My pup is almost 5 months old and finally seems comfortable with his crate. We have one of those wire crates, and we haven’t been covering it. We noticed that if he could see us at night, he wouldn’t bark as much, so we kept it uncovered. Now that he’s getting used to it and can sleep through the night, we’re wondering if covering it would be better for him.
For those of you who cover your dog’s crate, do you leave it covered when you’re out during the day? Or at this point, should I just leave it open?
I’ve got a wire crate too, and if I cover it, my dog just pulls the blanket inside and tears it to pieces. He’s perfectly happy lying in the sun near the patio door in his crate, so I leave it open. He actually sleeps in bed with us at night, so it’s not much of an issue for us.
@WoofWisdom1
Same here. If I put anything too close to her crate, she’ll pull it in and shred it. My dog somehow even gets ahold of things like sheets hanging off the bed or socks that fall on the floor. She can’t resist.
WoofWisdom1 said: @Delilah
Right? It’s amazing how far they can reach. I always wonder how he manages it when I’m not around.
Mine even figured out how to open the crate door, so now I have to secure it with a carabiner. She usually tries to escape when one of my other dogs is out. But at bedtime, she’s happy to stay in her crate.
Depends on your dog’s preferences. I recently put a blanket over my dog’s crate because she was constantly trying to squeeze under the bed and behind the couch. I think she was just looking for a cozy, den-like space, so covering the crate helped make it feel more like a safe spot for her.
I’d leave the crate open if you’re okay with them wandering in and out.
@Kajol
That’s actually really interesting. My dog also loves being under the bed. I didn’t even think of the crate cover as a ‘den’ thing. Makes a lot of sense now.
I cover the crate at night and during nap times, but when he’s awake, like chewing on a toy, I leave it open. If I want him to sleep, especially if he’s had enough exercise and mental activity for the day, then covering it works best. Otherwise, I keep it uncovered so he can see what’s going on.
I posted about this topic on this forum recently. A few weeks ago, a drunk driver crashed into the front of my house, right into the room where my 3-year-old lab was in his crate. Thankfully, his crate was covered with a sheet, and that helped protect him from the debris that went flying across the room. We even found a screw in the crate, but it kept him safe from all the mess. Ever since then, I always cover his crate as a precaution.
It really was awful. Even though most crates won’t go through something like this, I’m so glad I had his crate in the corner, covered. It kept him safe. A horrible experience, but at least my dog is okay.
My dog’s crate is uncovered. He always used to just sleep on the couch, so the crate is more for emergencies. He enjoys going in and out, but he wasn’t a fan of the plastic cover we tried earlier.
Our puppy just turned 5 months, and he’s always slept in his crate overnight with a cover on it to give him a sense of a ‘den.’ But if your dog’s used to the crate uncovered, stick with what works. We initially used blankets, but he would pull them in, so we switched to cardboard on the sides. Now that he’s got bladder control, we’ve given him a bed inside, and he’s happy.
I think we might go back to a blanket cover soon for looks, but really, it’s all about finding a balance between your dog’s comfort and how you want it to look.
Covering the crate really helped my dog feel calmer. We just used an old sheet, nothing fancy, and it didn’t even fully block her view. Once I forgot to cover it, checked the dog cam, and she was crying. So I think she feels safer with it covered.
I have a wire crate too, and my dog doesn’t like it when it’s covered. Every time I try, he just seems to get anxious. He prefers being able to see what’s happening around him.
I usually cover my dog’s crate at night but leave it open if I’m just out running errands. We tried a blanket at first, but she chewed it up, so we ended up getting a crate cover. It’s worked out perfectly, and she’s been fine ever since. Highly recommend it.
My 6-month-old instantly relaxes when I cover his crate at night. During the day he’s fine without it, but he can’t go without it at bedtime. If it’s not covered, he’ll bark and seem really anxious.
My dog’s crate is right by the sliding glass door, and she loves to look outside. She’s much happier with it uncovered, even if she occasionally barks at things outside. If I cover it, she just gets more restless and anxious. I think it really depends on the dog’s personality.