# Ok to use two crates or will that be confusing?



## tnedator (Aug 1, 2013)

I'm getting ready to pick up my spoo, who will be 9 weeks old. He'll join my 15 year old mini in the home. 

After reading a lot of posts on here about the right crate size for a spoo, I have purchased one that should work from now until he's full grown, and setup a little playpen area in the living room (read Dunbar's book and site). 

However, last night I was reading through a lot of the crate training threads on here, and read a LOT of recommendations to have the crate in the bedroom at night. I travel, and there is no way my wife can move the 42"x28" crate from the bedroom to living room and back every morning and night. 

So, my choices are:

1. Leave the crate/playpen in the living room and have the puppy sleep there. 
2. Put the crate in the bedroom, and have a playpen without crate in the living room. 
3. Get two crates, one in the bedroom, and one with a playpen in the living room. 

I will need to get a smaller crate for the long drive home after picking him up, so I could put that one in the bedroom, but he would likely outgrow it fairly soon. 

With our two mini's (one recently passed), we used the crates for far less than a year and then from that point forward, we kept them in the bedroom/kitchen (they are adjacent) with a gate at night and when we left the house. My wife would like to "lose the crates" as soon as he's fully trained, but we will have to see when that point is.

So, the question is will he adapt to two crates as his den or will having two crates, one in the living room and one in the bedroom frustrate or confuse him? 

Thanks


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I use two and it is no problem. Crates are a god send when training and a useful life skill. I also like the dog to sleep in the bedroom especially when training and it is just easier not to have to lug it down the stairs. Swizzle loves his crates.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Wow, I would say you could do it with just a playpen in the living room and crate in your bedroom, but that means each time you leave the house you will probably have to take the puppy to your bedroom as with a spoo puppy I would thing escaping the playpen when you are gone is a probability. I am guessing, I have never had a spoo. 

I keep my toy in her crate (sometimes) at night (she is usually in my bed) and when I leave she used to stay in her playpen but I always worried she would get out. She is now 11 months old and gets free run of the downstairs when I am gone.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

I think that once a dog is crate trained, they love going inside anything - soft, hard, metal, plastic, fabric - I've never gotten anything that my girls don't run right into!


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## tnedator (Aug 1, 2013)

Tiny Poodles said:


> I think that once a dog is crate trained, they love going inside anything - soft, hard, metal, plastic, fabric - I've never gotten anything that my girls don't run right into!


My mini never took to crates, but loves cave like areas in the house, like a back corner under the bed, under the end table in the living room, etc. She also loves burrowing in clothes that I have on the floor after unpacking from a trip.

So, I tried her out with my new Icrate for the spoo, which my wife said she would never go near. I through some clothes in it, and had a crate blanket over it making it dark, and threw a couple treats in, which she first grabbed, without ever letting her back legs get all the way in the crate. Then, about 20 minutes later my wife got my attention to show me she was curled up in the crate asleep.


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## 3sps (Feb 5, 2012)

*"wire" crate brands*

We are looking for a crate to keep handy in our family room if we need it.It will be for our newly adopted (starting Thursday!) S Poo who weighs about 60#. He is used to a crate so I do not think he will be an escape artist - but some of the reviews I read talk about that. I also hear of sharp edges.

I have a great crate but do not remember its manufacturer and have taken off the label that was on it.

Any recommendations? feel free to PM me if you want.


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## Joy (Apr 25, 2013)

I would use the smaller crate for downstairs for now, and put the full size crate upstairs in the bedroom for sleeping. As your pup is crate trained downstairs it will outgrow the smaller crate, but will not need it after the housetraining is done. As the pup outgrows the small crate downstairs you can graduate to a pen, before giving full privileges out of crate. They usually like sleeping in the crate in your bedroom for life.


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## KristaLynn (Mar 22, 2012)

My mini poodle has three crates, I keep one in the car too! Two wire and one plastic. She doesn't care, crate is a crate to her.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I don't think two crates would be confusing (it is a poodle after all!). I would go with Joy's suggestion of big crate in bedroom for now and crate plus ex pen in daytime family areas. By the time smaller crate is outgrown your puppy should be big enough and well enough along in housebreaking to "lose it."


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