[nagdu] My experiences with crates was:crate vs tie-down

[Lisa]

Hey everybody,

I had home training with Taylor and he is my first guide, so I can't compare 
tie-downs and crates but I wanted to share my experience with the crate.
When I first saw it, I was kind of shocked because it looked like a cage 
with bars and everything. Somehow, I had imagined it as a cozy space, just 
like a box. So that was not pleasant for me. But then I noticed that Taylor 
went in there, lied down and fell asleep quickly. It was obvious he had 
discovered a familiar thing in all the new. From that point on I accepted 
the crate because I realized how important it was for Taylor to have it. He 
went in there whenever he wanted to relax. And yes, for me it was definitely 
an advantage because here in the house he behaved like a very young 
puppy--he would grab anything he could. From stuffed animals to things on 
the table, chewing the carpet and even furniture. I was also recommended to 
have him on leash for the first week so I could control what he was doing 
all the time. And if I needed a break or had something to do in the kitchen, 
it was good to put him in the crate and know he couldn't destroy anything in 
the mean time.

By now we aren't using the crate at all anymore. Of course Taylor learnt how 
to behave inside the house day by day and he has his blanket to sleep on in 
our bed room now. The crate is still there and open but he doesn't go in 
there anymore. I think because he has found places to rest that are more 
comfortable for him and also closer to the everyday life here in the house. 
But especially during the first weeks, the crate was a good thing, for me 
_and_ for him.

best
Lisa
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tracy Carcione via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2014 7:19 PM
Subject: [nagdu] crate vs tie-down


>I really hate this crate-training only business.  My dogs who grew up with 
>tie-down, or used it in class, did not grab everything they could reach. 
>They had some idea of self-discipline.  I am buying a crate, under protest, 
>because I'm just tired of having to constantly watch Krokus and see if he's 
>got hold of something he shouldn't.  There's no where in my house I can tie 
>him down totally out of reach of anything.  This was never a problem 
>before. I wanted to try tie-down in class, but my trainer always forgot to 
>give me an extra tie-down, and the one I was issued was too short to 
>actually use.
> So now I have to get a big honking crate, and find a place to put the 
> stupid thing. I am not happy.
> Tracy
>
>
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