[Liesje]

Just curious on others' experiences using crates at night. I'm now 0 for 3 using a plastic crate, in the house at least. Nikon, Ana, and now Pan all would shriek and howling and gnaw at the door of the crate ALL night long in my plastic kennel. Each one I switched to a wire crate and then voila! sleep w/o fussing. The plastic kennel is not too small, but I guess there is just something about it seems more like jail? Or maybe it's b/c I set the crate on the floor so in the wire crate they can see me in the bed?

 

[LaRen616]

I use this crate for Rogue (the largest one they make) he is 26' at the shoulder, he can stand in it and he always sleeps curled up so he only uses half of his crate.

This is Sinister's crate, it was originally Rogue's but he started chewing the bottom and it was larger than the other crate and Sinister is 28' at the shoulder so I switched them.

 

[Schatzi09]

i had a similar experence with my GSD's plastic crate, my breeder had actually suggested the plastic rather than the wired crate. She would whine and carry on all night, my thoughts were about the same as yours that the plastic crate was too confined maybe? im not sure excatly what the problem was, but i switched to the wire crate and no more issues, she sleeps thru the night and even naps in there mid day its amazing, but im not complaining i actually get some sleep now lol

 

[CaseysGSD]

I just sent you a message right before I saw this post...too funny!

Anyway same here, Blitz cried her head off in the plastic crate for 5 nights in a row so I let her (gasp) sleep in my bed for the next few weeks while I ordered her a wire crate, I thought there was no way she would go for it after being in my bed but much to my suprize she loves it...never a peep! I think she likes having a better view but also I don't think the plastic ones have enough air flow and she feels cooler in the wire crate.

 

[LaRen616]

i had a similar experence with my GSD's plastic crate, my breeder had actually suggested the plastic rather than the wired crate. She would whine and carry on all night, my thoughts were about the same as yours that the plastic crate was too confined maybe? im not sure excatly what the problem was, but i switched to the wire crate and no more issues, she sleeps thru the night and even naps in there mid day its amazing, but im not complaining i actually get some sleep now lol

I had the opposite reaction.

Rogue came with his wire crate, he cried and barked alot the first night I had him and he chewed the bottom of it! He used his paw to grab the bottom of my comforter and he pulled it into his kennel and he ripped it to shreds! I made the crate switch to the plastic one the next night and we have had zero problems.

I wanted to add that his owner said he absolutely hated his crate, the wire one ( I witnessed that) but now he loves his plastic crate and he sleeps in it even when the door is open.

 

[DanielleOttoMom]

Otto has a wire crate. He loves it b/c he can see out well. I Also agree with CaseyGSD the air flow is much better in a wire crate than a plastic one.

 

[Liesje]

How about puppies? I'm really wondering about puppies still in the process of housebreaking and learning to sleep through the night. All my dogs will sleep in any crate I put them in after 4-6 months.

 

[jakeandrenee]

I have used plastic and wire....no issue with either. But I think Jake prefers the wire crate....

 

[LaRen616]

How about puppies? I'm really wondering about puppies still in the process of housebreaking and learning to sleep through the night. All my dogs will sleep in any crate I put them in after 4-6 months.

I got Sinister when he was 11 weeks old, I had him in a plastic crate up until 8 weeks ago (wire now). As he grew his crate grew.

 

[hmmiller05]

My puppy loves her wire crate! She sleeps in it all night long with the door open if we forget to shut it! I think its the ventilation for my pups : )

 

[ahazra]

We've both wire and Plastic crate and my puppy prefers the plastic one. He'll whine a little in the wire cage but has no issues going into the plastic one. My guess is because he has more of a 'Den' feeling in the plastic cage whereas the wire cage is just too open ..but that's my theory !

 

[Wolfiesmom]

Wolfie has a wire crate. He has always loved it.

 

[Vinnie]

Or maybe it's b/c I set the crate on the floor so in the wire crate they can see me in the bed?

It's been a long time since mine were puppies but we have always used the plastic crates for puppies. As I recall there was always some crying the first night but I found that if I put the crate up on a table (level with the bed) and faced the opening toward us, I didn't have such a problem.

With my son's dog we had a bit more problems. My mom suggested we also put a ticking clock near the crate. She said that helps them feel like they're near other puppies or mom. Reminds them of hearts beating. It helped.

I haven't tried the wire crates with puppies so I couldn't say if it's better or not.

 

[Deuce]

I use a large, wire cage/crate that I got from Petsmart for $69.99.

 

[Liesje]

Another thing I did differently last night which may have also helped was instead of putting him right to bed, I let him cuddle in our bed while I was listening to my book. Then I quickly moved him into the crate. He groaned a few times but that was it. I'm OK with some fussing at night since I let them wake me when they have to potty, but it just seems whenever I use that plastic kennel it's not fussing but a panicked fit (like screaming, howling, thrashing around and gnawing at the bars). I tried the plastic again this time b/c it's the appropriate size (24" kennel and he's a pretty compact guy). DH asked me to try a wire crate and I only have 36" which I feel is a bit large but he did great last night. Same with Nikon, we used the plastic kennel for 4 days and it was awful, he was SO loud that I could hear dogs in my neighbor's houses also barking b/c of his racket. He would thrash around and even rolled the kennel. Finally I borrowed a small wire kennel, and not only did he stop howling but he slept through the night! I always thought the plastic kennel would be more "den" like but I guess not.

 

[boeselager]

I personally like the plastic Vari Kennel crates. I've seen serious injuries (not from my dog's) that can happen from a wire crate.

 

[VegasResident]

We switched our boy from a plastic 36" ot a wire 42" at 16 weeks old and he now sleeps like a rock.

We actually did because he had a penchant for running his paws up and down the sides of the plastic keeping us up and also because he was squishing his ears against the sides of the plastic crate (ears up!).

Best thing we ever did. He stretches fully out and is a perfect fit and no potty issues. We place a blanket over part of it for him and then leave bottem edges all open for air to move in and out since cool air sticks near floor.

 

[Whiteshepherds]

I personally like the plastic Vari Kennel crates. I've seen serious injuries (not from my dog's) that can happen from a wire crate.

We have both. I think a calm dog is going to be fine in either crate, but if the dog is anxious and tries to get out, the plastic crates are safer. A dog can really shred it's paws trying to dig out of a wire crate.

 

[KZoppa]

for puppies we use the plastic crates and our dogs are fine with both plastic and wire. But the general thing we see if Riley preferes the wire, Shasta prefers the plastic and Shelby doesnt have a preference except she'd rather not be kenneled in any way shape or form.

 

[GSDAlphaMom]

Wire. I would not want to be in a plastic crate...too claustrophobic!