always wins her way out when she eye balls me.

 

[Rhomylly]

Bridey sleeps half the night with me and the other half in her crate (housebreaking retired show beagles is a PAIN!). She has a big plastic vari-kennel, and does just fine.

However, the other day she had a major accident in her vari kennel, and I didn't have time to hose it out and scrub it before class, so I tossed it in the back yard and pulled out the auxilliary all-wire collapsible crate. She didn't like that AT ALL!

 

[Toby & Lucky]

Rhomylly, do you have retired show beagles? Toby was a dog who didn't make it in the ring - he was tough to house train. I start the process all over again next weekend with Lucky, who didn't make it in the show ring, either. He is one and crate trained so I will have to house train him too! I always find it amusing that these beautiful dogs we see on the dog shows aren't necessarily house trained - I just always saw them as the perfect "all-around" dog!! LOL!!

 

[Rhomylly]

Yeah, Buffy, I have one, a little lemon girl. When her co-owner/handler found out one of her littermates has Chinese Beagle Syndrome, and that Bridey was showing symptoms of being a carrier, she stopped showing her before she got all her points, knowing Bridey should not be bred. About that time, I was looking for either a pet-quality older puppy or a retired adult, and that was two years ago. She'll be 4 in August.

She's good with a doggy door, i.e. the sliding glass door is open all day, but when it's closed, we have to watch her like a hawk!

I was stunned to discover that most show dogs of ANY breed aren't housetrained! Like you, I thought they were perfect and had these perfect doggy lives!