crates...where to put them

[MIGSD]

We currently have 3 puppies, 1 of our own and 2 fosters. They all get a long wonderfully but are ready to be crated seperately. Our house is a 3 bedroom, living room, den, office ranch house....do I put all the crates in a line? space them throughout the house? Should I cover them so they are really like "dens" and the break they get from the other pups is complete? Ideas? and before anyone freaks the 3 puppies is working out very very well. They each have individual time and group time and are being well socialized and trained.

[Whiteshepherds]

Oh you have your hands full!!

I used to put a small stadium blanket over the top of our wire crate so it was more den like. (other one was Vari-crate, no cover needed)

During the time both dogs were still using crates at night I positioned them so they could see each other and they were in our bedroom most of the time.

[LaRen616]

I would put all 3 crates in my bedroom.

My 2 adult dogs have to be crated and their crates are both in my bedroom.

[Courtney]

Mine is in our bedroom-he gladly goes into his crate because he knows we are right there. I have not had more than one puppy at a time, but would think they would do better if they could see/hear each other.

I would recommend your bedroom with all 3 crates. Not sure about covering them? Mine hated it when I tried to cover his crate-he's way to nosey and thought he was missing something. But the cover might be a comfort for them.

[Stosh]

I had mine sleep in crates next to the bed at first but moved the crates out of the bedroom during the day and placed them next to each other. Now they're only crated when I leave the house although I leave the doors open at night.

[Rerun]

We have a 3 bdrm ranch as well, but it has a "bonus" room which is the room you walk into from the garage, and it's got about an 8 ft opening into the dining room. it's well lit and a nice quiet room, without being too set off from the rest of the house.

I have an x-pen set up in the dining room right now, which is open concept into the living room. That's where the 10 wk old pup goes when he isn't being 100% supervised while we are home, though he also has a crate for night sleeping and errands. The pen is nice because I can see him from anywhere in the main living part of the house, and watch for sniffing as well as easily leash him up to take him out every half hr or so. An x-pen is nice for multiples as well, but you run the risk of one pup soiling the floor and the others all getting in it and making a mess of things. So be forwarned! Enough fostering of small litters has taught me that it's a fine idea in concept, but be prepared to clean the floor, x-pen, all toys, and all puppies....with one puppy, he has only had one accident thus far and it was my fault.

We keep the crates in the bonus room, but have been known to keep a pup in the bedroom if necessary (hasn't been with this one).

I personally am not a big fan of crates in the bedroom *unless* you have a daytime crate somewhere else in the house. I don't like to seclude them to the bedroom all the time during crate training in the early months. I prefer they be more out in the open with the family. JMHO though

Sorry, just read back and saw the actual questions. We used to have 3 in a line against the back wall of the bonus room. Two 42's with front opening doors and one furrari kennel cab style in the middle. The kennel cab in the middle meant two had a back wall and side wall, and the kennel cab as the other "barrier." It worked well, but we bought a 48" crate and then were given a 54". Both have side doors, but we turned the 54" sideways to use the side door and have the 48" front facing. We didn't need the 3rd cage anymore. Now we have the furrari set back up for the pup but it doesn't fit between the two big ones so it's offset on it's own in the room in another corner. You can try blankets, but puppies will usually try to pull them into the cage. Kodi is 15 mo and will still do that. Our other ones have outgrown/out-trained this lovely trait.

[doggiedad]

if i had 3 pups i would have the crates
near ecah other. i probably would place them so the pups
could see each other. when my dog was a pup
his crate was in the livingroom. i never put anything
on top of the crate, lean anything against the crate.

good luck with 3 pups, that's work.

[SchHGSD]

We have crates in the dining room. We don't eat there much and have a HUGE room. They are all in a line along the wall. We find they see each other just FINE through the sides of the crates. :-)

[PDXDeutschhund]

We bought a 48" crate from Costco. We didn't realize how big the thing was until we saw one full assembled in a pet store. That thing is HUGE! Our bedroom is waaay too small for a crate that size. The living room is the only place that has the space for it.

[Jax's Mom]

I will only put a crate in a room that has no carpet or fabric of any sort for as long as I live!

Jax has been sick twice in his life (both from shots) and whatever it was that soaked the crate (couldn't identify it to save my life), got all over his fur and he spent the entire day shaking it off while we were at work. Every single surface of that room was covered in the mystery puppy bodily fluid and almost everything that was in the room was destroyed without him even leaving the crate.

If I had more than one puppy I'd leave them where they can all see eachother.
If I had 3 puppies I'd put their crates in the garage where I could pressure wash when I came home to a surprise! (our garage is heated and secure though)