# Getting rid of the crate when Winnie trained herself to go there when the doorbell rings.



## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

So as my mum is now bed bound I have been able to start leaving Winnie roam downstairs when we go out instead of putting her in the crate. We were always worried about her tripping my mum over but now Winnie can't reach mum as she is up high in a medical bed with screen sides. We go out for different lengths of time ranging from 15 minutes to just over an hour and she seems fine. We sometimes catch her on the camera looking out of the window or lying down in the hallway near the front door. She doesn't seem to be crying or barking. She might do the occassional bark at someone walking past the house but its not constant. I think it depends on who it is and what they are wearing. She is definitely happier not getting locked in her crate. So now we are thinking it might be time to take the crate down. The thing is that when the doorbell goes she runs into the crate (door left open) and she waits until I answer the door and come back to release her. What will we do when the crate is gone? Will she get confused? I didn't train her to do this, she just did it by herself. I'm a bit worried about how she will react when she can't do this anymore.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

My Babykins who is 6 yo still uses her crate in the family room so I’ve left it up. I did switch from a metal crate to a fabric folding travel crate.

Why do you want to get rid of it? Is is ugly? Could you replace it with a more decorative crate? They have wood ones that double as side tables. Is it taking up valuable space? Could you train her to use a chair or couch instead of her crate? Maybe a dog bed or mat under a table?

This is such as useful behavior. People train their dogs to do this, you’re lucky she trained herself. I wouldn’t want to extinguish this behavior, but you could shape it to something you want such as a more attractive crate, a dog bed or chair in the same location. She sees this as a safe, secure spot, you want to replace it with something equally safe and secure in her eyes.

I also think about those rare times when a dog must be crated at the vet and how valuable it is to have a crate trained dog. They might be petrified being at the vet, possibly in pain from surgery or an accident, but you aren’t adding another level of fear because they will be comfortable being in a crate.


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## Starvt (Nov 5, 2019)

When I didn't need to shut my dogs in a crate anymore, I just removed the door but left it. They still sometimes sleep in it bring chews inside it and it's a safe place if noisy visitors are over. 
Now, you could put a bed (maybe a cot style?) in place of the crate and see if she switches to that, but I would suggest leaving the crate.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

I really didn't want to have the crate up forever. It does take up space and the room is cramped enough as it is as my mum has taken up the back room so all the furniture that was in that room has has to be squeezed around our existing furniture. It would be nice to regain a bit of space. I could try to train her to sit on a mat that is in place of the crate. It was good that she trained herself but maybe if it is in the same location she might naturally go to it.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Why does she run to the crate when the doorbell rings? Is she afraid? What does she do when the guest(s) comes in? Maybe do some trials of doorbell ringing with the crate gone to see how it goes.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

94Magna_Tom said:


> Why does she run to the crate when the doorbell rings? Is she afraid? What does she do when the guest(s) comes in? Maybe do some trials of doorbell ringing with the crate gone to see how it goes.


She just runs there because I used to put her in there when the paramedics or nurses came to the house to keep her out of the way. Then she started going there every time the doorbell rang so I let her continue.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I would try putting a bed or mat in there, then remove the crate, leave the bed, and praise like mad when she goes to it. Little by little you could then move the bed to a more convenient position. It is such a useful behaviour, especially with your mother probably needing quite a lot of visiting help, that it would be a pity to extinguish it.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

I would put a mat or bed next to the crate and start treating calmly but generously when she goes there. Don’t rush the removal of the crate until she’s consistently choosing this new option over it.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

I would … keep the crate. I have had dogs that found it so comforting that I would have felt like I was a meanie for taking it away.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Previously when the consideration of moving or removing the crate came up you'd said that there wasn't any sort of end table with tall legs that might serve as a surrogate crate space, using maybe a tablecloth to the floor as the "crate" cover.
Is there anything that has changed that might make that a possibility? Replacing a night stand/end table?

If she's not a chewer and you don't need her to sleep in it anymore but only to chill for a while, then the suggestion of a pop up crate might be ideal. They are literally a couple of flicks of the wrist to open and close.

This could tuck under the bed or in the wardrobe when not needed.
















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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

Sorry I should have mentioned that this is not her sleeping crate. This is the one in the living room that she eats and drinks in and I used to put her in it when we went out. She still has her crate upstairs in the spare bedroom and she only sleeps in there at night. I now don't need to shut her in the downstairs crate as she roams free when we are out. So this was the crate I wanted to get rid of. She can eat and drink in the same place on a mat.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I saw this but have been having a hectic week and hadn't had time to reply on, but my initial thinking was along the lines of Skylar's ideas. Since you don't want a crate in your living room forever I think I would either suggest an end table style crate or to replace the crate with a bed. You could start the transition by putting a bed in the current crate and gradually move it out of the crate before removing the crate itself.


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