reply to post by Illusionsaregrander
Absolutely good advice.
I never believed in crates, with our Odie and all my other dogs they had the run of the house because they were never destructive and perfectly potty
broke.
But with Lucy, she was a puppy mill breeder dog for so long (six years) they told us we needed a crate to make her feel comfortable.
During the day we now are able to keep the crate closed.
She has two big Kong dog beds (brown & green ones). The one remains in her crate and the other one sits right outside her crate for when the crate
door is closed so she doesn't go back into her shell and become a recluse.
I'm home most days so she now lays by my side in my office.
But, if she's feeling particularly stressed like we have some people over or every night right after her walk at 7:00 PM, We open up her crate and she
retires for the evening there. She sleeps in her crate every night.
We had to wait a few weeks for her to adjust to living in a normal house - for the first three or four weeks we allowed her to remain in her crate as
being a prison puppy that was all she had ever known.
Now we go outside and play, sit in the shade and talk, go for walks, she's making friends with everyone in the neighborhood and she has the run of the
house and is now comfortable with being on her outside day bed and her crate door shut during the day.
If we leave, my son is usually home but we don't have to worry, she is comfortable outside her crate now and lays on her outside bed that sits infront
of her crate.
BTW: Lucy is not distructive, perfectly potty broke, doesn't even get up on the furniture..........she is a perfect lady, my little Lucy, my little
Georgia Peach.
Her only fault is she is camera shy, she gives me a dirty look and runs and hides if I bring our camera out.
Which is a shame because she is such a pretty girl.
Our Odie who passed away a year ago this July 19 was a camera ham, once he saw that camera come out he would pose.
Lucy is a shy little lady, so I try to respect that.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3a356f0ca72f.jpg[/atsimg]
edit on 30-6-2011 by ofhumandescent because: added
picture