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  1. #1
    House Broken Mom4four's Avatar
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    Suggestions for making a crate smaller and bedding??

    We will be crate training Quincy and we use the large plastic kennels. Does anyone have a suggestion on what to use to make it smaller until he grows? I cant remember what we did before.
    And what do you use for bedding in your crate/kennel?

  2. #2
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    You may not need to make it smaller. But you can see if you have a plastic box or a small plastic laundry basket you can put up in the back to block some room. We always just put an old towel in the crate.

  3. #3
    Senior Dog arentspowell's Avatar
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    We used the same type and did not need to make it smaller. I would be careful with beds and blankets in there, some puppies will chew them and it can be dangerous. Our girl didn't like having anything in her kennel, it made her hot and she always pushed them away.

  4. #4
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    I wouldn't make it smaller either. Make it big enough he can pee or poop or puke in one corner if he has to, and keep himself out of it. Of course it's your job to get him out in time to pee or poop but accidents happen.

    My boy found bedding too hot as well. He preferred the kitchen floor or the bare metal crate liner. Plus bedding can be very dangerous if they eat some of it when you aren't looking.

  5. #5
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    I never made it smaller. I do have two crates though. One is good for a dog until he's about 4 months and the other one is quite large and can be used for a large adult dog.

    No bedding. Mine either ate it or, in one case of a foster puppy, used it to poop or pee in so he could "hide it" and not have to lay in it. It did not help his potty training.

  6. #6
    Real Retriever Laura's Avatar
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    Theo didn't need his crate divider. he's been fine in a 42" crate from the start. We started out with an old towel, and when he started chewing the towel, I took it out. Now he has a couple of safe toys and that is it.
    Hidden Content Theo 8/14/14

  7. #7
    Senior Dog ZoeysMommy's Avatar
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    I never made the crate smaller, Zoey has been in her xlarge crate since 8 weeks. No bedding either, it can be dangerous

  8. #8
    Senior Dog CraftHer's Avatar
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    We bought crates that were too small and have to buy bigger ones. Don't recommend this although the animal shelter was happy to get the donations of smaller crates.

    We put a bed in Mocha's first crate. He chewed it apart at the seam. I mended it, he chewed it at the same seam. We took it out. We didn't put anything at all (only the plastic tray) in his crate until he was after a year old becasue we were afraid of he'd chew it up. Now we only put an oversized beach towel that I wrap around the tray. He does have a hamster type water bottle. No toys and he's just fine.

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  10. #9
    House Broken Mom4four's Avatar
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    I think we will maybe just try a towel and see how that goes. Or newspaper. In my online searching I found that people use a horse stall matt?? and cut it to size. I looked at the local farm store just to see exactly what this is but they didn't have any. And I think I will try a box for the kennel. I read cardboard is safer to ingest than plastic if he would chew it. And I can get plenty of boxes at work.

  11. #10
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mom4four View Post
    I think we will maybe just try a towel and see how that goes. Or newspaper. In my online searching I found that people use a horse stall matt?? and cut it to size. I looked at the local farm store just to see exactly what this is but they didn't have any. And I think I will try a box for the kennel. I read cardboard is safer to ingest than plastic if he would chew it. And I can get plenty of boxes at work.
    Any of those will be perfectly safe the whole time you have your eyes on him. The stall mat is the only thing safe to leave him alone with and only if you have it fit so snugly he cannot get a corner up to chew on it. Stall mat, cow or horse, is thick solid rubber. There is really not much softness to it.

    A box for the kennel? You mean on the floor, not the actual kennel? Anyway, it can still be chewed and ingested and cause a blockage.

    I know you want puppy to be comfortable but saftety is a higher priority. And he will be comfy without bedding while you are not with him.

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