[Dailydrool] More on crates

[JACQIE MARVICH]

Personally, I think they should call them "GREATS". It would be chaos here with out them. I have all three types but pawsonally prefer the folding wire crates for traveling and training pupsters to a crate. They can see out better and don't feel as confined as they do in the plastic type. The wire crates allow more air circuclation. Especially important when traveling in the Grand Caravan Basset Showmobile so the AC gets through them to everyone.

I don't use the soft sided type as much. I don't trust them to keep a dog confined especially one that's not used to being crated. A couple of my older girls love them. We refer to them as the Basset Tents. I haven't really found one that I'm happy with either plus they can be quite ex$pen$ive. I do need to get them for the dogs at ring side. My arthritic body just isn't handling loading and unloading those wire crates everday at a show and hauling them in and out several times a day.

The plastic airline approved type with the chromed doors are used here at home more than any of the others mostly because I have more of them. Some of my dogs prefer these as it provides more enclosed environment. They're more like a "den". My dogs all know which crate is theirs and usually head right to it when it's dinner time. The younger ones are more likely to play musical crates than the older ones. It's like they think I won't know who's in which crate and maybe, just maybe they'll get the other ones food. After all, it has to be better than their own food! (FYI-they are all fed the same food, lamb & rice kibble w/Dyanmite Showdown except for Toffee who would only get 5 tiny pieces of kibble if she were fed that so she eats a lowfat kibble.)

As for where to buy crates, I find most of my plastic ones at second hand stores or yard sales. Usually pretty cheap! And quite often like new. Some of the wire crates I have were bought at Wal Mart. The larger sizes have two doors, one on the end and one on the side making it easier to find places for them in my home. The larger ones have a removable divider and can be used for two smaller dogs, for puppies or to reduce the size of the space for crate training. They were also the lowest price I've found also. They only downside to them is that the plastic tray that goes in the bottom is made of fairly thin plastic and doesn't last. It splits along the wires underneath it due to the weight of the dog going in and out of them. To solve this problem, I bought a sheet of 1/4" wallboard or pegboard at Home Depot and cut to fit under the plastic tray. Cost about $4 per crate for the wall board/pegboard but well worth it as the trays last a lot longer that way.

Jacqie Marvich
Oakrydge Bassets
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